why do people say coconut oil is bad for you?
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Some people say that because it is saturated fat as opposed to unsaturated. Just one of those things where people believe if it's saturated fat that it's bad and should never be eaten.
Why do you put it in your coffee?0 -
It's a spoonful of pure fat. Whether it's "good" or "bad" for you depends on the context of the rest of your diet.0
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People keep saying coconut oil is saturated fat and saturated fat is like the devil. Its trans fat that's bad, we all need some sat fat in daily intake just like mono/polyunsat.
Just confusion and thinking that fat you eat turns into body fat I guess (which isn't true btw)0 -
Back in the late 90's and early 2000 when I was going through school it was touted as a "bad" saturated fat along with palm oil. This was just the infancy of the research on transfat, so it was still focused on all things sat fat. They were saying since it was found in so many processed foods that it was possibly a cause in heart disease.
Now you have everyone on the coconut oil is good for you bandwagon. While I do agree there are some beneficial properties, I dont think it is the panacea that everyone is claiming now, and there continues to need to be more research. It's just another form of fat that when included in a varied, moderate diet can "possibly" show improvement in cardiovascular health.
So what is the lesson for us all to learn here?
There is no such thing as bad food...and repeat...0 -
Exactly ^^^^
And reminds me of the whole agave nectar obsession/fad. Now I'm hearing not to use it, sub with coconut sugar?
ALSO how we were supposed to avoid butter and sub with margarine? Now I'm hearing to avoid margarine and USE butter/ghee. Its supposed to actually be good you.
A little bit of everything (UNPROCESSED/NON-GMO) seems to be the best idea (for fats/sweeteners) because you can get the benefits of all of them. (e.g. molasses, stevia, coconut sugar, agave, dates, dried fruits, coconut/almond/grapeseed/olive oil, ghee etc)0 -
All oils are high in fat. That's a given.
Coconut oil first got a bad rap during the movie popcorn drama during the 90's. The coconut oil used in the popcorn's "buttery topping" was often partially hydrogenated, which results in transfats.
Regardless, coconut oil is naturally almost all saturated fat (12 g per serving), with a small amount of poly-and monounsaturated fats (.2 and .8 g per 1 T. serving, respectively).
There are also a lot of purported health benefits. So many, in fact, that a red flag goes up for me - anything that's so trendy and presented as a "miracle food" sends up a similar flag for me, though. It's nothing personal against coconut oil and I'm not saying that none of them are valid.
My daughter swears by it and uses about a 2-lb tub of it per 5-6 weeks. She is also a vegetarian who eats a lot of vegan meals, so she gets very little saturated fat from anywhere else. I eat it like I do other oils - sparingly, but with relish. It's expensive, too, especially for the "good stuff" - the organic extra virgin cold-pressed variety. This is also probably at least in part due to its current popularity. The price definitely makes it less of a great option for me, so while we have it in the house, it's primarily for my girl's use.
If I were you, I would do some reading/research and decide to what extent it meets your overall health goals and eat it to that degree.
ETA: It is actually pretty tasty stuff!0 -
I have heard that coconut oil and olive oil are both very good for you. Having a tsp/tbs in your coffee is fine. Anything in excess can be bad for you. As long as you aren't drinking a full coffee mug of oil, don't worry about it,0
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I'm a registered and licensed dietitian. Coconut oil is 92% saturated. The current research supporting the use of coconut oil is limited Better selections include olive oil, that monounsaturated and other polyunsaturated fats like in your diet. Remember your diet should be relatively low in fat. A Tablespoon of any fat has approximately 100 calories. I recommend checking out information on Web MD. A registered dietitian writes their nutrition articles. Always seek a dietitian's advice!0
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I'm a registered and licensed dietitian. Coconut oil is 92% saturated. The current research supporting the use of coconut oil is limited Better selections include olive oil, that monounsaturated and other polyunsaturated fats like in your diet. Remember your diet should be relatively low in fat. A Tablespoon of any fat has approximately 100 calories. I recommend checking out information on Web MD. A registered dietitian writes their nutrition articles. Always seek a dietitian's advice!0
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What people?
People online. When i was researching it i found a lot of good and bad things about it so i wasn’t' sure. i like to get answers from a lot of different places. i don't just trust one person or website and assume they are right. so i wanted more opinions about it.
don't believe everything you google...0 -
I'm a registered and licensed dietitian. Coconut oil is 92% saturated. The current research supporting the use of coconut oil is limited Better selections include olive oil, that monounsaturated and other polyunsaturated fats like in your diet. Remember your diet should be relatively low in fat. A Tablespoon of any fat has approximately 100 calories. I recommend checking out information on Web MD. A registered dietitian writes their nutrition articles. Always seek a dietitian's advice!
Thank you for dragging this ancient post back up. I'm sure OP is still tuning in! :laugh:0 -
I'm a registered and licensed dietitian. Coconut oil is 92% saturated. The current research supporting the use of coconut oil is limited Better selections include olive oil, that monounsaturated and other polyunsaturated fats like in your diet. Remember your diet should be relatively low in fat. A Tablespoon of any fat has approximately 100 calories. I recommend checking out information on Web MD. A registered dietitian writes their nutrition articles. Always seek a dietitian's advice!
Low fat is so 1980's.
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Ive just discovered this, apart from it being absolutely delicious, it's amazingly great for your health. I'm also going to stop using my lovely 'L'Occitane Almond oil' on my skin and use coconut oil instead as it'even purer.0
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There are plenty of "Experts" who believe that liquid vegetable oil is better for you than coconut oil. These are highly educated people, with advanced science degrees - AND THEY ARE WRONG! They are the same people who recommend that diabetics eat more carbs than they should and also recommend that these same diabetics eat FRUIT. I heard one just yesterday saying that diabetics should limit their fat and protein intake, when the exact opposite should be done! Registered Dieticians are only as good as the philosophy they were trained in.
I am a diabetic who sees a dietician that sees things much differently than the dietitians who continue to warn against the dangers of proteins and fats and understands that the real culprits have been the carbs and refined grains that they pushed on us for years!
The only bad fat is a transfat! Saturated fats are not bad for you (see link below)
http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat0 -
Palm oil is what it's all about people. Everything tastes amazing when I cook with it.
Argh NO!!! Palm oil is terrible mainly for the fact huge tracts of rainforest are being flattened for palm oil plantations. Think of the poor orangutangs!0 -
Now, i keep hearing / reading people say it’s not that good for you since it is high in fat.
That's not the problem.
The problem is that coconut oil is a highly processed food, which makes it unclean.Palm oil is terrible mainly for the fact huge tracts of rainforest are being flattened for palm oil plantations.
Where exactly do you think coconuts come from? Canada?0 -
Palm oil is what it's all about people. Everything tastes amazing when I cook with it.
Argh NO!!! Palm oil is terrible mainly for the fact huge tracts of rainforest are being flattened for palm oil plantations. Think of the poor orangutangs!
False. West African palm oil agriculture does not endanger orangutangs0 -
Here's a good read for those still insisting saturated fats lead to heart disease: http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/03/03/The-Obesity-Epidemic-and-the-Truth-about-Cholesterol
And general info about fats and oils: http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2014/01/29/Complete-Guide-to-Fats-Oils-on-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet0 -
Palm oil is what it's all about people. Everything tastes amazing when I cook with it.
Argh NO!!! Palm oil is terrible mainly for the fact huge tracts of rainforest are being flattened for palm oil plantations. Think of the poor orangutangs!
False. West African palm oil agriculture does not endanger orangutangs
Maybe not, but 85% of the world's palm oil comes from Borneo, which does.
http://www.orangutan.org.au/palm-oil0 -
I've been doing LCHF for several months. Genetically I am predisposed to high LDL-p, so no matter how optimal all of my other numbers have been, the LDL-p is at 1900. My lipidologist convinced me and put me on 40mg Atorvastatin (Lipitor), and my numbers dropped to 700's. Under 1000 is optimal. I have had no side effects at all, and feel great so far.
In having me take the extensive lipids test showing the small and large particles, since doing LCHF, everything is optimal--but last time, my inflammation/oxidation went from optimal to high risk. She asked me if I was doing or eating anything different. Only the addition of Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. She told me to get off of it, and to not use ANY tropical oils at all. She claimed that since I am not a Pacific Islander nor descended from it, it is not good for me. She is ok with butter, bacon, etc., but not the coconut oil. My next blood draw is in May and I should have my results two weeks later.
Has anyone else experienced a problem with the coconut oil? I really like the stuff, and am anxious to see if it has truly made the difference in my scores. A part of me hopes it is still high risk so I can go back to the coconut oil!0
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