Ask any beauty lover in the West which item on their *nightstand they couldn’t go without, and it’s very likely what the answer would be.

在西方随便问一个爱美之人，床头柜上有哪样东西是他们根本离不开的，答案很有可能就是这个东西。

Celebrity chefs including British TV star Nigella Lawson use it in recipes, supermodels swear by its anti-aging properties, and everyday people across the world use it as a cure-all for everything from *lackluster hair to lung problems.

英国电视名厨奈洁拉·劳森等名人主厨的食谱里有它，超模们极其信赖它的抗老化功能，世界各地的人们将它视为包治百病的灵药，解决从头发黯淡无光到肺部疾病等种种问题。

So what is this wonderful *concoction? Nothing more than simple coconut oil. 所以这个完美的调制品是什么呢?不过是区区椰子油罢了。

“I use coconut oil every day. It boosts your *metabolism, aids in weight loss, supports immunity, stops sugar cravings, and best of all –*hydrates and makes skin stronger, preventing wrinkles and *sagging,” writes US reality star Kourtney Kardashian on her blog.

“我每天都使用椰子油。它能促进你的新陈代谢，有助于减肥，增强免疫力，抑制对甜食的食欲，最棒的是 —— 能够补水保湿，让肌肤更健康，防止皱纹和松弛，”美国真人秀明星考特尼·卡戴珊在个人博客上写道。

Traditionally, coconut oil was used in the West as an alternative to *lard or other fatty oils in cooking and baking.

传统意义上，椰子油在西方用于烹饪和烘焙，是猪油和其他脂肪油的替代品。

Hitting its peak in the 1950s, it later fell out of fashion following bad publicity after several media reports insisted that all *saturated fats (which it is rich in) were bad for our health.

椰子油的热潮在上世纪50年代达到巅峰，但在多家媒体报道过所有的饱和脂肪(椰子油富含的成分)都对健康不利后，它就渐渐淡出了潮流。

However, later research found that coconut oil is unique in its structural make-up and is a less “harmful” fat than others, which lead to its *resurgence not just in the kitchen, but as a health and beauty silver bullet.

然而，后来的研究表明，椰子油的结构组成相当独特，比其他脂肪更加健康，这令它不光在厨房中再度流行起来，还成了健康和美妆的良方。

“My parents grew up using coconut oil and so did I,” says Dorret Conway, a chef and ex-contestant of reality TV show The Great British Bake Off, whose family originates from the West Indies.

真人秀《英国家庭烘焙大赛》的大厨、前参赛选手Dorret Conway的家庭来自于西印度群岛，她表示，“我的父母就是使用椰子油长大的，我也是如此。”

“Coconut also features significantly in traditional Jamaican cooking. Authentic Jamaican rice and peas uses coconut to give it that unmistakeable delicious flavor and silky texture.”

“椰子在传统的牙买加烹饪中扮演着十分重要的角色。正宗的牙买加豌豆香米用椰子来带出别具一格的可口风味以及丝滑口感。”

Most of the world’s coconuts are imported from Asia and the industry is worth several billions of dollars. The fruit is everywhere – from health drinks, chocolate bars and *smoothies. And mega-celebs Victoria Beckham, Blake Lively and Jennifer Aniston are all said to be firm fans of the fruit’s oil.

世界上大多数的椰子都由亚洲进口，该产业价值数十亿美元。这种水果的用处随处可见 —— 从保健饮料，巧克力棒到水果奶昔。而巨星维多利亚·贝克汉姆、布莱克·莱弗利以及詹妮弗·安妮斯顿据说都是椰子油的忠实粉丝。

Extracted by “pressing” raw coconut meat, the oil can be used in practically countless ways, in and out of the kitchen. Organic, cold-pressed virgin oil is said to be the best.

椰子油通过“挤压”生椰肉榨取，实际上能被用于无数种用途，不论厨房内外。有机的冷压初榨油据说是最好的。

People are constantly discovering more and more ways to get the most out of it, with a quick online search bringing up thousands of “101 ways to use coconut oil” blog posts.

人们正不断发现越来越多的方法来发挥椰子油的最大功效，在网上快速一搜，就会出现成千上万篇“椰子油101种用法”的博客文章。

“Coconut oil has also long been used in hair and skin products catering for Afro-Caribbean customers. I use a coconut oil-based cream daily but the oil’s now being hailed as a miracle ingredient for beautiful skin for all,” says Conway. “It has a long and established heritage in our culture.”

“为了迎合加勒比黑人顾客的需要，椰子油很早就被用于护发和护肤产品。我每天都使用椰子油制成的面霜，而如今，椰子油更被誉为令所有人都获得美丽肌肤的神奇成分，”Conway 说道。“在我们的文化中，它有着悠久深远的传统。”

At only around $8 (53 yuan) a jar, it won’t break the bank to give it a try some time. And who knows, perhaps you’ll even end up making a “101 uses” site of your own.

一罐椰子油只需8美元(约53元人民币)左右，尝试一段时间也不会令人倾家荡产。或许你最后还会在网上写篇你自己的“101种用途”的文章，谁知道呢?