Coconut Oil is a dense oil because it is a saturated oil. Although it is not a saturated oil in the sense it comes from an animal source, it is still considered saturated because of the kind of saturated “fat” the coconut oil contains, medium chain triglycerides. These are actually good triglycerides, they assimilate well by the body system, they don’t cause bad cholesterol (LDL) to form. These triglycerides contain Lauric, Capric, Caprylic, Myristic and Palmitic acids.

Without going into great detail, these acids help prevent a myriad of illnesses and disease. For instance, the Lauric acid may help in preventing candida albicans and fungal infections like ringworm, herpes, the measles, influenza, hepatitis C and HIV. Capric acid helps to balance insulin levels as in the case of diabetes (This is why we use coconut and coconut oil , in a limited amount, in our “Diabetic’s DeLight” Parrot Diet. Even though parrots that are diabetic need limited amounts of oil, they still need a quality oil that will aid in skin and feather health as well as balancing insulin.). Caprylic acid has been shown to be highly beneficial in treating salmonella, ringworm, candidiasis (yeast infections) and gastroenteritis.

The polyunsaturated oil in coconut oil is linoleic acid; it is an omega 6 essential fatty acid. It is responsible for healthy cell membranes, wound healing and healthy hair, or in the case of our parrots, healthy feathers.

The monounsaturated oil in coconut oil is oleic acid, and it is an omega 9 fatty acid. It is responsible for lowering total cholesterol levels, which includes triglycerides, further aiding in the balance of insulin in the case of diabetes, slows in the development of heart disease, aids in the production of antioxidants, and acts as a great moisturizer as well. This is very important omega in any oil and most oils don’t contain it, or contain it only in very limited quantity. Coconut oil contains it in abundance!

Coconut oil is about 92% saturated plant fat.

The omega ratio in coconut oil: 9=5.8; 6=1.8; 3=<1

The poly-phenol present in coconut oil is gallic acid.  Gallic acid acts as a antioxidant and helps to protect our cells against oxidative damage. It is a phytochemical that also helps in the treatment of diabetes as well as albuminuria. (Albuminuria is a pathological condition wherein albumin is present in the urine. It is a type of proteinuria.)

Coconut oil also contains vitamin E which is essential for healthy eyesight (protects against macular degeneration) and healthy skin, and vitamin K essential for proper blood coagulation, as well as necessary minerals especially iron, the non-heme type.

It is vitally important to understand that cold-pressed, organic virgin coconut oil is the only kind of coconut oil that provides all of these benefits because processing it in this manner protects all of the beneficial health properties of this magnificent oil. Many of the other ways of processing this oil, heat pressed, or by the use of chemical solvents, quickly downgrades the overall product and the benefits derived are lost due to the method of extraction. And beginning with an organic version of the oil is key to maintaining the beneficial properties because using a lower grade of coconut that has been sprayed with pesticides or grown with chemical fertilizers does nothing but weaken the overall health properties of the finished product.

Coconut oil is a “stable” oil, meaning it does not go rancid quickly like other less stable oils, especially oils that are saturated oils, like lard that are derived from animal sources. Because of this outstanding property coconut oil can usually be kept at room temperature for months on end, therefore the need for refrigeration is not necessary. In addition, coconut oil has a high heat burning point which makes it very good for cooking and frying. And because of its nutty flavor it offers a wonderful taste to most any food!

While moderate use of coconut oil can actually aid in the lowering of bad LDL cholesterol by increasing the good HDL cholesterol, it is important to understand that coconut oil, even though it is a very healthy oil, can be overused because it is a “saturated fat”. And though it is not an animal fat, and it is a wonderful oil for human use when used as a substitute for butter or in cooking, anything can be harmful if not used in moderation. For this reason I suggest you do not feed this oil to your parrot on a daily basis. This oil should be used with extreme caution and only at the advice and consultation of a parrot nutritionist for certain health issues in limited amounts.

However, if your parrot is a “plucker” or “skin mutilator”, exercising extreme caution and making sure to avoid the eyes completely, you can apply it topically to your parrot’s bare skin if your parrot is not a flighted parrot. Doing this will aid in healing of the mutilated skin as well as soothe the irritation.

For all practical purposes we have covered what I believe to be the most important oils in the diet of companion parrots. There are other less mainline oils that can be used in our parrots’ diets, and I’m sure we will discuss them at some point in time in our ongoing health and nutrition discussions.  I hope you have enjoyed our series about healthy oils for our parrots and how to use them in their diets! This concludes our series about the use of individual oils in our parrots’ diets.

*If at any time you begin to see black spots on your bird’s feathers, you may be feeding too much oil or fat to your bird, back off and consult your licensed avian veterinarian. You may need to have your bird’s blood lipid and lipoprotein panel checked and/or checked for fatty liver disease and/or place your bird on a liver detox regimen.(Or this may be a sign of “Iron Storage Disease”)

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Machelle Pacion / The BEST Bird Food / BirD-elicious! / Passion Tree House LLC © 2012 All Rights Reserved

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