I'm 28 too and use coconut oil. I've also put it in my curly, waist length hair, and used it as lotion. I also have a pretty good diet, compared to most western diets. Processed foods taste like crap to me now.

While it is controversial, here's what I believe...
Coconut oil is a healthy fat...The hydrogenated oils are the ones you have to look out for. If you are buying non-hydrogenated, organic coconut oil you are doing the best you can for yourself. I read somewhere that the best coconut oil for your health is "extra virgin" as it is basically raw and unprocessed.

I have used it since last summer, and have not had any adverse health effects. I also use extra virgin olive oil in my cooking, as well.

Coconut oil is wonderful, it is the only oil I cook with and I sometimes take it neat, it really revs up the metabolism. The nutritionists panic about coconut oil being bad because they equate a solid fat with animal fat and bad for you (not true for either). Coconut oil only resembles a saturated fat, it is in fact only a medium chain fat that happens to be solid at non tropical room temperature or refridgerated. It is cholesterol free, not that that is of any real concern as it is proved that dietary cholesterol has no impact on blood levels, and it contains so many health giving benefits it would take another page to list them. You are doing right by taking the coconut oil both inside and outside and I would recommend that you keep on taking it. And don't give up the butter, that is by far a better choice than the manmade poisons that pass as margarines.

I have just started to use coconut oil in an effort to lose some weight . I have been taking 2 tablespoons a day for about a week now and have lost about 4 pounds , so i am hoping that this trend continues.