Coconut oil a myth?

laurajade111
laurajade111 Posts: 58
in Food and Nutrition
Is anyone using coconut oil to help with weight loss?
How do you use it and is it working?
Also do you count it in your daily calorie allowance?

Been reading lots of positive stuff, but not sure whether to trust it!
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Replies

  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    I don't know about weight loss, but I use it , best oil you can use to cook with for sure, in place of any oil, canola, olive, etc. . I don't count it, but I think i should :tongue:
  • TeenTwinkleToes
    TeenTwinkleToes Posts: 119 Member
    Really? I've never even heard of that! Interesting!
  • laurajade111
    laurajade111 Posts: 58
    I heard that eating a couple of tablespoons a day can boost your metabolism like crazy! A guy at my gym puts it on his toast!
  • Ashiieepuff
    Ashiieepuff Posts: 90
    I've heard a lot about it, but I'm hesitant to cook with it, as it is high in saturated fat.

    I do know however that it makes the best body lotion and hair repair treatment ever. I use it every day.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Is anyone using coconut oil to help with weight loss?
    How do you use it and is it working?
    Also do you count it in your daily calorie allowance?

    Been reading lots of positive stuff, but not sure whether to trust it!

    I use it occasionally for IF. Of course I count it. It's food, and a high-calorie one at that.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I heard that eating a couple of tablespoons a day can boost your metabolism like crazy! A guy at my gym puts it on his toast!

    It's not a miracle food. It's high in calories and fat. I usually don't use more than 2 teaspoons.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I use coconut oil on my skin for the most part.

    Coconut oil is high in calories and fat (it is an oil) but it's a healthy fat. The triglycerides are 'short', meaning they are metabolized quickly, but they are still high in energy. It's good for endurance athletes but since it's very high in calories I wouldn't say it would help you lose weight.
  • LisaLamb1
    LisaLamb1 Posts: 149 Member
    I try to have it everyday, it is high in calories, and I do count it in my daily intake. I started taking it because 2 members in my family have had early onset Alzheimers and it was recommended that my Grandma (still living, diagnosed about 8 years ago) have 2 Tbsp everyday. Our family saw immediate results in improvement in her mood/speech (was not talking, only saying "no"). I bought some organic pure coconut oil at Trader Joes for $5.49, best price I've seen, and their's tastes really good. It is high in calories/fat (especially if you are aiming for 1200 cal) but the benefits are worth it. Here's more information:

    http://www.naturepacific.com/contents/en-us/d227_virgin-coconut-oil-brain-food-prevent-Alzheimers.html

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil

    My favorite way to have it, mixed with natural peanut butter, with a banana in a wrap. Yum!
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    There have been threads on this before - the studies have been linked to if you run a search. Interesting research but very early days and certainly not proven.
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
    If you whip it with your electric beaters it gets very fluffy & makes a wonderful body lotion. I love it! I used it on my surgery scars after breast reduction surgery & it worked better than any of the commercial products available. I also feed it to my pets to keep their skin from getting dry in the winter months
  • Jane971
    Jane971 Posts: 4
    Bump
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    If you whip it with your electric beaters it gets very fluffy & makes a wonderful body lotion. I love it! I used it on my surgery scars after breast reduction surgery & it worked better than any of the commercial products available. I also feed it to my pets to keep their skin from getting dry in the winter months

    Oooh, I never thought of whipping it! You could add shea/cocoa butter as well. I use it on my face as lotion after I use my raw honey mask. Love it! I wish I could use it in my hair but it's a bit oily naturally so it doesn't work well for me.
  • krissy_krossy
    krissy_krossy Posts: 307 Member
    A nutritionist that my mom knows uses it to help with her thyroid, but if it works I don't know.
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
    I sometimes add a little essential oil to it, like lavender or a citrus blend I love.
  • JessiC1984
    JessiC1984 Posts: 97 Member
    I never cooked with it, I've used it on my hair and skin for years, though.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    I regularly eat and cook with extra virgin coconut oil. Of course it needs to be accounted for if you're watching calories! I use it because it's a very healthy saturated fat. I also use real butter, olive oil, walnut oil, avocado oil, lard, bacon grease, goose fat, etc. etc. I count all those calories.

    I feel great and am consistently losing weight, but I couldn't really tell you how much that has to do with the inclusion of coconut oil in my diet. I do think it's a great oil and super smart to replace other less desirable fats with coconut oil.
  • seabee78
    seabee78 Posts: 126 Member
    Another use for coconut milk (not oil, I know) is to make dairy-free whipped cream topping.

    Put a can of cocnut milk in the fridge overnight. Open the can, there will be solid mass on top that separated from the liquid. Take this solid part, add drop of vanilla, a packet of Splenda and whip it up. Voila!

    I was told that olive oil is great as salad dressing, etc. (cold) and that once you cook with it, olive oil loses it's healthy benefits. Coconut oil does not. Coconut oil also has a higher heat point than other cooking oils.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    The coconut oil I looked at yesterday was solid?
    Do you just spoon it into the hot pan or what?
    Only used olive oil and butter before, and only just starting to use any fats in my cooking.
    It was very expensive and about 900 calories per 100g.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Coconut oil has been linked to everything you can think of as a cure. I doubt any of it is true and it's quite high calorie so I'd definitely count it if I was eating it. It makes a great moisturizer and my cat eats it for hairball control, that seems to work if you have that issue. You can't boost your metabolism beyond exercise to increase fitness and muscle gain so I highly doubt eating spoonfuls of oil will help there.
  • melt2svelte
    melt2svelte Posts: 36
    No, it is not a myth. There is some evidence that it may help boost metabolism. Of course you need to watch your calories and mark it down, as a previous poster said, it is a saturated fat. It has just as many calories as a tablespoon of olive oil. It is also a medium-chain fatty acid, not a long-chain fatty acid like many other saturated fats.

    Here are a few links to some studies on it:

    Dietary medium-chain triacylglycerols suppress accumulation of body fat in a double-blind, controlled trial in healthy men and women. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694608

    Physiological effects of medium-chain triglycerides: potential agents in the prevention of obesity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11880549

    Medium chain fatty acid metabolism and energy expenditure: obesity treatment implications. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9570335

    Medium- versus long-chain triglycerides for 27 days increases fat oxidation and energy expenditure without resulting in changes in body composition in overweight women. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12532160

    Medium-chain triglycerides. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958694606001609

    The Journal of Cosmetic Science also published a study that showed coconut oil is better than other oils in regards to protein loss/conditioner largely because of the lauric acid (which is also found in breast milk!) http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/12715094/reload=0;jsessionid=j7tpvLtFOP1rbNlu5qEr.0

    Besides those two things, its great for cooking and baking, lotion, personal lubricant and more. If you decide to get some, make sure it is unrefined virgin coconut oil.

    Hope this helps!
  • Debbiedebbiey
    Debbiedebbiey Posts: 824 Member
    If you can fit it into your macros, why not try it, right ? I love it, I put it on my english muffin in the morning, somes shake a dash of cinnimon on top, but its really good plain, too. Good as a lotion for dry skin this time of year, as well as deep conditioner for hair ! Oh, and lip gloss, make up remover, love the stuff !
  • passmetheducksauce
    passmetheducksauce Posts: 211 Member
    i put a teaspoon in my mouth and swish it around like mouthwash for 15-20 minutes. your breath is fresh and it has detox benefits. sometimes i just eat it out the jar. dericious
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
    i put a teaspoon in my mouth and swish it around like mouthwash for 15-20 minutes. your breath is fresh and it has detox benefits. sometimes i just eat it out the jar. dericious

    I saw something about this on Dr.Oz last month, its called Oil Pulling & when I did some research it appears to have a lot of benefits. I tried it but had a hard time keeping my mouth shut for that long (no surprise there lol). Perhaps I'll give it another try and start out for shorter periods of time & work my way up.
  • RobinC37
    RobinC37 Posts: 242 Member
    Here's a dumb question. Does it taste strongly of coconut haha? I don't mind the taste but my boyfriend hates it. If I were to use it in cooking, would he notice?
  • kristafb
    kristafb Posts: 770 Member
    Its very light, I don't notice it much at all. but I like coconut.
  • ggsmamma
    ggsmamma Posts: 117 Member
    Here's a dumb question. Does it taste strongly of coconut haha? I don't mind the taste but my boyfriend hates it. If I were to use it in cooking, would he notice?

    We notice the coconut flavor when making pancakes but when it's cooked into larger meals (ie stir fry) we can't pick it out...
  • alaskaang
    alaskaang Posts: 493 Member
    The coconut oil I looked at yesterday was solid?
    Do you just spoon it into the hot pan or what?
    Only used olive oil and butter before, and only just starting to use any fats in my cooking.
    It was very expensive and about 900 calories per 100g.

    Yes, it's fairly solid at room temperature but will melt around 76 to 90 degree depending on the type.
    It does have a slightly sweet flavor and IMO is best for dishes where that is a benefit, I.e. curries, pecan crusted halibut, or sweet potato pancakes. Personally, I can't stand it for eggs or most stir fry. I'd definitely prefer olive oil for most savory dishes. It's also not bad in coffee in place of creamer.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Here's a dumb question. Does it taste strongly of coconut haha? I don't mind the taste but my boyfriend hates it. If I were to use it in cooking, would he notice?

    I don't like coconut either but I can't pick it out when we cook with it. Honestly it has more of a buttery taste/feel.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    There is no such thing as coconut oil. Coconuts produce milk. The oil thing is a total myth. It's usually High Fructose Canola oil that they try to pass off as coconut oil. In ancient times coconuts were the size of grapes and produced oil. But as far as present day, total myth.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    There is no such thing as coconut oil. Coconuts produce milk. The oil thing is a total myth. It's usually High Fructose Canola oil that they try to pass off as coconut oil. In ancient times coconuts were the size of grapes and produced oil. But as far as present day, total myth.

    its probably really hard to market "high fructose canola oil."

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