The Truth About Coconut Oil

You’ve no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer’s have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?^[1]

Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals. But I’m going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren’t telling you. The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.

The operative word here is “created,” because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits. The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.

These unsaturated fats, artificially manipulated into saturated fats, are also called trans fats, and no doubt you’ve heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.

And guess what? These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as “healthy” and “heart-friendly” for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Annamaria R.

2:01AM PDT on May 16, 2013

thank you very much

May 16
send a green star

Richard H.

1:43AM PDT on May 15, 2013

Hate the taste of coconut....

May 15
send a green star

Tania N.

1:15AM PDT on May 15, 2013

thanks for th info. buit it's true, coconut oil is not suitable for all people.

Gina G.

1:47PM PDT on May 13, 2013

Vee s Cholesterol is only in animal products fish included. But Saturated fats occur in coconut oil, avocados and probably something else I can't think of now. All fats will raise cholesterol but one hopes that the HDL, LDL and triglycerides will be balance. It is all in the break down of the components of Cholesterol in the blood. Ask your doctor.

May 13
send a green star

1:38PM PDT on May 13, 2013

A little coconut oil in the diet is nice and I use it at times, nice flavour but you can't go and load up on coconut oil and not cut out all the junk food you are eating and drinking and expect to lose weight and have your cholesterol lowered. It is not a magic bullet. And personally I think you should go easy on it. Also the "dentist" didn't mention that those island people ate a very limited diet. He quotes them as eating a lot of pork as there were pigs on the islands but they rarely ate them. Fish yes, before it was polluted was good. Eggs in the spring, probably - but mainly fruits and veg. They had no access to all the rubbish that is eaten today.

There is no magic bullet to health, it is eating real food, large variety of veg, fruits and beans. And getting plenty of exercise.

Kathleen C.

8:31AM PDT on May 13, 2013

Thanks

John D.

3:57AM PDT on May 13, 2013

Ho hum! Another native diet chock full of "bad" stuff results in a healthy population. No mention that these natives, especially in the 1930's, were leading very active lives. My great-grandfather lived into his late 90's, despite eating a diet laden with lard, sausage, cured meats (mostly ham and bacon)eggs, and lots of salt. He also had a working farm, which he tended by hand every day until he was past 70. Activity is more of a key than what is going in.

Shelby D.

6:53PM PDT on May 4, 2013

This is a great article and I'm very impressed by the insight and knowledge behind it (this is the first article on here I've read with actual references!). I just have one big question before I commit to it: is it sustainable?

Are coconuts easy and fast to grow and reproduce, like bamboo? In harvesting and creating coconut oil, are forests and animal habitats destroyed, like in the palm oil business in Malaysia and soy in the Amazon? Will the growth of the coconut oil franchise itself become financially untenable in the native communities its used most in, like with quinoa in Bolivia?

I don't mean to be rude or poke holes in anyone's dream bubbles, believe me I've had that happen enough to me myself; I just want to be sure that along with being a great health and cooking alternative for many conventional items, that its ecologically sound and a truly sustainable system before I jump right on the bandwagon.

If anyone has answers to my questions I am more than willing to hear about them!

May 4
send a green star

vee s.

3:12PM PDT on May 3, 2013

Marianne - this is strange, The coconut oil I have is clearly labelled "cholesterol 0% " It may be that there is no connection at all.

I too have just been told my Cholesterol is above "normal" (whatever that is !) and have been given diet advice. This diet advice is to all intents and purposes exactly the diet I am already following. So if this diet is supposed to reduce Cholesterol it is clearly a duff diet FOR THAT PURPOSE. ....Doctors have a pathological imperative to reduce people's Cholesterol at all costs; and the costs for some folk are dire. It is a natural substance produced by the body for a purpose, and seeking to get it down artificially does not seem to me to be sensible.

I urge you to read up on the subject, and if you feel the need try Sea Buckthorn which purports to reduce cholesterol naturally.