Coconut oil

(This is an email that was forwarded to me recently. I am sharing the information with all of you. It is a long article, but useful. )



What is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is an edible oil that has been consumed in tropical places for thousands of years. Studies done on native diets high in coconut consumption show that these populations are generally in good health, and don't suffer as much from many of the modern diseases of western nations.
Coconut oil was once prevalent in western countries like the United States as well. With a long shelf life and a melting point of 76 degrees, it was a favorite in the baking industry. But a negative campaign against saturated fats in general, and the tropical oils in particular, led to most food manufacturers abandoning coconut oil in recent years in favor of hydrogenated polyunsaturated oils that come from the main cash crops in the US, particularly soy, and contain trans fatty acids.
These polyunsaturated oils were not a big part of the diet of previous generations, so how has the health of Americans changed now that polyunsaturated oils are for the most part all one finds on supermarket shelves across the US?
We encourage you to take an honest look at the research presented on this website, and consider the "other side" of the story, whether it be coconut oil, saturated fats, or the new vegetable oils!


Coconut Oil: Why it is Good For You

by Lita Lee, Ph.D.
In this article, fats and oils are used interchangeably but in a strict sense, oil usually means liquid at room temperature and fat usually means solid at room temperature. However, coconut oil is solid at temperatures under 76 degrees F. So if you live at temperatures of 76 degrees F or more, coconut oil is liquid; if less than 76 degrees F, coconut oil is a fat.
Saturated fat - one that has a small degree of unsaturation or double bonds and tends to be more solid at room temperatures lower than 76 degrees F. Example: butter, coconut oil.
Monounsaturated oil - Contains some saturated fat but is largely oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated oil, which contains only one double bond. Example: Olive oil.
Polyunsaturated oils - poly means many, so this means that the fat has more than one double bond. Example: linoleic (omega-6) acid has two double bonds; alpha-linolenic (omega-3) acid has three double bonds; arachidonic acid has four double bonds.
The following information comes from the research of Ray Peat, Ph.D. and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. References are given where applicable.
I recommend only three types of fats to my clients: extra virgin olive oil, organic or, preferably raw butter, and organic coconut oil. Most people understand the first two but cringe at the thought of eating coconut oil. Here's why I recommend coconut oil to everyone.
Coconut oil has been used as cooking oil for thousands of years. Popular cookbooks advertised it at the end of the 19th century. Then came the anti-saturated fat campaign and the promotion of polyunsaturated fats, such as flaxseed, canola, soybean, safflower, corn, and other seed and nut oils plus their partially hydrogenated counterparts (margarine, "I can't believe it's not butter", etc.) as the way to go. Indeed, saturated fats have been supposedly causally linked to high cholesterol and heart disease, multiple sclerosis and other bad health conditions. I don't know how anyone came to this conclusion, since it would be hard to find a person in America who has a high saturated fat diet. Why? Because nearly all commercial foods, including bread, crackers, chips, dips, many candies, zero cholesterol coffee creamers, all mayonnaise and all salad dressings, many pastries and ice creams, most dietetic (for weight loss or diabetes) "foods", many cereals, and nearly all crunchy snacks contain either polyunsaturated or partially hydrogenated fats (which contain some margarine and some of the unsaturated fat mixed together). These foods are often advertised as healthy "all vegetarian," "no-cholesterol" foods. Even the so-called saturated fat in commercial meat is partly unsaturated because most cows are fed corn and soybeans, both of which contain unsaturated oils.
Are there any people who live on saturated fats who are healthy? Yes! People who live in tropical climates and who have a diet high in coconut oil are healthier, have less heart disease, cancer, colon problems and so on, than unsaturated fat eaters. Two such groups of people include those from Melanesia and the Yucatan. These people are slightly hyperthyroid because of the thyroid stimulating effects of coconut oil plus a diet which includes protein (fish) and adequate fruit (stimulates thyroid function).
Can you eat unsaturated fats and get away with it? It all depends. The Eskimos ate cold-water fish, high in unsaturated oils BUT they also ate the whole animal, including the animal head, brain, thyroid glands, etc. and got the hormones from these glandulars. This caused them to become hyperthyroid, 25% higher than Americans, and they were classified as "pathologically hyperthyroid" by standard medical definition.
However, this so-called pathological condition allowed them to burn the unsaturated fats in the foods they ate. If you are not an Eskimo and eat mainly an unsaturated fat diet, you may be in trouble.
Now you know why I wonder how anyone can associate high cholesterol or saturated fats with heart disease, multiple sclerosis or any disease. Over the past 40 years, Americans have increased their consumption of unsaturated fats and partially hydrogenated fats and have decreased their consumption of saturated fatty acids and butter. Lauric acid, the major fatty acid in coconut oil and breast milk, is rarely present in the American diet. Yet saturated fats are still being called the health culprits while grocery stores abound with many kinds of seed and nut oils. Many have been told that if the unsaturated oil is unprocessed, it is safe. This is untrue. The harmful effects of unsaturated oil lie in their unsaturation, or the presence of many double bonds, which are very labile and easily peroxidized (become rancid inside the body). Details of this are given in the report on unsaturated oils.
Here is a summary of the health benefits of coconut oil. In general, coconut oil stimulates thyroid function and has wonderful antiseptic properties.

The Stability of Coconut Oil

Unsaturated oils in cooked foods become rancid in just a few hours, even in the refrigerator, one reason for the "stale" taste of leftovers. However, according to Peat, eating fresh unsaturated fats is even worse, because once inside the body, they will oxidize (turn rancid) very rapidly due to being heated and mixed with oxygen. Not so with coconut oil. Even after one year at room temperature, coconut oil shows no evidence of rancidity even though it contains 9% linoleic (omega - 6) polyunsaturated acid. Peat theorizes that coconut oil may have antioxidant properties, since the oil doesn't turn rancid and since it reduces our need for vitamin E, whereas unsaturated oils deplete vitamin E.
Thyroid-Stimulating , Anti-Aging Effects of Coconut Oil

Many researchers have reported that coconut oil lowers cholesterol (Blackburn et al 1988, Ahrens and colleagues, 1957). In 1981, Prior et al. showed that islanders with a diet high in coconut oil showed no harmful health effects. When these groups migrated to New Zealand and lowered their daily coconut oil intake, their total cholesterol and especially their LDL cholesterol - the so-called evil one - increased. The cholesterol- lowering properties of coconut oil are a direct result of its ability to stimulate thyroid function. In the presence of adequate thyroid hormone, cholesterol (specifically LDL-cholesterol) is converted by enzymatic processes to the vitally necessary anti-aging steroids, pregnenolone, progesterone and DHEA. These substances are required to help prevent heart disease, senility, obesity, cancer and other diseases associated with aging and chronic degenerative diseases.
Weight Loss Stimulating Properties of Coconut Oil - a Direct Result of Thyroid Stimulation

In the 1940's farmers tried coconut oil to fatten their animals but discovered that it made them lean and active and increased their appetite. Whoops! Then they tried an anti-thyroid drug. It made the livestock fat with less food but was found to be a carcinogen (cancer causing drug). In the late 1940's, it was found that the same anti-thyroid effect could be achieved by simply feeding animals soybeans and corn.
Anti-Cancer Effects of Coconut Oil

In 1987 Lim-Sylianco published a 50-year literature review showing the anti-cancer effects of coconut oil. In chemically induced cancers of the colon and breast, coconut oil was by far more protective than unsaturated oils. For example 32% of corn oil eaters got colon cancer whereas only 3% of coconut oil eaters got the cancer. Animals fed unsaturated oils had more tumors. This shows the thyroid-suppressive and hence, immuno-suppressive effect of unsaturated oils. (Cohen et al. 1986).
When Albert Schweitzer operated his clinic in tropical Africa, he said that it was many years before he saw a single case of cancer. He believed that the appearance of cancer was caused by introduction of the European diet to the Africans. Many studies since the 1920's have shown an association between consumption of unsaturated oils and the incidence of cancer.
Antimicrobial (Antiseptic) Effects of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids such as lauric (C-12), caprylic (C-10) and myristic (C-14) acids. Of these three, coconut oil contains 40% lauric acid, which has the greater anti-viral activity of these three fatty acids. Lauric acid is so disease fighting that it is present in breast milk. The body converts lauric acid to a fatty acid derivative (monolaurin) , which is the substance that protects infants from viral, bacterial or protozoal infections. This was recognized and reported in 1966 (Jon Kabara). Work by Hierholzer and Kabara (1982) showed that monolaurin has virucidal effects on RNA and DNA viruses, which are surrounded by a lipid membrane. In addition to these RNA and DNA viruses, in 1978, Kabara and others reported that certain medium chain fatty acids, such as lauric acid have adverse effects on other pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, yeast and fungi. These fatty acids and their derivatives actually disrupt the lipid membranes of the organisms and thus inactivate them (Isaacs and Thormar 1991; Isaacs et al. 1992). This deactivation process also occurs in human and bovine milk when fatty acids are added to them (Isaacs et al. 1991).

Here are two of my coconut oil salad dressing recipes:
Lita's Ranch Salad Dressing

One egg
4 tbsp cider vinegar (try 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or 4 tbsp of rice vinegar)
1/2-tsp salt
1/2-tsp dry mustard
Spike or other seasoning to taste
Add the above ingredients to your blender. Then very slowly dribble into blender one cup of oil consisting of about 3/4-cup coconut oil (melted and cooled) plus 1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil to the blender and blend till smooth. (The more coconut oil, the thicker the dressing). (If oil added too fast, or oil is too hot, mixture will curdle).
Then add the following ingredients to the mayonnaise you just made to make a thick and creamy Ranch dressing that can be uses as a substitute for mayonnaise:
1-1/4 cup buttermilk
4-6 tbsp or so sour cream, cream cheese or honey yogurt
Onion flakes to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt
Juice of one lemon
Spike to taste or other seasoning
Black pepper
Parsley flakes
Blend until smooth. Refrigerate. This dressing will thicken as it cools. You can use it instead of mayonnaise and can dilute it with more buttermilk if you want a thinner Ranch dressing. If this tastes too tart, add a little honey.
Other suggestions for using coconut oil in your diet:
1) When you make pastries, substitute 50% coconut oil for whatever fat is recommended, hopefully butter.
2) When you fry or sauté eggs, fish, veggies or whatever, toss in some coconut oil. Add butter or olive oil you wish, for flavor.
Coconut oil ice cream also Delicious ! You Can Try !

What Coconut Oil DOES NOT Do:

* Does not increase blood cholesterol level.
* Does not promote platelet stickiness or blood clot formation.
* Does not contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease.
* Does not contribute to weight problems.

What Coconut Oil DOES Do:

* Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses.
* Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions.
* Helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal (including yeast) infections.
* Supports immune system function.
* Helps control diabetes.
* Provides an immediate source of energy.
* Supports healthy metabolic function.
* Improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
* Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health.
* Supplies fewer calories than other fats.
* Promotes weight loss.
* Helps prevent osteoporosis.
* Has a mild delicate flavor.
* Is highly resistant to spoilage (long shelf life).
* Is heat resistant (the healthiest oil for cooking).
* Helps keep skin soft and smooth.
* Helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.
* Helps protect against skin cancer and other blemishes.
* Functions as a protective antioxidant."

Why do some say that coconut oil is bad for you?

Tropical oils were very popular in the US food industry prior to World War II. The US is the largest exporter of soybeans. The well oiled marketing machinery funded by the soy bean and corn industry and supported by the American Heart Association was committed to change the American Diet, calling among others, for the substitution of saturated fats for polyunsaturates. The Prudent Diet, as it was called, left a legacy which still haunts us today. 40 years on, this conceptual change in the eating habits of Americans has negatively influenced and changed the dietary regimes of societies all around the world that were initially not even affected by America's particular meat, potato and milk diet. So determined was the pursuit of the American industries in converting their claims into magnificent billboards of health and wealth that even small island nations in the South Pacific were converted by this powerful marketing machine to change centuries of dietary traditions of tropical oils to importing polyunsaturated fats. Today heart disease is still on the increase and obesity, linked to the “new” American diet, is a major social problem worldwide that has governments worried about the health care cost of future generations. The U.K. and Australia unfortunately, are racing to catch up to their allies with a large percentage of the population being defined as overweight.
Studies were done to show that coconut oil, and all saturated fats, were bad for one's health because they raised serum cholesterol levels. However, these studies were done on hydrogenated coconut oil, and all hydrogenated oils produce higher serum cholesterol levels, whether they are saturated or not. Recent research shows that it is the presence of trans fatty acids that causes health problems, as they are fatty acid chains that have been altered from their original form in nature by the oil refining process.

Although many studies at the time had also shown research to the contrary, the mud stuck and by the mid 60’s the reputation of all saturated oils in America had been destroyed. This reputation later extended to the rest of the western world.

Lauric Acid (found in coconut oil) is necessary for good health says Dr. Mary Enig, a Ph.D. nutritionist/ biochemist and one of the world’s leading authorities on fats and oils.

She states, “Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid."


Candida and Virgin Coconut Oil

When people take antibiotics, the good bacteria are often killed along with the disease-causing ones. This leaves yeast, such as Candida which is not affected by antibiotics, to grow unrestrained, proliferating and overrunning the intestinal tract. The consequence is a yeast overgrowth or infection. Such infections can last for years causing a wide variety of symptoms ranging from headaches to digestive problems. Often people have systemic candida infections without even knowing it. This is why antifungal medications or probiotics should be taken whenever antibiotics are used. A probiotic supports the growth of friendly bacteria but not the disease-causing kind.
One of the good things about lauric acid in virgin coconut oil is that it kills lipid-coated bacteria but does not appear to harm the friendly intestinal bacteria. The MCFA (medium chain fatty acids) in coconut oil also have antifungal properties so not only will they kill disease-causing bacteria and leave good bacteria alone, they will also kill candida and other fungi in the intestinal tract, further supporting a healthy intestinal environment.

How is it useful for hair?
·Coconut Oil works as a wonderful conditioner for hair. It makes the hair soft and conditions the scalp. It’s even useful in getting rid of dandruff better than a medicated shampoo, when used as a pre-wash conditioner.
·Coconut oil makes the hair shiny and helps in the healthy growth of hair. This gives the best natural nutrition for hair. Regular massage of the scalp with coconut oil helps in getting rid of dandruff, lice, dryness etc.
·Apply coconut oil to your scalp to get protection from the harmful and drying effects of the ultra violet rays, when going out in the hot sun.
·Coconut oil, for its benefits to the hair, has been used for thousands of years by the people around the world. Hair remains soft and shiny if a small amount of coconut oil is applied on a regular basis.
·Coconut oil quickly gets absorbed into the hair shaft to replace the missing natural oils.
How to apply Coconut Oil for Hair?
·I read a lot about applying coconut oil to wet hair, where it works the best. It was suggested to apply the oil right after getting out of the shower and when the hair is not that dripping, just damp.
·But the method that works for me the best, is applying warm coconut oil an hour before taking a shower and washing it off with a good shampoo. My hair becomes so shiny after that. You can try whatever method suits you.
·And I apply oil once in three days to keep it soft and shiny. With that my hair falling has also reduced to a considerable extent.
·Run your fingers through the hair evenly and rub coconut oil into the hair. You may want to use a comb to distribute the oil thorough the hair, which is also fine.

What are the other uses of Coconut Oil?
·Mix coconut oil and lemon juice in 2:1 ratio and massage into the roots of the hair to get rid of dandruff.
·When freshly grated coconut meal is applied to hair and washed after some time, it works as a conditioner for the hair.
·When a mixture of coconut oil and almond oil (a little bit) is applied to the hair and massaged into the scalp gently for at least 10 to 15 minutes every day, it cools down the scalp and gives shininess to the hair.

Effects of Coconut Oil on Serum Cholesterol Levels and HDLs

Mary Enig Ph.D.

The following article is taken from Report 14, Keep Hope Alive.
Dr. Mary Enig MS (Nutritional Sciences), Ph.D. did original research that showed a positive link between vegetable oil and cancer and a negative correlation for animal fat. She originated comprehensive analysis of transfatty acid components of over 200 foods. transfatty acids are formed when vegetable oils are hydrogenated or heated to high temperatures. With high temperatures, transfatty acids are fats that are twisted, which alter their natural "cis" shape. She studied how the transfatty acids from foods affected the liver's mixed function oxidase enzyme system that metabolizes drugs and environmental pollutants in the body. An important finding of this latter study was that laboratory animals fed experimental diets containing transfatty acids have altered activity of this enzyme system. These results were partly responsible for the review of the "Health Aspects of Dietary transfatty Acids" held by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Life Sciences Research Office, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration. Mary Enig has had 17 articles published in scientific journals since 1976. In 1986, she was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the "State Advisory Council on Nutrition." She was contributing editor to "Clinical Nutrition" magazine and consulting editor for the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition." She has given over 50 seminars and lectures on since 1979 on foods and nutrition topics.
In an article published in the Indian Coconut Journal, Sept., 1995, Dr. Enig stated that "Ancel Keys is largely responsible for starting the anti-saturated fat agenda in the United States." She quoted Keys as saying that "All fats raise serum cholesterol; saturated fats raise and polyunsaturated fats lower serum cholesterol; Hydrogenated fats are the problem; Animal fats are the problem." Enig stated: "As can be seen, his findings were inconsistent."
Enig also stated: "The problems for coconut oil started four decades ago when researchers fed animals hydrogenated coconut oil that was purposely altered to make it completely devoid of any essential fatty acids... The animals fed the hydrogenated coconut oil (as the only fat source) naturally became essential fatty acid deficient; their serum cholesterol increased. Diets that cause an essential fatty acid deficiency always produce an increase in serum cholesterol levels as well as in increase in the atherosclerotic indices. The same effect has also been seen when other ...highly hydrogenated oils such as cottonseed, soybean or corn oils have been fed; so it is clearly a function of the hydrogenated products, either because the oil is essential fatty acid (EFA) deficient or because of transfatty acids."
What about studies where animals were fed unprocessed coconut oil? Enig wrote: "Hostmark et al (1980) compared the effects of diets containing 10% coconut oil and 10% sunflower oil on lipoprotein distribution in male Wistar rats. Coconut oil feeding produced significantly lower levels (p=0.05) of pre-beta lipoproteins (VLDL) and significantly higher (p=<0.01) alpha-lipoproteins (HDL) relative to sunflower feeding." (Editor's note: HDLs are considered the good cholesterol as they prevent deposits of LDL cholesterol on artery walls.) She also cited a study by Awad (1981) on Wistar rats fed a diet of either 14% (natural) coconut oil or 14% safflower oil. She stated:"Total tissue cholesterol accumulation for animals on the safflower diet was six times greater than for animals fed the [unhydrogenated] coconut oil. A conclusion that can be drawn from some of the animal research is that feeding hydrogenated coconut oil devoid of essential fatty acids (EFA) ...potentate the formation of atherosclerosis markers. It is of note that animals fed regular coconut oil have less cholesterol deposited in their livers and other parts of their bodies." Enig also referred to epidemiological studies done by Kaunitz and Dayrit (1992) on coconut eating societies who found that "available population studies show that dietary coconut oil does not lead to high serum cholesterol nor to high coronary heart disease.." It is noteworthy that hydrogenated coconut oil was not consumed by these coconut eating societies; they only consumed natural coconut oil.
Kaunitz and Dayrit noted in 1989 that Mendis et al reported when Sri Lankan males were changed from their normal diet of natural coconut oil to corn oil, their LDL cholesterol declined 23.8% which is good news, but their HDL cholesterol declined 41.4% which is bad news. This created a more unfavorable LDL/HDL ratio meaning that on the corn oil diet there would be more cholesterol depositing on the artery walls than on the coconut oil diet. In plain English, a diet using liquid corn oil will lead to cholesterol deposits faster than a diet using natural coconut oil. Natural coconut oil, by increasing the good HDL cholesterol, may help prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease. Enig cited several other studies in her article that showed that natural coconut oil (not hydrogenated coconut oil) had health benefits markers indicating that coconut oil was more beneficial in preventing heart disease than most vegetable oils. Enig also cited the research of Tholstrup et al (1994) on natural (NOT hydrogenated) palm kernel oil which is high in lauric acid and also contains myristic acid. Tholstrup found that with palm kernel oil, "HDL cholesterol levels increased significantly from baseline values."
Enig reported in her article that the effects of coconut oil on persons with low cholesterol levels was the opposite of persons with high cholesterol levels. Of persons with low total cholesterol counts, she wrote that "there may be a rising of serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and especially HDL cholesterol." In persons with high cholesterol levels, "there is lowering of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol." The studies she cited showed that in both groups the LDL/HDL ratio moved in a favorable direction. In persons with AIDS or immune-compromised from other causes, the conclusions of this research are profound. It means everything the public has been told about vegetable oils on television for the past 15 years has been half truths and leading the public to the wrong conclusions. The public has been led to believe that tropicals will clog your arteries and cause heart disease. In fact, the opposite is true; natural tropical oils will help prevent hardening of the arteries while most liquid vegetable oils will increase hardening of the arteries! In a phone call to Mary Enig in April, 1997, she told me that the worst oil to use for any purpose is Canola oil. When used in cooking, it produces the very high levels of transfatty acids.

good work. I was googling to find out how good coconut oil is for cooking and your post had some valuable info.
wonder why the post went unnoticed..no responses...

Hi Reshmi

Pleasure seeing you here. Firstly it is a long article and I did not think many would have the patience to read through the whole lot. Seeing the benefits of coconut oil, I could not help myself from posting the information and share with all. I suppose when the need arises for one, we somehow find the time and patience to read through it all or just the information that we are looking for. I hope the information helps many like you.

Thank you.

thanks for the article....it was quite helpful to me!