Coconut Oil Question

Spanaval · May 2012

Coconut oil appears to be popular around these parts as a source of good fats. Anyone know of good scientific sources that would substantiate this claim? Pretty much every organization out there, from FDA to American Heart Association, recommends limited intake. I've looked a bit on Pubmed, and can't find anything to justify considering coconut oil to be a good fat (granted, it's mostly medium chain, and contains a large % of lauric acid).

naomi8888 · May 2012

Sorry I haven't really seen any scientific evidence but there is a stack of anecdotal evidence on here. Any specific reason you want to take coconut oil?

ETA - personally I love it because it tastes great, I use it in coffee

lisa28115 · May 2012

Sorry I haven't really seen any scientific evidence but there is a stack of anecdotal evidence on here. Any specific reason you want to take coconut oil?

ETA - personally I love it because it tastes great, I use it in coffee

I use coconut oil to sautee and fry things with
I have never tried it in my coffee, does it give your coffee a flavor???

riskiestlavonn · May 2012

It's WONDERFUL for your hair (as in not eating it but actually rubbing it on your hair). :-)

Rocbola · May 2012

ANY and ALL processed foods are bad for you. Coconut oil is a processed food. If you want coconut fat in your diet, eat raw coconut.

lisa28115 · May 2012

It's WONDERFUL for your hair (as in not eating it but actually rubbing it on your hair). :-)

hummm

maybe I should try this

rub it in as a conditioner and then rinse out ???

BitteOrca · May 2012

i can't help you with substantiating health claims, but i do use it frequently as a moisturizer (best thing ever for shaving legs) and hair treatment. i've also heard due to it's anti-inflammatory qualities that it's great for treating dermatological autoimmune diseases like eczema. magical!

AmandaCaswell1982 · May 2012

I've used it for my scalp psoriasis- It's the only thing aside from topical steroids(which I don't like to use too often!) that gives any relief. I have also used it for my hair-- I rub it into my scalp, all through my hair, leave it on overnight and wash twice with shampoo. Hair is gorgeous when I do this. Your pillow can get greasy, so I use cruddy pillow cases when I do this and pile my hair in a messy bun.

AnkeAkke · May 2012

I'm not sure how coconut oil with no additions is a processed food?

I've bought it today. I've read a lot about it and I think it fits in a healty diet. I already found out you can cook perfectly with it. It seems to have a lot of health benefits, although I really don't believe all of them are true.

I also bought it as a mosturizer (I suffer from mild psoriasis, and my boyfriend from severe eczema). We already use a coconut cream, but I hope pure coconut oil works even better.

Spanaval · May 2012

The part of India I come from uses coconut and coconut oil VERY heavily in our cooking (and everything else too; pretty much every part of the coconut is used). My dad has heart disease and avoids coconut/coconut oil, and I was wondering if there was something I was missing out in terms of scientific evidence that it does not contribute to IHD. When he visits, we're careful about not using coconut/coconut milk/coconut oil in cooking because he won't eat it.

AnkeAkke · May 2012

I've read that it does not cause or worsen heart disease. Yes, it does contain a lot of saturated fats. However, these are mostly medium-chain fatty acids, compared to the long-chain fatty acids in most other oils. These medium-chain fatty acids don't have the same negative effect on cholesterol as long-chain and they will even protect against heart disease.

Rocbola · May 2012

I'm not sure how coconut oil with no additions is a processed food?

I've bought it today. I've read a lot about it and I think it fits in a healty diet. I already found out you can cook perfectly with it. It seems to have a lot of health benefits, although I really don't believe all of them are true.

I also bought it as a mosturizer (I suffer from mild psoriasis, and my boyfriend from severe eczema). We already use a coconut cream, but I hope pure coconut oil works even better.

Is it a coconut? It's a portion of a coconut, not the complete coconut. The non-oil parts of the coconut have been removed from the food, to leave behind just the oil.

ALL oils are processed food. ALL oils are incomplete food. ALL oils are MORE CALORIE DENSE than their whole food counterparts. OILS ARE THE MOST CALORIE DENSE FOOD ON THE PLANET, REGARDLESS OF SOURCE! And, 100% of the calories are from fat.

And as a moisturizer/shaving cream, my girlfriend loves it, but i hate it, because it leaves the shower all slippery!

RonSwanson66 · May 2012

ANY and ALL processed foods are bad for you.

Care to back that up, Sparky?

Spanaval · May 2012

I've read that it does not cause or worsen heart disease. Yes, it does contain a lot of saturated fats. However, these are mostly medium-chain fatty acids, compared to the long-chain fatty acids in most other oils. These medium-chain fatty acids don't have the same negative effect on cholesterol as long-chain and they will even protect against heart disease.

See, my problem is that while this makes intuitive sense, there don't seem to be any studies to back this up. The best I've managed to pull up seem ambiguous, in the sense they say that X Y and Z in coconut oil has these benefits, but overall, that may not negate the overall negative effects and artherosclerotic potential.

The FDA, WHO, Dept. of Health and Human Services, American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association, International College of Nutrition, Dietitians of Canada, ALL recommend consuming coconut oil in small quantities. Are they ALL wrong?

melsinct · May 2012

It's WONDERFUL for your hair (as in not eating it but actually rubbing it on your hair). :-)

hummm

maybe I should try this

rub it in as a conditioner and then rinse out ???

I use it as a pomade after I blow out my hair. I rub a VERY TINY! amount between my palms, then smooth out the frizzies. Works great in humid weather.

Rocbola · May 2012

ANY and ALL processed foods are bad for you.

Care to back that up, Sparky?

I'll reword it, sparky: Processed foods are never as healthful as the original foods they are processed from.

RonSwanson66 · May 2012

ANY and ALL processed foods are bad for you.

Care to back that up, Sparky?

I'll reword it, sparky: Processed foods are never as healthful as the original foods they are processed from.

Stop making things up. Repeating your false claims is not the same as presenting evidence.

Put up or shut up.

kboggs6763 · May 2012

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.