Coconut Oil Anyone?

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  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
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    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.

    Coconut oil has some heart-friendly fatty acids (myristic) but more heart-unfriendly fatty acids (lauric), says Roger Clemens, DrPH. Most experts agree that to reduce the risk of heart disease, replacing saturated fats with healthier unsaturated fats is preferred. There is further agreement that more research is needed in the area of fatty acids and its relationship to health.



    The bottom line: "As long as you keep the amount of saturated fat to less than 10% of calories, the choice is up to you. Enjoy coconut oil if it is your preference but do so in moderation until further research indicates it is better than other saturated fats."

    The other bottom line: There is absolutely no evidence that coconut oil is "healthy" in any way. Other than for your skin and hair. If you need oil why not make a choice that has "proven" health benefits such as olive oil, walnut oil, and avocado oil.

    If you want you food to taste good use lard! Lard, contains just 40 percent saturated fat (compared with nearly 60 percent for butter). Its level of monounsaturated fat (the "good" fat) is "a very respectable 45 percent," "double butter's paltry 23 or so percent."

    Lard's fat is also mostly monounsaturated, which is healthier than saturated fat. And even the saturated fat in lard has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol. Not to mention that lard has a higher smoking point than other fats, allowing foods like chicken to absorb less grease when fried in it. And, of course, fat in general has its upsides. The body converts it to fuel, and it helps absorb nutrients, particularly calcium and vitamins.


    I would use coconut oil over lard any day.
  • emotionalharlequin
    emotionalharlequin Posts: 83
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    Like normal oil. In terms of cooking it's nothing special, there's no preparation needed, you just get it near a little heat to melt it.
  • violenceandlace
    violenceandlace Posts: 30
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    I occasionally use it in cooking but mostly I use it on my skin every time I get out of the shower (so soft!) and to help heal my tattoos. Keeps them very soft and it's antimicrobial so it helps fend off infection.
  • violenceandlace
    violenceandlace Posts: 30
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    I have the LouAna Coconut Oil in the tub... what's the best way to use it for the body/face? Does it need to be heated up then cooled again? I have only ever used it for cooking but I am curious about the other benefits.

    I just scrape a little off into my hand and rub between them - it has a very low melting point.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I have the LouAna Coconut Oil in the tub... what's the best way to use it for the body/face? Does it need to be heated up then cooled again? I have only ever used it for cooking but I am curious about the other benefits.

    I just scrape a little off into my hand and rub between them - it has a very low melting point.

    Do you use it on just your hands?
  • amandaeire
    amandaeire Posts: 11
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    I just bought it yesterday, looking forward to trying it, it smells lovely :)
  • jazzcat55
    jazzcat55 Posts: 164 Member
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    My favorite way to cook with it so far is in fried rice. OMG, it adds such a heavenly flavor. Drool...
  • ddpiel
    ddpiel Posts: 52
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    bump
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
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    I cook everything in coconut oil. Well, everything that requires oil. :)

    Same . Mine has hardly any taste , its more just to add moisture to my food, add fat to my shakes and hit my fat macros

    I love that its such a subtle flavour . Can hardly taste it opposed to olive oil that ruins everything you eat
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
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    I use coconut oil for cooking :) I alternate with olive oil because coconut oil can be very expensive. I have also used coconut oil to make lotion bars and massage candles and it works really well. I've heard of people putting coconut oil into smoothies and coffee and stuff like that because it has such great health benefits.
  • Bejede
    Bejede Posts: 191 Member
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    Bump!
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    I love coconut oil but keep in mind it doesn't hold up well after a certain temperature. You shouldn't fry with it but I like using it in my baking a lot :)
  • rhondatime2chg
    rhondatime2chg Posts: 92 Member
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    I have the LouAna Coconut Oil in the tub... what's the best way to use it for the body/face? Does it need to be heated up then cooled again? I have only ever used it for cooking but I am curious about the other benefits.

    I just scrape a little off into my hand and rub between them - it has a very low melting point.

    Do you use it on just your hands?

    My husband and I bought 54 ounces of it off of vitacost.com. Only $16.00!! We use it on our whole body - face, arms, legs, hair. My skin looks amazing.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    I have the LouAna Coconut Oil in the tub... what's the best way to use it for the body/face? Does it need to be heated up then cooled again? I have only ever used it for cooking but I am curious about the other benefits.

    I just scrape a little off into my hand and rub between them - it has a very low melting point.

    Do you use it on just your hands?

    My husband and I bought 54 ounces of it off of vitacost.com. Only $16.00!! We use it on our whole body - face, arms, legs, hair. My skin looks amazing.

    oh cooll will have to try that
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    I'm from the West Indies & we used to use coconut oil and ghee for everything for years...then the 70's came along & coconut oil and of course butter became the devil. Commence downward nutritional spiral :laugh: following the less meat '80's and no fat advice, that only increased the amount of carbs one consumed :grumble:

    In retrospect of course, we can see where it all went wrong, but I can't help but feel like this guy...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-gnBKySuhU

    Now we're back to using virgin coconut oil and ghee for cooking and olive oil for cooking is bad :sick: PUFA?...MUFA?...I forget which one...shrug.

    I'm hoping I've covered all bases by cooking with coconut oil and ghee for frying & olive oil (in the darkest bottle available) for my salads. I'll be honest here....I'm not really sure what's best to do :ohwell:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point

    ETA; I think everyone is in agreement that refined coconut oil is not the one you want to use and link about smoke points...
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
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    I use coconut oil for cooking :) I alternate with olive oil because coconut oil can be very expensive. I have also used coconut oil to make lotion bars and massage candles and it works really well. I've heard of people putting coconut oil into smoothies and coffee and stuff like that because it has such great health benefits.

    Coconut oil is about 1/3 the price of Olive oil here

    And 10x better in my opinion :wink:

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