Virgin Coconut Oil

[Zippyjuan]

And I could agree with you there. Consuming some saturated fats, including coconut oil, is probably not going to do much harm to you. Unless you consume a lot of it- say using it every day. Consuming a variety of foods, and none to excess, plus getting exercise are the important factors. If you are consuming a primarily vegitarian diet, you do need to be sure you get adequate fats but if you are eating ice cream, chips, and pizza, you need to lay off the fats more. Proper protein consumption (ie getting complete protein building blocks in the form of amino acids) are important to those on vegitarian diets too.

[LibertyEagle]

Uh, virgin coconut oil is good for you.

Go here and enter "coconut oil" as a search term.
www.mercola.com

[squarepusher]

Originally Posted by cradle2graveconservative

Oh the irony...

HDL and LDL are NOT types of cholesterol; they are cholesterol transporters.

A la Wikipedia "Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) are fatty acids with aliphatic tails of 6–12 [13] carbons, which can form medium-chain triglycerides."

I suppose it's not unusual then that their ingestion isn't necessarily beneficial. The human body [read: fatty acid sythase] is quite capable of making fatty acids up to 16 carbons long. With that in mind, it really isn't necessary to consume MCFA over SCFA but I don't quite understand why the body couldn't simply use MCFA has a step up in terms of elongation.

That being the case, I'd say stick with extra virgin olive oil as far as health benefits go.

Coconut oil is the best oil to cook with since it is stable at high temperatures, unlike olive oil or others which are not suited for cooking.

SCFA's are good, but very rare to find in diets normally.

Also, the fats-are-bad message we started in the late 70's and continued since then, has had the opposite effect on our national heath and weight. We literally have multiple epidemics of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and strokes all under 'low fat/low saturated fat' advice.

Coconut oil is also anti-fungal, anti-yeast, anti-microbial, is used quickly and efficiently for energy (not stored).

Atkins and low carbohydrate/high fat diets are proof that saturated fats are not harmful, and improve markers of cardiovascular health, although they are by no means ideals diets in my book as being not completely nutritionally, and often inflammatory if not balanced correctly.


Sugar, and vegetable oils are the real enemies to health, not saturated fats or coconut oil.

EVO is a great choice for eating as well, preferably unheated.

[Zippyjuan]

Also, the fats-are-bad message we started in the late 70's and continued since then, has had the opposite effect on our national heath and weight. We literally have multiple epidemics of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and strokes all under 'low fat/low saturated fat' advice.

You are assuming that the average person is following that advice. Most do not and that is why we have the obesity problems today. McDonalds and Coke have replaced home cooking done with fresh ingredients or drinking just water or juices or milk. I was shocked to learn that there is not a single grocery store in Detroit- people eat 90% + fast food there.
True olive oil is not good for cooking at higher temperatures but peanut oil is.

The Atkins diet was modified on its suggested intake of saturated fats to limit them to 20% of calories around 2004. Even they do not say eat as much saturated fats as you want. They suggested you divide your fats into thirds- saturated, monosaturated, and polysaturated- not just saturated fats. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/467440

Atkins never did -- and still does not -- prescribe amounts of fats or protein, Dr. Trager explained. "Instead, we teach people to be aware of and control carbohydrate consumption. When we eat a variety of protein sources and fats to satiate hunger, we eat less because the food tastes good and is filling. Without portion restriction, this has been shown to result in weight loss."

Do the Math

The 20% identified in the Times article was derived from meal plans and recipes in Atkins books, he said. In fact, during the diet's induction phase, people typically consume up to 60% of calories from fat.

If 60% is divided into thirds -- to reflect the variety of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats that Atkins espouses -- 20% calories would be from saturated fat.

"It's important and worth recognizing that both steak and eggs are a balance of fats," Dr. Trager told Medscape. "In a porterhouse steak, saturated fat makes up 17% of total fat. In an egg, including the yolk, saturated fat is only 18% of total fat."

Read the Books

The Atkins diet is vastly misunderstood, Dr. Trager said. "Atkins has never been, as the media and opponents would have people believe, a red-meat diet," he said. "We need to spend less time criticizing individual nutrition strategies and more attention in defeating obesity. Weight loss solutions aren't one-size-fits-all."

However, "an awful lot of people who follow these high-protein/low-carb plans haven't read the books," said Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. She is also a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

"What they've gleaned from magazines or newspapers or pictures is what they think the diet is — a double cheeseburger without the bun, with extra bacon and cheese," Ms. Moore told Medscape.

Nevertheless, the blanket prescription to eat all the protein and fats you want is what gets patients into trouble — it's just not healthy, she added.

Coconut oil does seem to have its benefits and good properties, but it is still a saturated fat and like other saturated fats can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet- in moderation. It just probably should not be your primary source of oil or fats. Sugars and man- modified oils (trans fats or hydrogenated oils) should definately be kept at low levels as well. I would not lump all vegetable oils in with the hydrogenated ones. When New York tried to improve the health of their citizens by banning trans fats from resturaunts they may or may not have helped people- if the oils were replaced by saturated fats like lard or butter, they are not that much healthier. If they were replaced by things like peanut or canola or olive oil, then these would be better alternatives.

Not sure what you mean by EVO. Extra Virgin Olive oil perhaps? My oil of choice. I doubt it was this: http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp Hehe.

[squarepusher]

Originally Posted by Zippyjuan

You are assuming that the average person is following that advice. Most do not and that is why we have the obesity problems today. McDonalds and Coke have replaced home cooking done with fresh ingredients or drinking just water or juices or milk. I was shocked to learn that there is not a single grocery store in Detroit- people eat 90% + fast food there.
True olive oil is not good for cooking at higher temperatures but peanut oil is.

they do, America has decreased its fat intake since the 1970's based on FDA's suggestions.

Originally Posted by Zippyjuan

The Atkins diet was modified on its suggested intake of saturated fats to limit them to 20% of calories around 2004. Even they do not say eat as much saturated fats as you want. They suggested you divide your fats into thirds- saturated, monosaturated, and polysaturated- not just saturated fats. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/467440

Coconut oil does seem to have its benefits and good properties, but it is still a saturated fat and like other saturated fats can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet- in moderation. It just probably should not be your primary source of oil or fats. Sugars and man- modified oils (trans fats or hydrogenated oils) should definately be kept at low levels as well. I would not lump all vegetable oils in with the hydrogenated ones. When New York tried to improve the health of their citizens by banning trans fats from resturaunts they may or may not have helped people- if the oils were replaced by saturated fats like lard or butter, they are not that much healthier. If they were replaced by things like peanut or canola or olive oil, then these would be better alternatives.

Not sure what you mean by EVO. Extra Virgin Olive oil perhaps? My oil of choice. I doubt it was this: http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp Hehe.

yes EVO is extra virgin olive oil which is strongly healthful. I would be willing to look at evidence that sat fat is harmful if it exists.

This book at Amazon I would say now I am largely in agreement with
http://www.amazon.com/Saturated-Fat-.../dp/0941599493

[Ninja Homer]

Virgin coconut oil is awesome stuff. I have a big bowl of oatmeal every morning with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, a little stevia, and a little cinnamon. It tastes great, and it's very good for you.

Everything you'd want to know about coconut oil is here, including many peer-reviewed studies: http://coconutoil.com/

[zach]

I use Nutiva brand. (organic, unrefined, extra virgin, etc.)

Very cheap prices on Amazon.. you could get a 56 oz. tub for $20 even.

I use it mainly for hair and skin care, and it works really well as a conditioner if your hair tends to be really straight and/or frizzy.

[dannno]

Ya I use mostly peanut oil for cooking with high heat, maybe a little sesame oil for flavor, EVOO for cooking tomato based dishes and coconut oil for baking. I'll probably start experimenting more with the coconut oil for cooking purposes.