How2GetHealthy

19 responses so far ↓

• 1 beautyscientist // Dec 7, 2007 at 8:03 am

  I hate to be negative but I am afraid I think this article on coconut oil is completely off the point. Coconut oil is not particularly different to other oils – it is a bit less prone to oxidation than most which is handy. It is also one of the cheaper oils, which is also handy. Other than that it is nothing very special.

• 2 Brenda // Dec 7, 2007 at 11:41 pm

  Do you use it? Have you tried it? Do you know anyone who has?

  The refined processed coconut oil is cheap. The virgin coconut oil isn’t, at least not when compared to corn, soy oil or even some olive oils. When compared to skin care products, however, its a real bargain and works better that anything I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried loads).

  Here is link to more information about research on coconut oil.
  Know your fats.

• 3 Colin // Dec 19, 2007 at 7:53 am

  Yes Brenda, I have been using coconut oil in various grades for 25 years. It is a nice oil. I agree that it is probably better for your skin neat than some cosmetics that cost a lot more. It isn’t anything out of the ordinary though.

• 4 Brenda // Dec 22, 2007 at 9:10 pm

  Hi Colin,
  I only discovered Coconut Oil 2 years ago and compared to oils I have used in the past, olive oil aside, it is far superior. I’ve replaced about 1/3 of my fat/oil intake with coconut oil and feel that this is beneficial to me. This is my personal opinion based on my experience.

  There is a lot of marketing hype on the internet about Coconut Oil and it is hard to find unbiased information. There is also very little research available. I did find this small article which I think sums up the situation and explains some basic differences between coconut oil and other fats.

  Taken from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=221

  What do you think of coconut oil?

  Recent studies are showing the health benefits of coconut oil, which had been looked upon as a source of saturated fats and therefore to be avoided for those individuals with concerns over their cholesterol levels.

  While it is true that coconut contains saturated fats, what is now being brought to light is that there are actually different types of saturated fats, just like there are different types of fats in general, and some types of saturated fats are good for you.

  A very traditional food, coconut oil is making a comeback these days as a popular cooking oil. Much of the saturated fat in coconuts is not long chain, but medium-chain fatty acids; in fact, coconut oil contains between approximately 55-65% 62% medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), including the healthy fats, lauric acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid. (Lauric acid is the most plentiful of the MCFAs in coconut oil, and sometimes accounts for as much as 75% of this oil’s total MCFAs). MCFAs have been used for many years as dietary supplements in situations where absorption of nutrients needs improvement, including situations involving premature infants and adults with compromised bowel function. In some areas of the world where coconut oil is a regular component of the diet, the milk of nursing mothers is rich in MCFAs, and may be related to desirable health trends in later life.

  While the research points in this direction, there doesn’t seem to be enough clinical research to conclusively state this at this point. I have also noticed that coconut oil is a very well promoted subject on the web, with many claims for its health benefits, notably for its antiviral activity. But from the research I have seen, many of these conclusions seem very preliminary given that there has not been that much research published on this subject and that which has been conducted has often been done on individual components of coconut oil. Yet, the research published to date suggests coconut oil is healthful.

  Another good thing about coconut oil is that its saturated fatty acid profile gives it a higher smoke point than many polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils. Therefore, while I don’t like to use oil in high heat applications, I understand that some people do. Coconut oil may be a good oil for this type of cooking.

• 5 Colin // Dec 23, 2007 at 9:46 am

  Brenda,

  I stand by my opinion that there is nothing wrong with coconut oil, but that it is a fairly standard food component. Almost all oils have predominantly medium chain length fatty acids. Coconut oil has a very low level of unsaturated fatty acids, but this is more helpful in handling and storing than in any health benefits. I would say that it is probably preferable to use an oil that hasn’t been processed and in particular doesn’t contain synthetic anti-oxidants and hasn’t been hydrogenated.

• 6 Brenda // Jan 1, 2008 at 11:11 am

  Hi Colin,
  You’ve highlight two of the key characteristcs that I believe make coconut oil beneficial.

  Medium Chain Fatty Acids – Peat’s article was comparing Coconut Oil with other saturated fats (not with unsaturated fats) and pointed out that unlike other saturated fats, Coconut Oil (like other vegetable oils) has predominantly medium chain fatty acids as opposed to long chain fatty acids (like animal fat). So coconut oil is a healthier saturated fat that animal fat.
  Now to compare with unsaturated oils:

  Low Levels of Unsaturated Fatty Acids – There are important health benefits related to storing and handling. Rancid oil is thought to be a carcinogen. Coconut oil does not go rancid easily as many vegetable oils do. Many people do not store their vegetable oil is the refrigerator or freezer and may be consuming rancid oil.

  Further, cooking with unsaturated vegetable oils at high temperatures releases free radicals increasing risk of cancer. You can cook at higher temperatures with coconut oil (but beware, it can still burn).

  Perhaps this is why rigorous medical research shows that when people are put on low saturated fat diets mortality rates increase. The main cause of death is not heart attacks, but ‘other causes’ such as cancer and strokes.
  http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/97
  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0815/is_2_28/ai_97467588/pg_1

  Thanks for challenging this. It has forced me to look again and, in my opinion, I still see very useful benefits to using coconut oil.

  Nonetheless, some claims on sites marketing coconut oil are unproven and may be exaggerated. But with no research available, all we can do is try it.

  Brenda

• 7 beautyscientist // Jan 6, 2008 at 10:27 pm

  Brenda,

  I am a big fan of coconut oil and use it a lot. I just found Raymond Peat’s article went much too far and simply read like a piece of puff.

  Colin

• 8 steve // Jan 30, 2008 at 1:40 am

  i have just got into the whole coconut oil world.. it is expensive.. costing me £9.99 a tub and that will last about 2 weeks.. I kills viruses,it gives you energy,it boosts your immune system,it treats thyroid problems.. it slows down aging.. the list goes on.. i had an abcess in one of my teeth a couple of weeks ago.. started using this and it’s gone! by now i would have been punching walls and in extreme pain!

• 9 Brenda // Feb 2, 2008 at 8:22 am

  Thanks Steve.
  How much do you use and how do you use it?
  Also what kind?
  Brenda

• 10 Gia // Mar 19, 2008 at 12:47 am

  Yeah I believe coconut oil is alot of media hype, I’ve used organic unrefined coconut oil and the claims i heard, was not present with me
  They said it won’t break you out, well i sure did, and it didn’t help my frizzy hair, as it claim it does

• 11 Brenda // Mar 30, 2008 at 7:43 am

  A shame it did’t help you. I’ve been using it on my skin twice a day for about 8 months and it doesn’t break me out. It’s all I’m using at the moment. It’s great for me.
  On my hair, it’s fairly good. I’ve had a bit of heat damage that it didn’t help much with. It’s very nice on my daughter’s hair. She’s 8 years old.

  Certainly there is hype around coconut oil. I haven’t read that it helps frizzy hair, but that it helps dry hair (which can be frizzy). Olive oil will likely do the same.
  Do what works for you, drop what doesn’t!

• 12 Steve Keys // Dec 23, 2008 at 5:38 pm

  Coconut Oil

  by Raymond Francis

  Unjustly maligned for decades, coconut oil is reemerging as a miracle fat that boosts energy, burns fat, is antibiotic, and helps with thyroid problems. In the past, poorly done, misleading studies were used to discredit the saturated fats in coconut oil in order to displace it in our diet with soybean oil. Now that soybean oil has caused an epidemic of health problems, healthy coconut oil is being reintroduced. After a yearlong study of coconut oil, I recently approved a superior product and added it to my own diet

  Coconut oil has been safely used for thousands of years. Natives in tropical climates who consume lots of coconut oil don’t suffer from the heart disease, cancer, colon problems, and other health challenges that we do. Because it is highly saturated, coconut oil is very stable, stores well, and is suitable for cooking. But don’t let the saturation bother you. These saturated fats are different. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are easy to absorb, digest, transport, and metabolize in the body.

  Unlike other saturated fats, the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil speed up the body’s metabolism and are used by the body to produce energy rather than being stored as fat. Coconut oil does a body good. Let’s have a look at the reasons why:
  Heart Healthy Population studies show that coconut oil lowers cholesterol, and reduces risk of heart disease. Americans consistently have higher cholesterol levels than coconut eating cultures.

  Weight Control
  Coconut oil helps you to lose, maintain, or gain weight depending on your body’s need. It contributes to weight loss by speeding metabolism and being used as fuel rather than stored as fat. For underweight people, coconut oil helps to gain weight, especially useful to those suffering from AIDS or cancer.

  Infection Fighting
  The medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found in coconut oil are the same as those in human mother’s milk, and they have extraordinary antimicrobial properties. By disrupting the lipid structures of microbes, they inactivate them. About half of coconut oil consists of lauric acid. Lauric acid, its metabolite monolaurin, and other fatty acids in coconut oil are known to protect against infection from bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and parasites. While not having any negative effect on beneficial gut bacteria, coconut oil inactivates undesirable microbes such as H-pylori, Candida albicans, and Giardia. Natives in Southeast Asia who drink filthy water, loaded with bacteria and parasites, are nonetheless healthy, mostly due to the protective effect of the coconut oil in their diets.

  Thyroid Support
  Coconut oil helps people with low thyroid function. Regular oils such as soybean, canola, safflower and corn suppress thyroid function. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil stimulate metabolism, boost energy, and promote weight loss. While not a cure, some people have been able to reduce and even eliminate their thyroid medications.

  Cancer Protective
  Coconut oil appears to protect against cancer and not to promote cancer. Animal studies have shown that when animals are fed carcinogens and a variety of oils, the animals that do not develop cancer are those on coconut oil.

  Anti-Inflammatory Effects
  Coconut oil appears to have anti-inflammatory effects. For the past 20 years it has been known that coconut oil has been beneficial to patients with inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Coconut oil appears to have a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.

  Good for the Skin
  Coconut oil rejuvenates skin and wrinkles and slows the aging and wrinkling of skin. Used as a lotion, it protects against sun damage, and strengthens underlying tissues. It moisturizes, heals sores and injuries, and prevents production of “liver spots,” (oxidized oils). When liver spots occur, this same oxidative damage is also happening in other tissues such as the brain, heart, eyes, and blood vessels.

  Among other properties, coconut oil:
  • Does not require refrigeration, and is stable at room temperature from one to five years.
  • Increases lung function by increasing the fluidity of cell surfaces.
  • Regulates blood sugar and prevents hypoglycemia by providing a supply of fuel not affected by insulin.
  • Boosts energy in chronic fatigue and suppresses herpes and Epstein-Barr viruses.
  • Doesn’t oxidize easily, thereby protecting the body from lipid peroxidation.

  Selecting a healthy, high-quality coconut oil was no easy task. Obtaining reliable information about production techniques and quality was difficult. These products come from far away third-world countries, and from small producers who may speak poor English and have difficulty answering technical questions. I found that even some usually reliable sources in the U.S. were not offering the best oil because they ran up against the same problems, didn’t do their homework, and made poor choices.

  The virgin coconut oil I have approved is the least processed oil on the market. This extraordinary oil is not heated above normal air temperature, and it is made form freshly harvested coconuts. Most oils are made from copra (dried coconut), which can be contaminated with mold. Coconut oil is a sensible addition to anyone’s diet, and the purity, flavor, texture and quality of the oil I have selected is truly superior. A therapeutic dose is three tablespoons a day.

  Raymond Francis is an M.I.T.-trained scientist, a registered nutrition consultant, author of Never Be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again, host of the Beyond Health Show, Chairman of the The Project to End Disease and an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal health maintenance.

  Reprinted with permission from:
  Beyond Health® News
  800-250-3063
  website: http://www.beyondhealth.com
  email: mail@beyondhealth.com
  Copyright 2005, Beyond Health

• 13 Brenda // Dec 27, 2008 at 10:01 am

  Thanks Steve

• 14 Mary // Jan 7, 2009 at 6:44 pm

  For those who are not privy to correct information and want to dash the hopes of us who are having our issues, the least you could do is encourage us. If people want to use the Coconut oil and there are those of us who I’ve personally seen with noticeable differences in blood sugar, HDL/LDL levels…I’m telling YOU…it works!!! Now, if it didn’t work for you, that’s not a reason to go dashing everyone else’s dreams of losing weight or feeling their best. Going back and forth and back and forth isn’t going to change MY mind…what the hell do I have to lose anyway…OH YEAH…weight! I’m going to try it like my friend did, lose weight (by the way I have Hypothyroidism and a weight issue), get my blood tested in a few months and come right back here with the results! Geez, talk about a complete bummer experience…I come to find a board that will help encourage me…and I get people like Brenda who has nothing better to do but bash peoples hopes. You’re not going to convince those who want to use it to NOT use it. Instead be a support system.

• 15 Brenda // Feb 24, 2009 at 9:50 am

  Hmmm. Mary, I’m a fan of Coconut Oil. I hope I haven’t dashed anyone’s hopes of benefiting from it. I posted the article because I found it helpful and my comments are supportive of coconut oil, but also of those who haven’t benefited. I maintain that there is a lot of marketing hype around it and sadly not enough research to support it. But there will never be enough research for natural products so all we can do is give it a try. If it works great, if not then that doesn’t mean it’s a bad product, it just means it not the right for you.
  Mary, please come back and let us know how it goes for you, and I’m really sorry if I’ve been misunderstood and have dash anyone’s hopes.
  Best of health to you,
  Brenda!

• 16 Annie @ Hypothyroidism Diet // Jan 18, 2010 at 9:02 am

  Coconut oil has been used for centuries as a vital source of food for health and general well being in traditional communities of tropical regions. Recent research verifies traditional beliefs that the coconut palm is “The Tree of Life” and that, just like any other pure, whole food, coconuts and virgin coconut oil have a significant role to play in a well balanced, nutritious diet.

• 17 Brenda // Jan 23, 2010 at 10:23 am

  Thanks Annie. Your website is very interesting and the diet you suggest very help to those suffering from Hypothyroidism. For those interested, click on Annie’s name above.

• 18 pat oliver // Apr 25, 2010 at 9:36 pm

  Where can I purchase good quality virgin coconut oil such as that mentioned by Raymond Francis? Please respond. .Thank you

• 19 Pamela, Customer Service // Apr 26, 2010 at 10:15 pm

  Dear Pat,

  You can buy the olive oil Raymond recommends at beyondhealth.com, or call our office at 1-800-250-3063. All the products on this website have been either formulated by scientist Raymond Francis or selected by him as being “the best of the best” in each product category.

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