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Before you you turn in for the night, you may want to consider taking some coconut oil first.

Coconut oil is a superfood with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. It contains a unique combination of fatty acids that can help regulate your hormones and support tissue repair. In addition, these fatty acids can also encourage your body to burn fat while also reducing your risk of heart disease.

As it turns out, one of the best times to take coconut oil to experience these benefits is at night, before you turn in. But if you’re still not convinced, here are seven reasons to take coconut oil before going to bed.

1. Helps treat insomnia

Spikes in blood sugar levels can disturb your sleep. The fats in coconut oil, however, may actually prevent blood sugar spikes, allowing you to sleep better.

In addition, coconut oil is rich in dodecanoic acid, also known as lauric acid, which has been linked to more restful sleep.

2. Helps you feel energized when you wake up

Besides helping you sleep better, coconut oil can also make you feel better rested and more energized when you wake up. This is because coconut oil can provide you with long-lasting energy.

3. Supports heart health

Clinical studies show that taking coconut oil every day can raise your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), more commonly known as good cholesterol. This is because coconut oil is full of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which have been shown to help increase HDL levels.

In addition, studies have found that MCT can reduce your levels of C-reactive protein. This is an inflammatory marker that increases your risk for heart disease.

4. Supports skin health

Taking coconut oil before bed has been reported to enhance skin and hair health. It also helps prevent premature aging. Applying coconut oil on your skin and hair once a week can net you these skin benefits and give you glowing skin and shiny hair.

5. Aids in weight loss

Taking coconut oil may help you lose weight due to a number of factors. For one, coconut oil can help increase feelings of fullness, keeping you from going for a midnight snack.

More importantly, the MCTs in coconut oil, despite being a form of fat, are much more rapidly absorbed and burned as fuel by your body.

6. Helps you retain muscle mass

On top of helping you lose body fat, coconut oil may also help you retain muscle mass. Coconut oil has been shown to be highly insulinotropic, meaning it stimulates insulin secretion, which can help your muscles absorb nutrients.

7. Protects against disease

Studies show that coconut oil can help raise your immunity against certain diseases. Certain compounds in coconut oil, such as lauric acid and monolaurin, are known antimicrobial agents. Their mechanistic actions also help activate the anti-inflammatory nature of your body’s immune response.

How to take coconut oil before bed

While taking coconut oil before going to bed is beneficial for you, take note that it is also high in calories. As such, you need to make sure that you only take it in the right proportions. Taking a small amount of coconut oil before bed can provide ample benefits, but you shouldn’t consume more than a tablespoon.

Another way to take coconut oil is to include it in your recipes. You can try mixing it in with teas such as chamomile tea. Other healthy foods you can mix it with include raw honey and sea salt. Try the recipe below to get a good night’s sleep.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of raw honey

Just mix all of the ingredients together and take the resulting mixture as it is.

Coconut oil is a superfood that can provide you with a plethora of health benefits when taken before bed. Try some before you sleep so you can experience these benefits for yourself.

Sources:

FoodsForBetterHealth.com

PubMed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 1

PubMed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 2

NutricionHospitalaria.com ^[PDF]

LinkingHub.Elsevier.com

Academic.OUP.com

PubMed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov 3