Calling all Coconut oil lovers

The evidence that coconut oil is super-healthful is not convincing and these claims appear to be more testimonials than clinical evidence.

There is very limited evidence on disease outcomes, says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. "All that has been studied well is the impact of coconut oil on cholesterol levels and the findings are intriguing but we still don't know if it is harmful or beneficial," Mozaffarian says.

Neither the American Heart Association (AHA) nor the U.S. government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest that coconut oil is any better or preferable over other saturated fats. Coconut oil, like all saturated fats, should be limited to 7%-10% of calories because it can increase risk for heart disease, according to the AHA and 2010 Dietary Guidelines.

"But even though coconut oil is cholesterol-free, it is still a saturated fat that needs to be limited in the diet and if you are looking for real health benefits, switch from saturated fats to unsaturated fats by using vegetable oils like soybean, canola, corn, or olive oil," says Kris-Etherton, a member of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines advisory committee and Institute of Medicine's panel on dietary reference intakes for macronutrients (which include fats).

(See WEB MD @ http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health)

It's hard for govt to change their stance now if they don't want to completely embarrass themselves. The problem so far is actually proving that: 1) there actually is a safe lower level of saturated fat deemed acceptable. 2) The premise that LDL cholesterol is the cause of heart disease. Pretty easy stuff really considering they've thrown billions of dollars towards these goals over the last 40 years and come up with zilch, nada....only weak correlation. Get this, they lowered the recommended intake of saturated fat to 7% of total calories, without a real reason and this is after a full blown study trying to find that safe lower level that I mentioned above, and the conclusion of that multi-million dollar study was they couldn't find a safe lower level. What that means is they could really find anything wrong with the consumption of saturated fat.....perfect example of govt bureaucracy
.
Indigenous peoples of tropical latitudes have been consuming coconut oil for tens of thousands of years without any problems, well until modern western diet intervention. The Kitavans of Papua New Guinea are a perfect example of keeping it simple.....I just can't imagine going there and telling them they should switch to corn or soy oil (subsidized crops in the USA) and keep a straight face, seriously.

Take a look.
http://healwithfood.org/diet/kitavan-diet-foods.php

Thanks for posting this.

I started taking one teaspoon of coconut oil a few days ago and have noticed a drop in my appetite.

I'm really hoping the claims are true that it can have an effect on my metabolism and underactive thyroid.....because so far the standard medical approach of treat the symptoms rather than fix what's gone wrong in the first place hasn't worked for me.

I know from my personal experience that Coconut oil has helped tremendously with my underactive Thyroid. It wasn't an overnight healing......but after 3 years of consistent use of Raw coconut oil and other coconut products I have went from using 2 grains of Armour Thyroid down to 1/2 grain of Armour Thyroid (that is half of one pill).

Is there a big difference nutrient wise between virgin coconut oil and organic refined oil?

I adore coconut oil! I basically use it wherever I would normally use oil (I use it for stir frys, baking, etc). I also add a tablespoon to my coffee in the morning.

Is this sweet so that it would replace sugar?

I adore coconut oil! I basically use it wherever I would normally use oil (I use it for stir frys, baking, etc). I also add a tablespoon to my coffee in the morning.

Is this sweet so that it would replace sugar?

It has a sweetnest to it, but definitely not quite like sugar.

ive never tried it but im pretty curious now so im gunna have to get some quick ill let you know what i think

Bump. Great topic and dialogue.

Since I started keto I've started to love coconut oil. Mainly in my coffee. Nice dose of good fats in the morning for energy not to mention the digestive benefits!

I saute my chicken in it. It's great for stir fry. It's great for any dish that requires high heat because it won't turn rancid at high heat like other cooking oils. It's fantastic on the skin as well. So many health benefits.

I see people say all the time that coconut oil has such a high smoke point, but it isn't true. Refined coconut oil has a relatively high smoke point, but virgin coconut oil actually has a very low smoke point (under 350 degrees, lower than extra virgin olive oil.)

Not a bad ingredient to use, but I certainly wouldn't try with it.

Very good info about the smoke point. I sautee with coconut oil as much as possible and I have to consciously remember to keep the temperature lower than I normally would. The great thing is though, even when burnt, the oil still tastes pretty good.

Another note, coconut oil stays good indefinitely, unlike most oils which have an expiration date.

The problem is, when oil is heated beyond the smoke point, it oxidizes, which converts some of the fatty acids into trans fats. It's really not a matter of taste, but a matter of health. Frying with coconut oil basically kills off all the (possible) health benefits, and adds unhealthy trans fats instead.

I saute my chicken in it. It's great for stir fry. It's great for any dish that requires high heat because it won't turn rancid at high heat like other cooking oils. It's fantastic on the skin as well. So many health benefits.

I see people say all the time that coconut oil has such a high smoke point, but it isn't true. Refined coconut oil has a relatively high smoke point, but virgin coconut oil actually has a very low smoke point (under 350 degrees, lower than extra virgin olive oil.)

Not a bad ingredient to use, but I certainly wouldn't try with it.

Very good info about the smoke point. I sautee with coconut oil as much as possible and I have to consciously remember to keep the temperature lower than I normally would. The great thing is though, even when burnt, the oil still tastes pretty good.

Another note, coconut oil stays good indefinitely, unlike most oils which have an expiration date.

The problem is, when oil is heated beyond the smoke point, it oxidizes, which converts some of the fatty acids into trans fats. It's really not a matter of taste, but a matter of health. Frying with coconut oil basically kills off all the (possible) health benefits, and adds unhealthy trans fats instead.

Trans fats can only be manufactured from a mono or poly fat because of the available cis configuration, which is then converted to a trans configuration. Even then, I'm not aware it can be done by heating a poly oil, at least I've never been able to find that research.