Coconut Oil

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KimBaker7463
KimBaker7463 Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My favorite new healthy fat: Coconut oil. Try a teaspoon in your coffee..."Brain Octane"!

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    or just cook with it...not sure what brain octane means but I'm assuming it's just one of the many exagerrated and anecdotal "benefits" of using coconut oil.

    coconut oil is awesome...it's a healthy fat...but it's not magic. ironically, a couple of decades ago there could be nothing more evil than coconut oil and it was banned for use in popping pop corn at the movies...now it's the healthiest of all health foods. the irony is thick...
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    edited May 2015
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    or just cook with it...not sure what brain octane means but I'm assuming it's just one of the many exagerrated and anecdotal "benefits" of using coconut oil.

    coconut oil is awesome...it's a healthy fat...but it's not magic. ironically, a couple of decades ago there could be nothing more evil than coconut oil and it was banned for use in popping pop corn at the movies...now it's the healthiest of all health foods. the irony is thick...

    Very true. But remember, the study that led to the vilification of coconut oil was based on refined coconut oil. My understanding is that they do not have the same health benefits. (Sorry, I don't recall the study I read, so I can't share it.)
  • esmesqualor
    esmesqualor Posts: 85 Member
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    It is great because it has a very high smoking point (the point at which oil becomes carcinogenic when heating). But it is oil and should be used moderately, too much fat is bad even if it is healthy fat. Adding it by the spoonful to foods and beverages is probably not a great idea for people trying to control their fat and calorie consumption.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited May 2015
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    lynn1982 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    or just cook with it...not sure what brain octane means but I'm assuming it's just one of the many exagerrated and anecdotal "benefits" of using coconut oil.

    coconut oil is awesome...it's a healthy fat...but it's not magic. ironically, a couple of decades ago there could be nothing more evil than coconut oil and it was banned for use in popping pop corn at the movies...now it's the healthiest of all health foods. the irony is thick...

    Very true. But remember, the study that led to the vilification of coconut oil was based on refined coconut oil. My understanding is that they do not have the same health benefits. (Sorry, I don't recall the study I read, so I can't share it.)

    I was simply pointing out that where nutrition is concerned, there's a new boogie man all of the time...and usually that boogie man turns out to be the latest and greatest of all health foods somewhere down the road. It's cyclical if you pay attention.

    About 1/2 of the saturated fat in coconut oil is medium chain which is a good thing...but really, most of the health benefits of coconut oil are anecdotal at best and greatly exaggerated if not outright bull.

    Don't get me wrong...it's delicious...but it's still just fat...dietary is very important to a healthy diet so yes, I would consider it to be a healthy fat...but it's not magical fat.
    esmesqualor wrote: »
    It is great because it has a very high smoking point (the point at which oil becomes carcinogenic when heating). But it is oil and should be used moderately, too much fat is bad even if it is healthy fat. Adding it by the spoonful to foods and beverages is probably not a great idea for people trying to control their fat and calorie consumption.

    coconut oil has a very low smoking point...350* F.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
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    The smoke point of coconut oil differs depending on what type you buy.

    It is not a superfood like some resources tell you, but for optimal health purposes, expelled or cold pressed, virgin, unrefined coconut oil is best. However, this variety doesn't hold up well to extreme heat.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    lynn1982 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    or just cook with it...not sure what brain octane means but I'm assuming it's just one of the many exagerrated and anecdotal "benefits" of using coconut oil.

    coconut oil is awesome...it's a healthy fat...but it's not magic. ironically, a couple of decades ago there could be nothing more evil than coconut oil and it was banned for use in popping pop corn at the movies...now it's the healthiest of all health foods. the irony is thick...

    Very true. But remember, the study that led to the vilification of coconut oil was based on refined coconut oil. My understanding is that they do not have the same health benefits. (Sorry, I don't recall the study I read, so I can't share it.)

    I was simply pointing out that where nutrition is concerned, there's a new boogie man all of the time...and usually that boogie man turns out to be the latest and greatest of all health foods somewhere down the road. It's cyclical if you pay attention..

    Yes, and to reiterate what I said - the original study that vilified coconut oil (the "boogie man") was based on refined coconut oil. It's actually not the same thing.
  • KimBaker7463
    KimBaker7463 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks for all of your discussion on coconut oil. I just came off the Reduce Phase in the Nutrimost program where I wasn't allowed ANY fat at all. In this new phase, I'm introduced to oils and "coconut oil" was suggested by my supervising physician as a tool to help me get my calories up to reset my metabolism. I was not familiar with coconut oil before so it was a little shocking when he suggested putting a teaspoon in my black coffee. It was he who referred to it as "Brain Octane"...lol. I have found that it does make me more alert in the morning. Of course, once I'm in a maintenance phase, I will monitor my intake of fat.

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