Have you tried coconut oil to treat your peripheral neuropathy? Even though you might be taking medications to ease the pain, numbness, and tingling and burning sensation that you experience in your hands, arms, feet, and legs, you can supplement your treatment with coconut oil.
Coconut oil, considered as a superfood and a source of healthy fat, contains several beneficial properties that make it a good alternative for nerve pain and other medical conditions. The oil contains healthy saturated fatty acids that can provide the brain with a multitude of benefits.
Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides, which can benefit your liver when you ingest it.
Your organ changes the fat into energy and ketones. This boosts brain health according to a study.
In the study, the researchers stated that ketones from coconut oil could reduce the plague that forms in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease as well as people suffering from dementia and epilepsy.
Moreover, lauric acid found in the oil contains around half of the fatty acids and has antibacterial properties.
Lauric acid converts into monolaurin in your body. Monolaurin is the substance that combats fungi, bacteria, and viruses, thus making coconut oil an effective choice for people with diabetic neuropathy, as they are more prone to developing infections and autoimmune diseases.
For the treatment of peripheral neuropathy, coconut oil is a safe and effective option due to the number of benefits it offers to those suffering from nerve pain.
Coconut oil offers a person diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy with the following five benefits:
An overweight or obese person with diabetes, who as a result develops nerve pain, should use coconut oil to lose weight.
The oil contains healthy fats, making them an optimal alternate for other saturated fats.
According to a study, coconut oil can lead to a moderate decrease in body weight, total body fat, and visceral fat.
People who are obese and have developed nerve pain should consider losing weight by using coconut oil combined with other recommended exercises and a proper diet plan, as increased weight can aggravate peripheral neuropathy.
Researchers performed a study where they divided participants into two groups by BMI — high BMI and normal BMI. Nerve pain was higher in people with a high BMI due to inflammation caused by obesity.
People diagnosed with nerve pain can use coconut oil as a pain reliever. The can apply coconut oil on the site of the pain. If they want, they can even create a blend, using coconut oil with certain essential oils that have pain-relieving properties.
Coconut oil increases blood circulation and relieves pain when applied and massaged on the affected pain area of the body. You can create the following pain-relief cream using coconut oil and essential oils:
You need to combine all the ingredients in a roll-on bottle and fill it with the rest of the fractioned coconut oil. Apply it on the affected area once each day or as needed.
Coconut oil contains anti-inflammatory properties, particularly virgin coconut oil. The fatty acids found in coconut oil can decrease inflammation by promoting the production of interleukin-10. Interleukin-10 is a potent anti-inflammatory substance.
Coconut oil can also reduce certain compounds that cause inflammation. If you consume virgin coconut oil on a regular basis, it can reduce both pain and inflammation caused by peripheral neuropathy.
Coconut oil contains two main ingredients, known as lauric acid and caprylic acid.
Both these main ingredients work to strengthen your immune system, as they contain anti-viral properties.
Since people diagnosed with diabetes are more prone to infections, peripheral neuropathy can increase their risk of contracting an infection due to the symptoms involved.
When diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, one of the symptoms you may experience is a weakness in your limbs, which can result in you losing your balance and falling. This can result in an injury or an infection, which will be difficult to heal because of diabetes.
Whether you have developed nerve pain or not, you should ingest coconut oil each day without fail to strengthen your immune system and fortify your defense system to fight off infections and bacteria. This is especially true for people with diabetes.
Researchers discovered the benefits of using coconut oil in delaying the onset of neurological symptoms. They gave participants in the study dietary supplements with coconut oil and found out that it had a neuroprotective impact with the ability to cease the progress of disease among the participants.
Even though taking coconut oil supplements cannot reverse the peripheral neuropathy symptoms, it will still have a neuroprotective effect on your body. If you take the coconut oil supplement, you may experience improvement in the symptoms of nerve pain, thus making coconut oil a great choice for people going through nerve pain.
If you suffer from nerve pain, you can consume coconut oil by drinking it in liquid form. You should consume two to three tablespoons of coconut oil each day. You can also take coconut oil supplements each day. If you opt for the coconut oil supplements, you need to follow the dosage instructions of the manufacturer.
However, you should keep in mind that you will find not experience instantaneous benefits of using coconut oil, as it takes a few weeks for the oil to heal and repair your damaged nerves and reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. If you have recently developed nerve pain, you need to use coconut oil to prevent the symptoms from becoming worse.
While coconut oil may offer some benefits for neuropathy, you should take a holistic approach to treating the condition rather than relying on only one treatment method. A holistic approach means incorporating dietary and lifestyle changes into your routine, and incorporating an exercise routine or yoga exercises to your daily regimen.
Other important steps to take are adding vitamins and herbs into your diet through proper supplementation. This can be done by taking supplements from your local health store or taking one of many pre-formulated supplements created to treat neuropathy.
