A Lazy Girl’s Guide in Choosing The Best VCO

Ever since I posted about PUFAs and their negative effects on our body, I have been around to find the best brand of VCO that I can stick to for the rest of my life. I have started drinking a tablespoon of VCO daily and I’m proud to say that I now consume 2 tablespoons daily, which is just right for my body weight (you need to drink 1 tbsp for every 50-lb body weight).

Also, I have been dabbling with oil pulling wherein you swish around 1-2 tbsps of VCO in your mouth for 20 mins before spitting it out. If you follow me on Snapchat, I’m sure you’ve seen me do oil pulling already.

Anyway today, I will share with you 3 VCO brands that I have tried, where I got them and how much, and my personal recommendation on which brand I think is the best for consumption.

1) Peter Paul Certified Organic VCO

I got this from SM Aura Hypermarket for only Php170 (250ml). Normal price of a 250ml bottle would range from Php160.00-Php250.00 in Manila so for the price and accessibility, I think this is already a good buy. Please note that this picture doesn’t contain the original cap of this brand. The bottle originally came with a black cap that I threw away since I like this clear cap better.

When choosing a VCO, always check the label. I look for key words ANH (Absolutely No Heat); cold-pressed; organic; and no chemicals, preservatives, or fragrances added. The taste of these different VCO brands would differ depending on their processing. Some would be extracted from dried coconut meat, while others are from fresh coconut meat. Either way, as long as the VCO is pure and unadulterated (meaning having the least form of processing), I think it’s great for consumption.

This Peter Paul VCO has a mild coconut taste and fragrance but very palatable. This brand is great for ingesting as the taste is not intimidating. So as per quality vs price, I think this brand is a good choice for starters.

2) Next 2 Nature Extra Virgin VCO

I picked this up recently from Parkson’s Duty Free in Clark, Pampanga for only USD6.58 (with USD-PHP conversion of Php46.25 that day so that’s around Php304.32 for a 500ml bottle). For the price, I think this is really cheap. Plus, it says it’s extra virgin so I was quite intrigued by this claim.

The label also claims that this brand uses organic farming and uses ANH when processing so I gave it a go.

Taste test was disappointing. It had the roasted taste that I do not like. Note that good quality virgin coconut oils do not have a strong roasted or smoky taste or smell. They should have a very mild coconut aroma and flavor. I am also skeptical about this brand since the color of the oil is not as clear as the previous brands that I have tried. I don’t know, maybe this was exposed to heat during stocking or transportation? Or maybe this is an old stock? But it says the expiry is not until 2017. Oh, and another thing to note is that the cap can get stuck in the bottle so it sometimes takes me a good 2o-30 minutes trying to open this bottle. It really is such a chore dealing with this brand. 🙁

Sadly, since I bought this hug half-a-liter bottle, it’s too wasteful to just throw it in the dump. So now I just use this huge bottle for my oil pulling, which is also hard because the toasty fumes would come out as you swish the VCO in your mouth. It’s such an effort not to spit it out before the 20-minute rule. 🙁

3) Dr. VCO Virgin Coconut Oil Health and Nutrition

My favorite and surprisingly the very first VCO brand that I have picked up. I got this from the grocery in the same building as National Bookstore Quezon Avenue (sorry I forgot if it was a Rustan’s or a Robinson’s!) for only Php190.00 (250ml). There are available 1L bottles of this brand. Dr. VCO has a range of VCO products, so be sure to get Health & Nutrition as this is the ingestible grade.

What I love about Dr. VCO is that it has the least coconut smell and fragrance–almost neutral–so it’s very pleasing when you use it for oil pulling. I can last for 30minutes swishing this VCO brand in my mouth and I won’t feel any discomfort or have that urge to spit it out. Plus, I totally love the packaging. I think using the fliptop clear cap is smart because it makes it easier for me to take my daily dose of VCO.

How about you? Have you tried any VCO brand that you like? Please share! I’d love to try them, too!

NOTE: This is NOT a sponsored post. I got these brands from my own liberty and money. The opinions here are based on my personal experience of trying the product.

 

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