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“Gluten free,” “No GMO,” “All-Natural”… are labels consumers are paying much more attention to these days. Be wary of those labels in general. A common healthy substitute that’s spreading fast is coconut oil. It was featured on Dr. Oz, so it must be better than other cooking oils right? Not necessarily.

While coconut oil does have some health benefits, like potentially lowering blood sugar, the amount of saturated fat, sugar, and calories it contains can lead to high cholesterol and heart problems if over-consumed, like with any oil. Coconut oil also lacks Vitamins E and K, both found in canola oil, and has far more saturated fat. You can still cook with coconut oil, and could see healthy weight loss as a result if used in place of olive oil, but it is recommended to be used in small amounts and only for sauces, light sautéing and low-heat baking.

Coconut oil can be even better out of the kitchen! Here are a few interesting uses for coconut oil:

• Beauty & Grooming:

Add honey for a homemade conditioner

Add baking soda to get glowing skin or make your own toothpaste

Add brown sugar for a body buffer

• Home & Lifestyle:

Gets rid of gummy residue

Conditions wood

Unsticks zippers

• Pets

Prevents hairballs and conditions fur

• Health & wellness:

Boosts oral hygiene

Protects and heals skin

Treats bug bites

Cleans your ears

Boosts metabolism

Written by Marina De La Garza, Events & Initiatives Intern