Coconut oil-the best fat!

[starshine]

anyone else eat it? i love it! i first heard about it as a weight loss aid if you can believe it, and i did some research on it and found that it does actually helps you lose fat because it nourishes the thryroid gland which speeds up metabolism. it's also great for the immune system. i use it instead of butter if i'm having a slice of whole wheat or ezekiel bread and i cook my egg whites in it. sometimes i have it on a spoon sprinkled with stevia - yummy coconut-ty treat. it has to be organic unrefined coconut oil to have all the health properties though.

[hugs]

yeah i bought some because of all the stuff i've read on it--but when i cooked with it or put it on food, i lost my appetite! Something about the light smell of sweet coconut turned my stomach. I LOVE the smell of coconuts, but not in my food i guess! So now i use it as a moisturizer.

[girl81]

Originally Posted by hugs

yeah i bought some because of all the stuff i've read on it--but when i cooked with it or put it on food, i lost my appetite! Something about the light smell of sweet coconut turned my stomach. I LOVE the smell of coconuts, but not in my food i guess! So now i use it as a moisturizer.

resourceful.

[BuffedWildCat]

Yep! I use it to cook with and I usually lick whatever utensil I used to put it in the pan with, love it!

[runNwild]

i use it as both a cooking oil and a moisturizer, as well. good stuff!

[calendar]

It's mostly marketing mishmash. There is no requirement for saturated fat in the diet.

But I suppose it's probably the best choice if you are going to cook with fat. The more saturated the fat, the more resistant it will be to oxidation and breakdown.

It's better for your hair than your skin.

[BuffedWildCat]

Originally Posted by calendar

It's mostly marketing mishmash. There is no requirement for saturated fat in the diet.
...

I humbly disagree. I think coconut oil has enough healthful benefits that I personally want to use it everyday. Here are some great sources of info for anyone who is interested in reading about coconut oil's many benefits then you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to include it into your diet. Personally I'm convinced and will continue to use it in my diet, probably even more so now. I just think it is probably the most healthy fat that one can include in one's diet, my opinion, based on everything I've read:

Decide for yourself...

http://www.mercola.com/forms/coconut_oil.htm

http://www.coconutoil.com/research.htm

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyour...conut_oil.html

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/coconut.htm

If you don't read thru those links, at least read this excerpt from the last web link:

"Coconut oil is one of the most stable oils you can buy. It does not turn rancid easily. It does not attack your arteries. In fact, coconut oil was one of the foods Weston Price studied in his journeys. He discovered that the coconut was considered, by the local populations, a medicine food. He found that those civilizations that consumed coconut regularly had no knowledge of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.

Let’s take a look at the healing properties of coconut oil:

* Coconut oil is antiviral, antifungal (kills yeast too) and antibacterial. It attacks and kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, the flu, and mononucleosis. It kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning, pneumonia, and many, many more bacterial infections. It kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash and more.
* Coconut oil is called the "low fat" fat. It actually acts like a carbohydrate in that it is quickly broken down in the liver and used as quick energy. It is NOT stored like other fats. It boosts one’s energy and endurance. Many athletes use it blended into their drinks. It also supports thyroid function and increases your metabolism (great if you want to lose weight).
* Coconut oil improves digestion and absorption of fat soluble vitamins, minerals (especially calcium and magnesium), and amino acids. It improves the body’s use of blood glucose and improves insulin secretion and absorption (great for type II diabetes). In fact, many diabetics (type I and type II) use it to reduce their symptoms. One’s risk of diabetes decreases with regular use of coconuts and coconut oil. And as we already mentioned, cooking with coconut oil does not create any harmful byproducts.
* Coconut oil helps the body heal and repair faster. It aids and supports immune function, protecting us from a variety of cancers.
* Coconut oil, contrary to much hubbub, is good for your heart. It keeps our blood platelets from sticking together (and causing dangerous clots). Regular users of coconut oils have a much lower chance of atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and strokes. Coconut oil can lower your blood pressure.
* Coconut oil is a natural antioxidant. It protects the body from free radical damage and prevents premature aging and degenerative diseases.
* Finally, coconut oil is the best massage oil on the planet. What it does to your skin, you simply have to witness. It forms a barrier against infections, softens and moisturizes your skin, and prevents wrinkling, sagging, and age spots. It promotes healthy hair and complexion, protects from any damaging UV rays. (It is used in Ron Salley’s products.)

So? How come we don’t know about coconut oil? In our research, we discovered that coconut oil was attacked by the oil industry as being an "artery clogger." While doing this research, we were contacted by Bruce Fife, ND, who sent us a copy of his book to review: The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil. (See below for where to get your copy.)

According to Bruce, it was mainly the American Soybean Association (ASA) that began the attack. They were followed by the Corn Products Company (CPC International), and finally got support from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Prior to the eighties, coconut oil was used quite heavily in the US for baking, frying, and even making popcorn at the theaters. Then along came the ASA that contended that saturated fats caused heart disease, and since coconut oil was saturated, it too caused heart disease. Ironically, when they got the backing of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, science went out the window. For something to be truly scientific, it has to be tested. There were lots of assumptions, accusations, and claims, but no tests. During congressional hearings, the truth tried to come out, but as the saying goes, "The truth never stood in the way of a good story," and newspapers hit the stands proclaiming that coconut oil clogged arteries. The poor countries exporting coconuts couldn’t fight the large American food industry, and soon partially hydrogenated soybean oil was in everything.

And that’s when heart disease rates took off."

[ElMariachi]

I love coconut oil, but as I've said many times..........QUALITY is the key. Bad quality...refined.....bleached coconut oil, is worse for you than no coconut oil at all.


Make sure the stuff you use is virgin/unrefined/unbleached.

[BuffedWildCat]

Originally Posted by ElMariachi

I love coconut oil, but as I've said many times..........QUALITY is the key. Bad quality...refined.....bleached coconut oil, is worse for you than no coconut oil at all.


Make sure the stuff you use is virgin/unrefined/unbleached.

AGREED!!

[calendar]

Originally Posted by BuffedWildCat

Decide for yourself...

http://www.mercola.com/forms/coconut_oil.htm

http://www.coconutoil.com/research.htm

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyour...conut_oil.html

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/coconut.htm

I read only primary sources. Not mercola, who thinks that health is connected to shoe size, and certainly not Weston Price, who was a demented dentist. If you have any links to primary sources that would suggest there is a nutritional requirement for saturated fat in the diet, please post. I can assure you that there is none.


"Saturated fatty acids are synthesized by the body to provide an adequate level needed for their physiological and structural functions; they have no known role in preventing chronic diseases. Therefore, neither an AI nor RDA is set for saturated fatty acids. There is a positive linear trend between total saturated fatty acid intake and total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentration and increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD)."

Source: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2005) Food and Nutrition Board (FNB)

[BuffedWildCat]

Originally Posted by calendar

I read only primary sources. Not mercola, who thinks that health is connected to shoe size, and certainly not Weston Price, who was a demented dentist. If you have any links to primary sources that would suggest there is a nutritional requirement for saturated fat in the diet, please post. I can assure you that there is none.

Not arguing whether or not there's a nutritional requirement for saturated fat, just saying I believe there are enough health benefits to warrant including it into my diet.

[BuffedWildCat]

I read only primary sources. Not mercola, who thinks that health is connected to shoe size, and certainly not Weston Price, who was a demented dentist. If you have any links to primary sources that would suggest there is a nutritional requirement for saturated fat in the diet, please post. I can assure you that there is none.

Hmmm... well, I guess I'm demented then too cause I'm all for the natural principles that Weston Price and his foundation strive to promote as well as Dr. Mercola's dietary and lifestyle approaches to health, natural approaches as opposed to the use of prescription drugs and surgery to treat diseases. Yep, I'm beginning to think people like me who believe in more holistic approaches to health are in the minority and apparently those who are NOT proponents of the holistic approach like to throw insults out at we "holistic believers". Okay, well, whatever, but for the record I refuse to do the same to those who don't believe the way I believe. Insults won't change my being a proponent of the holistic approach nor will it stop me from posting information that I believe people should know or at least be exposed to and then make their own decisions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weston_A._Price

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

[ShadesOfGold]

Originally Posted by starshine

anyone else eat it? i love it! i first heard about it as a weight loss aid if you can believe it, and i did some research on it and found that it does actually helps you lose fat because it nourishes the thryroid gland which speeds up metabolism. it's also great for the immune system. i use it instead of butter if i'm having a slice of whole wheat or ezekiel bread and i cook my egg whites in it. sometimes i have it on a spoon sprinkled with stevia - yummy coconut-ty treat. it has to be organic unrefined coconut oil to have all the health properties though.

-Just because it nourishes the thyroid doesnt mean it it speeds up your metabolism btw, endocrine system has to many balances for itself for it to be that easy. Benifical, may very well be, but not for weight loss.

[Mike83]

Today I added a piece of coconut to my shake in the blender, I thought Coconut was healthy.

[Razwell]

The whole anti saturated fat campaign has NO SCIENTIFIC BASIS



http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm




http://www.lowcarbmuscle.com/forums/...read.php?t=162






http://www.THINCS.org



http://www.statinalert.org

[claycat]

This thread has some very interesting info and links. Keep it up guys.

[Miranda]

eating saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol but it could be genetic whether it is harmful to the person.

isn't that what it is about? no one-size-fits-all about it?

[Blasphemare]

Very interesting, but does anyone have any suggestions for what to cook in it? Or is it best used as an additive?

[BuffedWildCat]

I am not currently cooking with it (because the only thing I need to cook on my current diet is fish and I just bake it) but I add a tbsp to my protein shakes. I do however cook my son's eggs in coconut oil and hubby cooks his eggs in it as well. Basically I have/will replace non-stick spray with coconut oil.

[Blasphemare]

Originally Posted by BuffedWildCat

I am not currently cooking with it (because the only thing I need to cook on my current diet is fish and I just bake it) but I add a tbsp to my protein shakes. I do however cook my son's eggs in coconut oil and hubby cooks his eggs in it as well. Basically I have/will replace non-stick spray with coconut oil.

The fish sounds really good! I might try that.

Also, I was curious as to whether it was pricey. I don't have much to spend per week on groceries!

[BuffedWildCat]

On my current diet I'm eating pink salmon and tilapia fish and I buy it from Sam's Club. I really like fish and would much rather eat that than any other meats.

I got 54 oz of organic, extra virgin coconut oil for $21.99 off the internet. It's a huge container. So just over 40 cents an ounce.

[star4822]

So coconut oil has health benefits..this might seem like a silly question, but does just eating coconut have any benefits? I've always loved to eat shredded coconut, but stopped once I found out it was supposedly "bad" for you. I had no idea that coconut actually could be healthy!

I would be so happy if shredded coconut was actually considered healthy to eat..haha(despite the saturated fat..)

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by Miranda

eating saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol but it could be genetic whether it is harmful to the person.

Well, polyunsaturated fats (omega-3's specifically) both raise HDL and lower LDL.. so what you need is enough omega-3's to balance out the omega 6 content in your diet.. I personally get about 5:1 Omega 6:3 in my diet, and the average American gets like 30:1.

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by star4822

So coconut oil has health benefits..this might seem like a silly question, but does just eating coconut have any benefits? I've always loved to eat shredded coconut, but stopped once I found out it was supposedly "bad" for you. I had no idea that coconut actually could be healthy!

I would be so happy if shredded coconut was actually considered healthy to eat..haha(despite the saturated fat..)

Assuming it's sugar free shredded coconut, go wild

Just be sure to get in your Omega-3's.

[star4822]

Originally Posted by terracotta

Assuming it's sugar free shredded coconut, go wild

Just be sure to get in your Omega-3's.

Well that's great news for me! haha.

On a different note-I know omega-3's are very important. Is it necessary to have it every single day? Or if you're eating omega 3 fortified foods(or foods containing omega 3's naturally, like salmon) a few times a week, is that enough?

I'm just curious, because if it's needed everyday, I might look into getting it in a capsule.

[Mike83]

Originally Posted by star4822

So coconut oil has health benefits..this might seem like a silly question, but does just eating coconut have any benefits? I've always loved to eat shredded coconut, but stopped once I found out it was supposedly "bad" for you. I had no idea that coconut actually could be healthy!

I would be so happy if shredded coconut was actually considered healthy to eat..haha(despite the saturated fat..)

make sure the shredded coconut doesn't have added sugar, i love that stuff too!

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by star4822

Well that's great news for me! haha.

On a different note-I know omega-3's are very important. Is it necessary to have it every single day? Or if you're eating omega 3 fortified foods(or foods containing omega 3's naturally, like salmon) a few times a week, is that enough?

I'm just curious, because if it's needed everyday, I might look into getting it in a capsule.

You should get at least 3g of omega 3's per day (and if you eat a lot of saturated fats, I'd up that to 6). 100 g of canned salmon (.5 cans) has 3 g of omega 3's.

You want those omegas each day, so on days you don't eat fatty fish, you will want to supplement.

[star4822]

Alright, good to know. Thanks.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by terracotta

Well, polyunsaturated fats (omega-3's specifically) both raise HDL and lower LDL.. so what you need is enough omega-3's to balance out the omega 6 content in your diet.. I personally get about 5:1 Omega 6:3 in my diet, and the average American gets like 30:1.

thanks, i know my question was whether raised LDL cholesterol is harmful. i've read arguments to both sides and that's one subject i'm not decided on yet (not that me not being decided has anything to do with facts ).

people are often prescribed statins (which can break havoc on them) while diet and exercise work best - IF raised cholesterol is something to be worried about. i don't know.

i don't think you can ever pin down 'one' culprit. what causes heart disease? inactivity? genetics? high fat intake? smoking? inadequate vitamin c intake? a combination of all of them?

[terracotta]

Yeah, you can never determine cause and effect, just cause and probable/possible effect (ie. a relationship).