coconut oil
thubten1
Posts: 29 Member
I cannot find any scientific evidence that all that saturated fat in coconut oil is good for your heart.I have been trying 2 tsp melted before going to the gym and I do think it adds a little energy on my very low carb macros,and the taste is OK,but I dont like the looks of it in a fry pan any more than beef or lamb fat
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There's no need to use it if you don't like it. Find what works for you.
Did you have a specific question? Others may be able to provide more advice with more details.0 -
I've been wondering about the same thing. I generally use olive oil, unless I want the flavor of coconut.0
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Here's the conservative view, ie. olive oil is better: http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/10/olive-oil-vs-coconut-oil-which-is-heart-healthier/
Here's the coconut oil side (if you click on full text pdf, the whole article is free):http://www.scopemed.org/?mno=462710 -
Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.0
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Just remember that olive oils turns to trans-fat if you heat it. No cooking with it. You can use coconut oil for cooking without it turning to trans fats.0
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.
All the calories you eat can be stored as body fat, including the calories from coconut oil.
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lithezebra wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.
All the calories you eat can be stored as body fat, including the calories from coconut oil.
Yeah that's what I believe too. I have read many times that coconut oil is "different" and doesn't get stored as body fat.. An excess of calories will be stored as body fat no matter from what source it comes from. There are no free foods unfortunately. Our body counts every thing we put into it.0 -
Just remember that olive oils turns to trans-fat if you heat it. No cooking with it. You can use coconut oil for cooking without it turning to trans fats.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/446570-does-overheating-olive-oil-turn-it-to-trans-fat/0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »lithezebra wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.
All the calories you eat can be stored as body fat, including the calories from coconut oil.
Yeah that's what I believe too. I have read many times that coconut oil is "different" and doesn't get stored as body fat.. An excess of calories will be stored as body fat no matter from what source it comes from. There are no free foods unfortunately. Our body counts every thing we put into it.
I think it might be a cousin of the misinterpretation of the statement that atherosclerotic plaques contain long chain fatty acids, not medium chain fatty acids, which are what coconut oil contains. However, the body can make its own fatty acids, except for the essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (aka omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (aka omega-6 fatty acid), from whatever energy resources you have.0 -
Just remember that olive oils turns to trans-fat if you heat it. No cooking with it. You can use coconut oil for cooking without it turning to trans fats.MilllieMoo wrote: »Just remember that olive oils turns to trans-fat if you heat it. No cooking with it. You can use coconut oil for cooking without it turning to trans fats.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/446570-does-overheating-olive-oil-turn-it-to-trans-fat/
Technically speaking, overheating any fat will oxidize fatty acids, rendering it pretty much the same as trans fat.
However, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats are both very heat tolerant and have higher heating temperatures and less prone to such break down as polyunsaturated fats (many of which will break down even at room temperatures, which is why fish oil should be refrigerated at all times). Coconut oil is a saturated fat example, and olive oil is a monounsaturated fat.
Here's a fun fact for you -- the difference between monounsaturated fats and saturated fats is a single hydrogen atom. In saturated fats, every carbon atom is linked to a hydrogen atom. This is what makes them so stable. In monounsaturated fats, one of the hydrogen atoms is missing from the chain. This technically makes them less stable, but with only one, it's still pretty stable. In polyunsaturated fats, multiple hydrogen atoms are missing, further decreasing their stability.
This is why the process is called hydrogenation. It is literally adding hydrogen atoms to polyunsaturated fats to saturate them by filling in those gaps.
This is also where the idea that saturated fats are bad for you. In all of the old studies, saturated fats and trans fats are treated as the same, because on paper, they appear to be the same. However, they are fundamentally different.
Here's a good place to start regarding the difference between the two:
http://authoritynutrition.com/why-trans-fats-are-bad/I cannot find any scientific evidence that all that saturated fat in coconut oil is good for your heart.
Odds are, you're not going to find exactly what you've stated here, for about a million different reasons. I highly recommend reading/watching the following:
The Skinny On Fat - a good primer
The Straight Dope on Cholesterol and Diet - a talk by Dr. Peter Attia on cholesterol
The Straight Dope on Cholesterol - a really in-depth 9-part series on cholesterol, it's role in the body, and much more.
The Limits Of Scientific Evidence and The Ethics of Dietary Guidelines -- 60 Years of Ambiguity - a talk by Dr. Peter Attia on the political history of dietary recommendations in the US for the past half-century (hint - most of the guidelines were created out of political motives, not actual facts)
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?0 -
Great post Dragonwolf!0
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lithezebra wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.
All the calories you eat can be stored as body fat, including the calories from coconut oil.
My understanding is that specifically caprylic acid and possibly some of the other MCT's in coconut oil cannot be stored as body fat. However, you'd have a hard time consuming enough of them to acquire more than your brain could use in a days time. Perhaps your body would store the other calories you eat as fat, but not the MCT's. They are never converted by the liver and are immediately used by the brain for energy.0 -
I cannot find any scientific evidence that all that saturated fat in coconut oil is good for your heart.I have been trying 2 tsp melted before going to the gym and I do think it adds a little energy on my very low carb macros,and the taste is OK,but I dont like the looks of it in a fry pan any more than beef or lamb fat
@thubten1 you may like The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife. I am about half way through the 5th edition and he covers your question. By the way he states based on how much MCT's is in breast milk humans should be OK eating 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per 30 pounds of body weight. Your experience with coconut oil and then going to the gym is what you should expect per the book. I also eat coconut flakes to boost my coconut oil intake.
It seems coconut oil can help us with weight loss and general health like no other fat can do.
Welcome to MFP forums.0 -
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.
@Sunny_Bunny_ If I understand you correctly you are stating coconut oil has some unique fatty acids relative to other foods. A quick search of common names of fatty acids in coconut oil reveals the following: butyric, caproic, caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic. Of these, which ones are unique to coconut oil? I liked up another food group or food item I discussed last week with a lifter and he said the food we discussed has the following fatty acids: caprice, merits, palmitic, margarin, and stearic. As you can see there is quite a bit of crossover of the fatty acids. I'm curious about 2 things (1) What is unique about the list for coconut oil fatty acids AND (2) Where did you research your information?
BTW: I search nutrition data for information about foods types and micronutrient and MACRO nutrient breakdown. If you have a chance it would help people in this thread and lurkers to understand the benefits we perceive from foods like coconut oil.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »I cannot find any scientific evidence that all that saturated fat in coconut oil is good for your heart.I have been trying 2 tsp melted before going to the gym and I do think it adds a little energy on my very low carb macros,and the taste is OK,but I dont like the looks of it in a fry pan any more than beef or lamb fat
@thubten1 you may like The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife. I am about half way through the 5th edition and he covers your question. By the way he states based on how much MCT's is in breast milk humans should be OK eating 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per 30 pounds of body weight. Your experience with coconut oil and then going to the gym is what you should expect per the book. I also eat coconut flakes to boost my coconut oil intake.
It seems coconut oil can help us with weight loss and general health like no other fat can do.
Welcome to MFP forums.
@ GaleHawkins: Is there where your belief of 5 to 8 TBSP's per day of coconut oil is healthy? I think you said before you weigh 200 pounds so does 900+ calories of your day consist of consuming coconut oil?0 -
@ Dragonwolf: A lot to read through, view, and digest. A question about the oxidation of coconut oil? At what temperature does this occur? If I fry eggs with it what temperature makes the coconut oil similar to a trans fat?0
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lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
(2) quick questions: How high is high for cholesterol? And, do you use light olive oil or does the amount of or type processing not matter to you? Footnote: My neighbor has high cholesterol: north of 240. She has high HDL(above 100 I think), low try number, but then a high LDL number. Her next visit and bloodworm will reveal particulate size. She has discontinued her statin, is off her blood pressure med also. So, more curiosity for me. She is also 64 YO and healthy albeit for the smoking.
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As I now understand it, and I could be wrong, these fats aren't in our arteries causing damage. It appears that inflammation and the arterial pressure can cause an injury which is then repaired. The repairs will cause the plaques, and those plaques only become a problem when they break off and cause a clog... I believe.lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
Oxidized fats aren't helpful in avoiding CAD either.
I remember telling my husband, back in the mid 90s, how saturated fat is bad because it is more solid at room or body temperature, so we don't want that in our bodies.... I can feel myself blushing at the memory. They taught us wrong. So wrong.
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I remember a physician telling a patient that the bacon grease they see, solidified, in a pan, is how it looks in their body! How wrong he was, and they continue to be!! Heck! I believed it for a long time too!
I don't have information on the heating .....of fats. All I know is that's consumption of (especially butter and heavy whipping cream for me with a maybe weekly use of cooking with coconut oil) fat has made me healthier than I've been, ever! Trying to be low fat never created health for me, it only created illness!0 -
As I now understand it, and I could be wrong, these fats aren't in our arteries causing damage. It appears that inflammation and the arterial pressure can cause an injury which is then repaired. The repairs will cause the plaques, and those plaques only become a problem when they break off and cause a clog... I believe.lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
Oxidized fats aren't helpful in avoiding CAD either.
I remember telling my husband, back in the mid 90s, how saturated fat is bad because it is more solid at room or body temperature, so we don't want that in our bodies.... I can feel myself blushing at the memory. They taught us wrong. So wrong.
It appears that inflammation makes the arteries sticky, but treatment still involves lowering blood lipids so there's less to stick ... mind you, I don't think the science on fats or high cholesterol is settled. I'll be evaluating how a HFLC diet works for my body, the next time I have a blood test.
I avoid having a lot of polyunsaturated fats too, by avoiding most vegetable oils other than olive oil or coconut oil. I should be having more olive oil though.0 -
lithezebra wrote: »
As I now understand it, and I could be wrong, these fats aren't in our arteries causing damage. It appears that inflammation and the arterial pressure can cause an injury which is then repaired. The repairs will cause the plaques, and those plaques only become a problem when they break off and cause a clog... I believe.lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
Oxidized fats aren't helpful in avoiding CAD either.
I remember telling my husband, back in the mid 90s, how saturated fat is bad because it is more solid at room or body temperature, so we don't want that in our bodies.... I can feel myself blushing at the memory. They taught us wrong. So wrong.
It appears that inflammation makes the arteries sticky, but treatment still involves lowering blood lipids so there's less to stick ... mind you, I don't think the science on fats or high cholesterol is settled. I'll be evaluating how a HFLC diet works for my body, the next time I have a blood test.
I avoid having a lot of polyunsaturated fats too, by avoiding most vegetable oils other than olive oil or coconut oil. I should be having more olive oil though.
You are so right. I am sure that the information my kids grow up with will not be what they hear as adults... I wish I could jump ahead and see how it will turn out. I think I know the direction it is going, but for many years I also thought just putting jam on my toast, and skipping the butter and peanut butter, was the healthier way to go.
Because of the foods I am eating I hope I am right, but who knows.
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_Terrapin_ wrote: »lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
(2) quick questions: How high is high for cholesterol? And, do you use light olive oil or does the amount of or type processing not matter to you? Footnote: My neighbor has high cholesterol: north of 240. She has high HDL(above 100 I think), low try number, but then a high LDL number. Her next visit and bloodworm will reveal particulate size. She has discontinued her statin, is off her blood pressure med also. So, more curiosity for me. She is also 64 YO and healthy albeit for the smoking.
There are a few threads in the recent past of people sharing their changed / improved cholesterol panels after months or years on a LCD that you might find interesting. I'll see if I can find some...
ETA I hope people don't mind my linking to their success stories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10089227/over-50s-ladies-our-special-needs#latest @jumanajane had a large improvement.
@wabmester has had some very good results. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257118/sodium-blood-pressure-and-the-russian-nephrologist/p10 -
_Terrapin_ wrote: »lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
(2) quick questions: How high is high for cholesterol? And, do you use light olive oil or does the amount of or type processing not matter to you? Footnote: My neighbor has high cholesterol: north of 240. She has high HDL(above 100 I think), low try number, but then a high LDL number. Her next visit and bloodworm will reveal particulate size. She has discontinued her statin, is off her blood pressure med also. So, more curiosity for me. She is also 64 YO and healthy albeit for the smoking.
There are a few threads in the recent past of people sharing their changed / improved cholesterol panels after months or years on a LCD that you might find interesting. I'll see if I can find some...
ETA I hope people don't mind my linking to their success stories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10089227/over-50s-ladies-our-special-needs#latest @jumanajane had a large improvement.
@wabmester has had some very good results. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257118/sodium-blood-pressure-and-the-russian-nephrologist/p1
Thanks, but I was really just asking the person I quoted what their levels were. If this was a public group search functionality would probably be improved. It is fairly common to improve cholesterol across the board, especially tryglericide levels, since most people lose body fat with weight loss regardless of the methodology or diet. Also, wabmester has improved their markers and I believe they are trying to find how to improve the rise in LDL's. Thanks though for the links since the absence of searching makes it difficult to find conversations in this group.
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_Terrapin_ wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Just as the link above mentioned, it isn't bad for the heart in any way. People aren't typically using it because of evidence that it's specifically good for the heart. It's widely used because it's a healthy fat and provides lauric, capric, caprylic and other unique fatty acids that are quickly metabolized for brain energy and aren't stored as body fat.
@Sunny_Bunny_ If I understand you correctly you are stating coconut oil has some unique fatty acids relative to other foods. A quick search of common names of fatty acids in coconut oil reveals the following: butyric, caproic, caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic. Of these, which ones are unique to coconut oil? I liked up another food group or food item I discussed last week with a lifter and he said the food we discussed has the following fatty acids: caprice, merits, palmitic, margarin, and stearic. As you can see there is quite a bit of crossover of the fatty acids. I'm curious about 2 things (1) What is unique about the list for coconut oil fatty acids AND (2) Where did you research your information?
BTW: I search nutrition data for information about foods types and micronutrient and MACRO nutrient breakdown. If you have a chance it would help people in this thread and lurkers to understand the benefits we perceive from foods like coconut oil.
I've researched the subject all over the place from the websites of the well known low carb promoters like Dave Asprey, Jimmy Moore, etc... (Though, Asprey's site doesn't go into the detail that his book does.) To reading the studies on Alzheimer's utilizing MCT's to provide brain energy in areas of the brain that are not able to metabolize glucose.
Some or all of the fatty acids may exist somewhere else in nature, but not in the same combination and concentration found in coconut oil. I know Palm oil has many of the same, but it may not be well sourced and is probably more difficult to find organic, non GMO. And, without looking it up, I still don't think it compares to CO.
All I know is, in my searching for the best way to treat ADHD without meds, I'm not even finding a lot of info on CO being discussed, but in its application to Alzheimer's and the obvious energy boost I feel from it, it just makes sense to me that it is a good addition for anyone wanting to get the best out of their brain power.
I took my daughter off of Adderall and Straterra (yes, she took them together at high doses) after several years of only slight improvement in her ability to stay focused and with minimal evidence that it was a benefit showing in her grades at school. So far, I have her taking Krill Oil, high dose Vit C, magnesium citrate and MCT oil. There are other supplements I'm still looking into, but we are adding them as I learn. Her grades have improved quite suddenly since this change for the first time ever, she doesn't have almost all D's with a couple F's on a progress report. She mostly has a C average now, with an A in one class and lowest grade in another is a D. She says she feels like paying attention isn't as much of a problem, but she does still have to use the strategies she always has to help stay on track and organized. In the past, she wasnt consistent with her efforts. I've actually gotten emails from teachers not to talk about all the work she's missing and lost, but just to say that they've noticed that she's more present and making much more effort in class. She's still highly distracted and a bit hyper, but the ability to focus when she chooses to is where we've seen the biggest improvement.
There's no scientific proof that these changes I've made are responsible for the results of course, but there's certainly no harm in supplementing and if things seem to be responding as I was hoping, I'm sticking to it.0 -
_Terrapin_ wrote: »_Terrapin_ wrote: »lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
(2) quick questions: How high is high for cholesterol? And, do you use light olive oil or does the amount of or type processing not matter to you? Footnote: My neighbor has high cholesterol: north of 240. She has high HDL(above 100 I think), low try number, but then a high LDL number. Her next visit and bloodworm will reveal particulate size. She has discontinued her statin, is off her blood pressure med also. So, more curiosity for me. She is also 64 YO and healthy albeit for the smoking.
There are a few threads in the recent past of people sharing their changed / improved cholesterol panels after months or years on a LCD that you might find interesting. I'll see if I can find some...
ETA I hope people don't mind my linking to their success stories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10089227/over-50s-ladies-our-special-needs#latest @jumanajane had a large improvement.
@wabmester has had some very good results. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257118/sodium-blood-pressure-and-the-russian-nephrologist/p1
Thanks, but I was really just asking the person I quoted what their levels were. If this was a public group search functionality would probably be improved. It is fairly common to improve cholesterol across the board, especially tryglericide levels, since most people lose body fat with weight loss regardless of the methodology or diet. Also, wabmester has improved their markers and I believe they are trying to find how to improve the rise in LDL's. Thanks though for the links since the absence of searching makes it difficult to find conversations in this group.
I thought I'd post those links because I know it is definitely harder to search for topics in a private group. I don't see you here too often so I thought you probably hadn't seen the most recent discussions on cholesterol.0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ Wow. That's quite promising for your daughter. You must be thrilled for her.0
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@Terrapin_Terrapin_ wrote: »lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
(2) quick questions: How high is high for cholesterol? And, do you use light olive oil or does the amount of or type processing not matter to you? Footnote: My neighbor has high cholesterol: north of 240. She has high HDL(above 100 I think), low try number, but then a high LDL number. Her next visit and bloodworm will reveal particulate size. She has discontinued her statin, is off her blood pressure med also. So, more curiosity for me. She is also 64 YO and healthy albeit for the smoking.
@Terrapin - unfortunately I don't remember the numbers, only that my ratio is great but LDL is high. I wish I knew, because the tryglyceride number makes a difference too. There's more to be concerned about, even if HDL is high, if try is high. My doctor suggested I cut back on sugar, which I wasn't eating, so I decided to go all the way and cut carbs.
Is your neighbor off her meds because she's improved her numbers? How did she do it?
I exercise, don't smoke, and don't need to lose weight, so the only things left to try are diet and drugs. I do not want to take statins, and I'd rather not go on a low fat diet, after seeing the studies on statins and Alzheimers. Yikes. Death by heart attack seems preferable.0 -
lithezebra wrote: »
We have saturated fats in our body so that our fats will be more solid at 98.6 degrees F, not for our heart health. The presence of PUFAs and MUFAs keeps our fats softer at body temperature. We can make the fats we need, aside from the essential fatty acids. Saturated fats, generally the longer chain variety, are not a good thing in your arteries.Dragonwolf wrote: »
Finally, here's another thing to consider -- regardless of diet (even if the diet is completely devoid of fat), the body will turn excess calories into fat at proportions of about 5-10% polyunsaturated, 40-50% monounsaturated, and 40-50% saturated. In other words, even if you don't eat any fat, whatsoever, any time the body burns body fat, nearly half of what it's burning is saturated fat.
If saturated fats are so terrible, why does the body rely so much on them?
The evidence for coconut oil for heart health and weight loss is intriguing, but not as good as the evidence for olive oil for heart health. I have high cholesterol, and I'm thin. I prefer to use olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, as much as possible, not because fats in the body are about half monounsaturated fat, but because of the studies showing that olive oil is good for cardiovascular health. If the evidence for coconut oil becomes equally strong, I'll be happy to eat more coconut oil - the stuff is delicious.
@lithezebra you are making great progress. I am about to finish The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife. I think it may help you see points on why coconut oil is preferred over olive oil.0 -
@_Terrapin_ 5 tablespoons of coconut oil is 600 calories and 6 tablespoons of coconut flakes is 315 calories so I agree with your math. 80% of my 2500-3000 daily calories are from fats. I do not know at what level coconut fats would become harmful. I do know all of my health markers are improved._Terrapin_ wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »I cannot find any scientific evidence that all that saturated fat in coconut oil is good for your heart.I have been trying 2 tsp melted before going to the gym and I do think it adds a little energy on my very low carb macros,and the taste is OK,but I dont like the looks of it in a fry pan any more than beef or lamb fat
@thubten1 you may like The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife. I am about half way through the 5th edition and he covers your question. By the way he states based on how much MCT's is in breast milk humans should be OK eating 1 tablespoon of coconut oil per 30 pounds of body weight. Your experience with coconut oil and then going to the gym is what you should expect per the book. I also eat coconut flakes to boost my coconut oil intake.
It seems coconut oil can help us with weight loss and general health like no other fat can do.
Welcome to MFP forums.
@ GaleHawkins: Is there where your belief of 5 to 8 TBSP's per day of coconut oil is healthy? I think you said before you weigh 200 pounds so does 900+ calories of your day consist of consuming coconut oil?0
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