Beyond weight loss, coconut oil offers a number of health benefits. It's 50-65% (depending on what source you read) medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are a great source of energy for the body. MCTs are broken down almost immediately by enzymes in the saliva and gastric juices so that pancreatic fat-digesting enzymes are not even essential. Therefore, there is little strain on the pancreas and digestive system. Once in the digestive system, MCTs go directly from the intestines via the portal vein to the liver, without the intermediate packaging steps other fats require. The liver breaks down MCTs into ketones, which the body burns/oxidizes for energy. Very little, if any, MCTs get stored as adipose tissue.

Coconut oil is high in lauric acid. The body converts this to monolaurin, which has anti-microbial properties. It's been effective in keeping my eczema and the occasional mouth sore (herpes type II) in check.

I’ve put coconut oil into my body by drinking it, (warmed in a microwave), sautéing with it, topping food with it (it melts at 76°), rubbing it on after a shower/bath, and even as a deodorant. It has also done wonderful things for my skin in general.

Since I appear to be well-suited (45 lbs. lost in 10 weeks) to a high-fat (65% of calories) diet, it would not be fair for me to say that coconut oil is essential to everyone, but it is a remarkable substance.

For a more complete (though technical) discussion of coconut oil's benefits, visit the Weston A. Price Foundation'sweb page on the topic. www.coconut-info.com has some more readable information on coconut oil's benefits.