I prescribe coconut oil so often that I bet my patients think I own stock in a coconut farm. I don’t—honest! It’s just that this oil is incredibly rich in health benefits. For instance, the lauric acid in coconut oil smooths your skin (that’s why it’s an ingredient in many expensive wrinkle creams) and helps heal skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. Coconut oil also revs up your metabolism, helping you to burn fat faster.

In addition, it can improve your levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. And now scientists report that adding coconut oil to your diet can help fight an overgrowth of candida albicans in your gut. In case you’re not familiar with candida, it’s a common fungus that inhabits your gut. Normally, your body keeps it under control. However, if you have immune problems, candida can run wild.

Candida overgrowth can cause anything from chronic fatigue to bloating and gas—and if candida escapes from your gut to your bloodstream, it can cause serious infections. In short, rampant candida is bad news. In the new study, researchers at Tufts University fed mice beef tallow, soybean oil, and coconut oil. Coconut oil, but not the other two oils, dramatically reduced levels of candida in the gut.

The researchers say coconut oil’s effects are so striking that in patients with serious candida infections, doctors might be able to use it as an alternative to antifungal drugs. So if you needed another reason to add coconut oil to your diet—now you have it! And to get you started, here’s a quick and easy salmon recipe from my new book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet:

Roasted Salmon Gremolata Prep Time: 5 minutes • Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: Makes 4 servings

• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
• Celtic or pink Himalayan salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Rub both sides of the salmon with the oil and place on the prepared baking sheet. (If the salmon has skin, place it skin side down.) Lightly salt and pepper the fillet, drizzle with the lemon juice, and sprinkle with the parsley. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish is opaque.

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll also find that coconut oil is fabulous in desserts.  For instance, check out Mark Sisson’s coconut macadamia bark here, Marlel Lewis’s Christmas coconut treats here, and my own chocolate chip cookies here.

Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!