Coconut Oil, Breastmilk and Lauric Acid
- Kathy Morelli
- Feb 2, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 1
What’s so great about coconut oil anyway? And what do coconut oil and breast-milk have in common?
Let's take a look at the molecular constituents of organic virgin coconut oil, and you’ll see that coconut oil consists of about 50% lauric acid.
The only other place on earth that lauric acid is found naturally occurring in such a high percentage is in human breast-milk. Cow’s milk and goat’s milk contain about 3% lauric acid.
What’s so great about lauric acid?
Lauric acid is actually a type of fat. Research has found that lauric acid helps immunity. immunity. When lauric acid is converted to monolaurin in the body, it inhibits virus and fungal organisms (Ameena et al , 2024). Because lauric acid is found in both human breastmilk and coconut oil, researchers have looked at relationship between diet, breastmilk fat composition and coconut oil.
And research indicates that a mother’s diet can influence breastmilk fat composition, including lauric acid levels (Ashworth & Baghurst, 2003). While the research does not reveal an exact "dosage" of coconut oil needed to increase lauric acid levels in breastmilk, coconut oil can be understood as one of many whole-food fat sources that contribute to overall dietary fat intake during lactation. As with all aspects of nutrition, a mom's response will vary, so broader dietary patterns are likely more meaningful than any single food.
Many nursing moms find that including whole food sources of healthy fats—such as unrefined coconut oil—in their daily diet fits well with balanced eating patterns and personal food preferences.
Plus, coconut oil is yummy! Its warmth, texture, and familiar scent make it easy to enjoy in the kitchen, and many people also find comfort in using it as a simple, nourishing oil for skin and hair.
It’s best to use unrefined and organic coconut oil. Refining removes some of the oils' beneficial molecules! And if it’s organic, you’re not ingesting the pesticide residue into your body or getting it on your skin.
7 Recipes Using Coconut Oil
2 Yummy Drinks from the Heartlife Site
Nourishment is both physical and emotional care. These two Heartlife drinks offer gentle nutrition alongside a moment of mindful support.
This is one of my FAVORITE recipes!!
Chocolate, coffee, honey..what's not to like?
Add pineapple and coconut oil to make it taste like a pina colada!
3 Roasted Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Vegetables with Coconut Oil from Averie Cooks
More Roasted Veggies with Coconut Oil from the The Non-Dairy Queen who talks about her personal weight loss journey
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips – Slice sweet potatoes to about 1/8” thick. Place slices on a baking sheet. Brush with coconut oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until chips are lightly brown. Add salt and hot pepper to to taste. Yum!
2 Savory Meals from Martha Stewart
Avocado and Coconut Toast from Martha Stewart
Vegetable Green Curry from Martha Stewart
Coconut Oil for Hair and Skin
Lauric acid–rich oils like coconut oil are often the base for body butters, hair treatments, and skin preparations; you can explore these applications in more detail in the recipes linked below.
Coconut Oil as a Deep Conditioning Treatment for Your Hair
Coconut oil is a great natural hair conditioner. To condition your hair using coconut oil follow these steps:
Put on some comfortable clothes or put a towel around your shoulders. Be careful as coconut oil stains aren’t so easy to wash out of clothing.
Get a plastic shower cap that you can put over your hair and will stay in place for at least a few hours.
Melt the coconut oil in a double boiler. It won’t take long to melt, you might even want to just rub it in your hands to make it liquid.
Distribute the liquid coconut oil into your hair. Rub it in thoroughly and gently. Keep massaging it in until all of your hair is covered in coconut oil.
Bunch up your hair and put a shower cap over it.
Let the coconut oil condition your hair for at least two hours.
When you’re ready, wash the coconut oil out with a mild, natural shampoo. You may need to wash it twice to completely remove the oil.
Let your hair dry naturally. Your hair should now feel softer, look shinier and be healthier.
Coconut Oil as a Moisturizer and Oil Wash
Coconut is a great natural moisturizer for your skin. To use it to hydrate dry skin on your face, do the following:
Clean your face with water and gently dry it.
Take a bit of coconut oil, warming it between your hands so it becomes liquid and apply it around your eyes and around your face.
Get your washcloth and run it under warm water, spread it out and rest it on your face for a few minutes, then wipe the oil off.
Coconut Oil in Body Butter
Because lauric acid–rich oils support skin and hair health, they are commonly used in body butters and personal care preparations, including seasonal blends such as our Valentine’s Day body butter.
This article is part of a broader integrative approach to understanding mind–body health and everyday self-care. You can explore related perspectives in the Integrative Mental Health section.
Many body and hair preparations are enhanced with essential oils; individual essential oils are explored in greater depth throughout our Essential Oil monographs.
References
Ashworth, C. J., & Baghurst, K. I. (2003). Breast milk fatty acids: A review of their nutritional and functional roles. Nutrition Research Reviews, 16(1), 1–17.
M A, I MA, Ramalingam K, Shanmugam R. Biomedical Applications of Lauric Acid: A Narrative Review. Cureus. 2024 Jun 20;16(6):e62770. doi: 10.7759/cureus.62770. PMID: 39036266; PMCID: PMC11260118.
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