Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil and Its Benefits
It is well known that coconut oil has been in use for centuries. It is used to nourish your
hair, moisturize your skin, and for cooking due to its health and beauty benefits. The use of
coconut oil is quite common. We definitely don't want to compromise on the quality of oil that
we use, so it's very important to know about cold-pressed oils. Cold-pressed coconut oil has a
unique flavour and retains anti-oxidants. Whenever you cook food, it's best to carefully choose
the type of oil as it is the main ingredient. Coconut oil is known for its antiviral and
antibacterial properties as well as anti-inflammatory benefits. There are two types of coconut
oils available in the market, they are cold-pressed and refined form. Antioxidants and flavour
retention are the two most important benefits of selecting cold-pressed over-refined. Here are
the details to understand better what cold-pressed coconut oils are and what are their
benefits?
Cold-Pressed Versus Refined Production:
There are two types of coconut oils, namely refined and unrefined. Refined coconut oils don't
possess coconut flavour or aroma. It is produced from dried coconut kernels, also known as
copra. Refined oils undergo various chemical and mechanical processes, where heating and
filtering are involved, thus eliminating all the nutrients. Cold-pressed oil possesses a light
coconut flavour and aroma and usually depends on the freshness of the coconut kernels used and
the form of processing it undergoes.
Rich in Antioxidant:
As the name suggests, cold-pressed does not involve any heat. The coconut oil is extracted from
sun-dried coconut kernels and pressed without any chemical or heat involved. On the other hand,
refined coconut oil is produced from dried coconut kernels. The coconut kernels undergo
bleaching and deodorizing and are heated in a hydraulic press before undergoing further heating
and filtering. As with all food processing, the introduction of heat minimizes the antioxidant
content of refined coconut oil. Hence, cold-pressed oil is expected to have higher levels of
antioxidants than refined oil.
Flavour Benefits:
Cold-pressed coconut oil retains its natural coconut flavour. When used for baking, it results
in the nutty flavour that coconut is known for. As refined coconut oil undergoes extensive
processing, it will possess only a neutral flavour and it is difficult to detect the nutty
flavour of coconut.
Additive-Free:
Cold-pressed coconut oil does not contain any additives because it doesn't undergo any refining
process. But in refined oil additives are used to remove the impurities to get a clean final
product. Refined coconut oil is best for high-heat cooking and a neutral flavour. Cold-pressed
oil is best for medium-heat cooking and baking and recipes where you want to give a delicate
coconut flavour.
Cold-pressed coconut oil is considered best due to its antioxidants and anti-microbial benefits
when added to your diet. We get the maximum benefits from it as it retains more natural
constituents than refined coconut oil. Cold-pressed oil is rich in oleic acids, which help to
boost our immune system. The natural antioxidants present in them help reduce cell damage in our
bodies. The antioxidants contained in them prevent free radical damage. Considering all the
health benefits it has, it is high time we switch over to cold-pressed oils.