How are you incorporating coconut oil into your diet/macros.

SteelySunshine

I am a paleo newbie and have just started using coconut oil. I love the smell when I saute things in it. I have not used much yet but plan to do some baking soon.

How did paleolithic people process coconuts into coconut oil?

Forget that I wanna know when they started baking. Or sauteing their food for that matter.

brower47

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2739575

ten male volunteers (ages 22 to 44) were overfed (150% of estimated energy requirement)

First, they are all males eating a surplus, not dieting.

Each patient was studied for one week on each diet

One week?

Moreover, the TEF observed after a 1,000 kcal meal containing MCT increased significantly to

1,000 calorie meal with 40% MCT. Are we drinking the coconut oil now?

Thanks, now I don't have to do it.

Cp731

It's sooo great right! I heard it cures herpes too. Seriously, this girl I know said it did. AMAZING!

Um, OMG Nothing cures that, FYI your friend is wrong.

ps. haha ya got me there. Well played

bumblebums

Fat is fat, and you log it as such. Coconut oil doesn't have magical properties that somehow make it a freebie for dietary purposes.

Whoa... not even close. Try getting all your fats from trans fats and take a look at your body composition. It won't be good.

Because logic restricts our choices of fats to coconut oil vs. trans fats. Did I get that right?

Also.. coconut oil doesn't have Omega 3s, so get plenty of coconut oil (it's awesome), but be sure and get some omega 3s mixed in with your fat intake too. Saturated fats are good too. They boost testosterone.

Did they teach you this at the diet guru school?

neanderthin

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2739575

ten male volunteers (ages 22 to 44) were overfed (150% of estimated energy requirement)

First, they are all males eating a surplus, not dieting.

Each patient was studied for one week on each diet

One week?

Moreover, the TEF observed after a 1,000 kcal meal containing MCT increased significantly to

1,000 calorie meal with 40% MCT. Are we drinking the coconut oil now?

Thanks, now I don't have to do it.

And this folks, is how we learn new things. lol

Showing how fats are metabolized in a overfed state has merit, well for some people. How the MCFA's in coconut oils are metabolized isn't new......I was just trying to shed some light and I realize being right is more important for most people.

Further followup for people that might be interested.

http://www.lipidworld.com/content/2/1/10

KimLee76

Hey everyone!

I have a huge jar of coconut oil that I use for pretty much... everything. BUT I have yet to cook or consume it. I know that the fats in coconut oil differ from that of other foods and are composed differently, but I'm not sure whether or not to take the plunge and go over my macro for fat simply because it is processed differently than other fats. Do you do this? It would be impossible to stay under fat and still eat coconut oil for me.

So, if you eat it, do you count it as an "exception" ?

I bought my first jar from Trader Joe's two days ago, and yes I did and intend to continue counting it.

The reason I bought it was because of claims regarding the reduction of abdominal fat among other things that I heard in a holistic nutrition class (for lack of a better description) I took Saturday morning. I already knew there was some hoopla surrounding it, but I've pretty much ignored it. I did a little online research after the purchase (lol) and pretty much determined that even if the claims aren't true, it doesn't appear that it could hurt anything.

Anyway, for my purposes, the claim pretty much across the board was based on consuming 2 tbsp per day. I'm not willing to use that much, but I am willing to use an amount that doesn't push my saturated fat intake to greater than 10%.

So with that in mind, I'm taking a wait-and-see/what's-the-worst-that-could-happen attitude. I don't have to fully understand how or why something works for it to work. Just like I don't fully understand how cortisol works, but a beer gut is a real thing lol.

AllTehBeers

And this folks, is how we learn new things. lol

Showing how fats are metabolized in a overfed state has merit, well for some people. How the MCFA's in coconut oils are metabolized isn't new......I was just trying to shed some light and I realize being right is more important for most people.

Further followup for people that might be interested.

http://www.lipidworld.com/content/2/1/10

I am all for learning but posting a study that has almost no relevence and saying it proves something strays away from the point.

I broke it down to show people what the study actually consisted of. Honestly, most people here will skip over your link and not even consider what it says. It's not about being wrong or right but having information that's relevent.

savithny

It's not magic. It's healthier than some fats, and an important part of a balanced diet (to quote all those 1970s Cheerios commercials).

I know people who have gotten so into the idea that some foods are somehow "healing" that instead of just eating food, they take food like medicine. Whenever I hear about their morning tablespoon of coconut oil and their midday shot of apple cider vinegar, I think "Dude, why don't you just make salad dressing and eat like a real person?"

Fat isn't evil, but it does have a lot of calories. You do have to count Medicinal Oils in your calorie counts, and eating too many calories -- even if you're drinking straight coconut oil -- will make you gain weight.

But I'm not particularly paranoid about fat intake as a percent of total, myself. I don't pay much attention to macros, other than trying not to go simple-carb-crazy. Week after week, when I check the pie charts on the MFP iOS app, my breakdowns are very consistent - 40-45% carbs, 20% protein, 35-40% fat. Just had my bloodwork done and my blood lipids were *awesome*.

brower47

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2739575

ten male volunteers (ages 22 to 44) were overfed (150% of estimated energy requirement)

First, they are all males eating a surplus, not dieting.

Each patient was studied for one week on each diet

One week?

Moreover, the TEF observed after a 1,000 kcal meal containing MCT increased significantly to

1,000 calorie meal with 40% MCT. Are we drinking the coconut oil now?

Thanks, now I don't have to do it.

And this folks, is how we learn new things. lol

Showing how fats are metabolized in a overfed state has merit, well for some people. How the MCFA's in coconut oils are metabolized isn't new......I was just trying to shed some light and I realize being right is more important for most people.

Further followup for people that might be interested.

http://www.lipidworld.com/content/2/1/10

I finally got around to it; I never dismissed you or your claims. I just needed some time to do a bit of research. MCT do interact with the body in a different way than I originally described fat metabolism. I like learning new things, especially when it corrects previously held ideas. That's why I like science. You are correct; MCT are metabolized similarly to carbohydrates.

With that new information in mind, each g of fat, MCT or not, still contains roughly 9 cal. I would still log 100% of coconut oil as a fat since I, and my others on this website, are working at a calorie deficit. Since your studies were limited in scope, depth, gender and purpose, as another poster pointed out, I'm going to take them for what they are, interesting and possible but not conclusive.

In closing, I cook with coconut oil regularly (the kind with its scent and slight flavor intact). It hasn't replaced all my oils but I use it in dishes where I find it appropriate.

Thank you for sciencing with me.

neanderthin

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2739575

ten male volunteers (ages 22 to 44) were overfed (150% of estimated energy requirement)

First, they are all males eating a surplus, not dieting.

Each patient was studied for one week on each diet

One week?

Moreover, the TEF observed after a 1,000 kcal meal containing MCT increased significantly to

1,000 calorie meal with 40% MCT. Are we drinking the coconut oil now?

Thanks, now I don't have to do it.

And this folks, is how we learn new things. lol

Showing how fats are metabolized in a overfed state has merit, well for some people. How the MCFA's in coconut oils are metabolized isn't new......I was just trying to shed some light and I realize being right is more important for most people.

Further followup for people that might be interested.

http://www.lipidworld.com/content/2/1/10

I finally got around to it; I never dismissed you or your claims. I just needed some time to do a bit of research. MCT do interact with the body in a different way than I originally described fat metabolism. I like learning new things, especially when it corrects previously held ideas. That's why I like science. You are correct; MCT are metabolized similarly to carbohydrates.

With that new information in mind, each g of fat, MCT or not, still contains roughly 9 cal. I would still log 100% of coconut oil as a fat since I, and my others on this website, are working at a calorie deficit. Since your studies were limited in scope, depth, gender and purpose, as another poster pointed out, I'm going to take them for what they are, interesting and possible but not conclusive.

In closing, I cook with coconut oil regularly (the kind with its scent and slight flavor intact). It hasn't replaced all my oils but I use it in dishes where I find it appropriate.

Thank you for sciencing with me.

We're good. :flowerforyou:

I agree it's still calories and they need to be accounted for. Originally I was just making the point about how they were metabolized and those links inferred that. The problem with studies is in how controlled they are and considering the expense involved in longer trials, they rarely exist. Most studies are observational epidemiology type which has been phrased as the study of mass confusion, so tighter controls are always something I look at with more interest. This one as you can see is a prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo controlled study with a parallel group design, which is pretty darn good and if all participants experience the same thing, that's also telling as in what they expected to happen, happened throughout the trial. Coconut oil is unique in that the energy from the MCT is used as ATP, other than that, it's still fat.

bumblebums

I'm so glad we've come around to my original point: coconut oil is a lipid, and it is not a dietary freebie that should somehow be logged differently from other fats.

As for the advantages of randomized double-blind placebo studies over observational studies, it comes down to the statistics you use. Most laypeople have no trouble grasping t-tests and ANOVAs--that's the kind of analysis usually used for placebo controlled studies. On the other hand, observational studies require regressions, ideally the hierarchical (mixed model) kind, are harder to do and to understand. But such studies much more closely reflect the conditions that your average person lives in, and they are more relevant to our normal lives as a result.

The studies discussed in this thread do not directly study the effects of coconut oil. A blind design would require using concoctions where the subjects cannot tell what they are eating, and the studies I've seen of these fats usually use some custom mix of fats that accomplishes this. Thus, you have to interpolate from them what effects coconut oil would have. Some people are pretty sensitive to the taste and smell of unrefined coconut oil (I happen to love it), so you probably cannot even study it when it is mixed in with other food in the kind of design used in your typical pharmaceutical study.

Just_Scott

Well using coconut yields the following--I yearn to be in Hawaii--and, oh yeah, it is a fat so I list as such. Major health benefits, not sure, but it is an alternative to EEVO--now, how do I get to Lappert's ice cream in Lahina?

RobynLB83

I never worry about going over my macro for fat, but maybe that's because I have to encourage myself to eat it after decades spent avoiding it. I've recently done some baking with coconut oil. That's the only thing I've used it for. For baking, it works as well as anything other fat. I don't think I'll shell out the extra money for it again.

RobynLB83

I am a paleo newbie and have just started using coconut oil. I love the smell when I saute things in it. I have not used much yet but plan to do some baking soon.

How did paleolithic people process coconuts into coconut oil?

Forget that I wanna know when they started baking. Or sauteing their food for that matter.

I had a roomie in college who sauted with coconut oil. I love the smell of coconut, but that stuff smells rancid at high temperatures. Absolutely disgusting.

jkatiebuie

I read the first page and there is a lot of misinformation about coconut oil. First. The majority of the constituents of Coconut oil do not need bile salts to be digested. They are MCT's or medium chain triglycerides, so it is readily absorbed by the GI without the need for further digestion, and as an MCT it is able to be utilized as energy right away, much like a carbohydrate, as they diffuse within the mitochondria without need for further processing such as traditional fats and are then turned into ketones for energy use. They are also about 8.3 calories per gram versus the 9 calories in long chain fats, and there *IS* scientific evidence that they enhance thermogenesis (Baba, N., Bracco, E.F., Seylar, J., Hashim, S.A. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diets containing medium chain triglycerides. J Am Soc Clin Nutrition, 1981, 34: 624.) and enhance metabolism (Fushiki T, Matsumoto K, Inoue K, Kawada T, Sugimoto E. Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by chronic consumption of medium-chain triglycerides. J Nutr 1995 Mar;125(3):531-9.).

So, I don't worry about going over on my fat macros with coconut oil use. I worry about going over my CALORIES.

brower47

I read the first page and there is a lot of misinformation about coconut oil. First. The majority of the constituents of Coconut oil do not need bile salts to be digested. They are MCT's or medium chain triglycerides, so it is readily absorbed by the GI without the need for further digestion, and as an MCT it is able to be utilized as energy right away, much like a carbohydrate, as they diffuse within the mitochondria without need for further processing such as traditional fats and are then turned into ketones for energy use. They are also about 8.3 calories per gram versus the 9 calories in long chain fats, and there *IS* scientific evidence that they enhance thermogenesis (Baba, N., Bracco, E.F., Seylar, J., Hashim, S.A. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diets containing medium chain triglycerides. J Am Soc Clin Nutrition, 1981, 34: 624.) and enhance metabolism (Fushiki T, Matsumoto K, Inoue K, Kawada T, Sugimoto E. Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by chronic consumption of medium-chain triglycerides. J Nutr 1995 Mar;125(3):531-9.).

So, I don't worry about going over on my fat macros with coconut oil use. I worry about going over my CALORIES.

You should have read further, we cleared that up already.

katgirl007

I have a real problem with getting sugar lows so I put the unrefined coconut oil in with my protein shake and it adds a little coconut flavor and helps my body deal with the small amount of sugar in the protein powder a little better.

I also bake and fry with it, I prefer it to other solid fats.

Mix it with oatmeal in the morning if I'm having that, again to help add staying power to my meal.

For me I need more fat in my diet to help me keep a less crazy BGL so it is a delicious way to do that.

Enjoy!

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I have it on toast sooooo nice...i eat it as is as good as if not better than olive oil and speeds up metabolism and burns fat faster ...is antibacterial and anti fungal ....

I'm afraid there is no evidence for any of those claims. It's not magical it's just a fat

I beg to differ............there is plenty of evidence to back up her claims and way more than she stated.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I am a paleo newbie and have just started using coconut oil. I love the smell when I saute things in it. I have not used much yet but plan to do some baking soon.

How did paleolithic people process coconuts into coconut oil?

Forget that I wanna know when they started baking. Or sauteing their food for that matter.

Such ignorance.

Humans have been cooking for over 1.9 million years........

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/our-human-ancestors-knew-how-to-cook-1-9-million-years-ago/

PaleoPath4Lyfe

It's not magic. It's healthier than some fats, and an important part of a balanced diet (to quote all those 1970s Cheerios commercials).

I know people who have gotten so into the idea that some foods are somehow "healing" that instead of just eating food, they take food like medicine. Whenever I hear about their morning tablespoon of coconut oil and their midday shot of apple cider vinegar, I think "Dude, why don't you just make salad dressing and eat like a real person?"

Fat isn't evil, but it does have a lot of calories. You do have to count Medicinal Oils in your calorie counts, and eating too many calories -- even if you're drinking straight coconut oil -- will make you gain weight.

But I'm not particularly paranoid about fat intake as a percent of total, myself. I don't pay much attention to macros, other than trying not to go simple-carb-crazy. Week after week, when I check the pie charts on the MFP iOS app, my breakdowns are very consistent - 40-45% carbs, 20% protein, 35-40% fat. Just had my bloodwork done and my blood lipids were *awesome*.

Whole foods can and are healing.

Hippocrates said it best..............Let Food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food.

vabelle86

I eat a tablespoon a day, usually in my oatmeal or I cook my eggs in it. I absolutely count it. It keeps me feeling full longer. In regards to the awesome "magical" properties of coconut oil....I'm skeptical. I have been eating coconut oil for months and I have lost weight but that's due to counting calories, eating healthy and working out. The only thing that I think it could have impacted is my keratosis pilaris (skin rash) which has improved an amazing amount. I think adding more fat into my diet might of helped since I used to be very strict "low fat, no fat" before. I would recommend buying virgin unrefined coconut oil, Trader Joe's has some for a good price.

Eat it if you want to, just count it!

Btw if you are adding it into your diet, add in small amounts slowly.....it can have a strong laxative effect if you start eating large amounts right away :P

savithny

Whole foods can and are healing.

Hippocrates said it best..............Let Food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food.

Yeah, which means, really, a variant on Pollan's "Eat real food" dictum. If food is medicine and medicine is food, then there's no difference between them. they're one and the same. Which doesn't mean "Spoonfuls of this substance will Cure All Ills." It means. "Eat a mixture of foods that are wholesome and nourishing, and you will be whole and nourished."

In other words? Taking spoonfuls of single food in the name of "healing" is kind of stupid. Like I said - make salad dressing, for crying out loud, rather than turning it into some kind of supplement.

jkatiebuie

That can be true, but it isn't an absolute. When you have let yourself "go" or taken in excessive amounts of pharmaceuticals or environmental toxins (which can damage P450 enzyme families causing toxic "back up") you may need excessive amounts of certain biological constituents to right the imbalance, to take the stress off other areas so that repair can happen, and to facilitate repair. Orthomolecular medicine deals with this idea that normal biochemical needs are not static in individuals in a one size fits all manner, but fluctuate with bodily needs. For instance, under severe trauma, the body will need more vitamin C as it also acts as a catalyst for collagen production, necessary for proper epithelial formation. Same with coconut oil. Sometimes you need more to right the wrongs of the past. As it isn't inflammatory like other long chain triglycerides can be, it does not contribute to the cytokine cascade and inflammation that can result in weight gain and retention; and in fact, it has anti-inflammatory effects (that counter the overconsumption of arachnadoic acid that is heavy in American diets), as well as analgesic, and antipyretic (fever reducing). Everything in moderation, of course, but don't believe that every one has a static need for the same things all the time. A tablespoon of Coconut oil for some is a great thing, just maybe not you.