Coconut Oil

November 30, 2003

>

> It's very hard to know Bruce,

>

> The story changes all the time! Don't eat this oil or

> don't eat that oil, but oil is also good for us

> because of the omega 3, 6 and 9 in them. I just try

> really hard to stay away from the hydrogenated and

> patially hydrogenated oils, because they are supposed

> to be the worst to ingest. Thanks for the information,

> I will need to read a bit more about oils to figure

> out which ones to use. I still use the olive oil and

> flax oil for food that's already been cooked... but I

> am going to have to find something new to fry with. I

> was told that people with dairy allergies, rarely have

> reactions to butter *strange* Do you know of another

> place I can get coconut other than the Internet?

> Thanks!

>

> *8-)

Hi ,

Where you're wrong is that the story has never changed, certain oils are

bad for you. The research has always said that. Research, however, does

not spend a lot of money on advertising.

What happened was, the Heart and Stroke Foundation was launched with the

help of Big Pharmacy, with a mind to sell heart and stroke drugs. They

started disseminating incorrect information in thir brochures and media

quotes about oils to eat (to get us sick and sell more drugs), and the

seed oils industry quickly got on board and said " yeah, what they said,

eat our oils " . In fact, the research has NEVER backed up the story.

Always remember, this is not an impartial body - it's using it's quasi-

authoritative clout to undermine our health, and this information, which

has snowed two generations, is responsible for millions of deaths.

On my coconut oil page there's a link to a document called " The Oiling Of

America " by the top oils researcher, Enig. This is written so

laypersons can understand it, and it's full of references. If you prefer

something more scientific but still easy to read, try " Know Your Fats " by

the same author.

There's also a chart of some common food oils that shows just how much

free radical production there is in these oils. Long-lived mammals raised

on saturated fats live longer than those raised on unsaturated oils.

Supplementing with products that contain omega-6 is counterproductive. We

get too much omega-6 in our food already.

Allergies to dairy are usually to casein, and sensitivities to lactose.

Both are in milk products, except butter and to a lesser extent, whey.

That's why people don't usually react to butter or whey.

Duncan Crow

http://members.shaw.ca/duncancrow/

December 3, 2003

Coconut oil I believe to be one of the healthiest fats in this world,

holding its own against animal fat, which no other vegetable oil can even

stand in the ring with.

But I'm curious why your looking for a flavorless and " safe " oil?

-Terry

Coconut Oil and Weil

> Weil is from the school of thought that saturated fats are bad, and

> cholesterol is to be avoided. I have read several of his books,

> even bought a cookbook of his (bombed).

>

> There is ample documentation in favor of coconut oil. Dr.

> Enig, with considerable experience and a long list of abbreviations

> after her name, has written strong and long about coconut oil. I'm

> sorry to see Weil write this; it is so easy to verify the benefits

> of coconut oil. westonaprice.org is a great place to start; there

> are many others.

>

> There are about 5800 people on the " coconut oil " egroup that supply

> testimonials daily on the benefits of coconut oil. My own

> testimonial? I have only been using it for about 2 months, and that

> only in smoothies and occasional baking. I lost 5 pounds without

> noticing. I love the taste. Cravings for sugar and carbs

> evaporate. That's probably what I like best about it.

>

> Initially, I really noticed an increase in energy, but lately, that

> has levelled off. After about a week of use, there was a period of

> detox, where I felt mildly achey and tired, which lasted about 3

> days. I also use it on my skin, and like the results. I have not

> ever used the recommended amount (3 1/2 TBLSP / day), because it is

> very pricey, and I mostly got it for my kids (and my dogs, recently

> switched to raw food) who I suspect have at least some candida

> overgrowth. Plus, although it is heavenly in the smoothies, coconut

> flavor does not go with a lot of the stuff I cook. (I am still

> looking, though!) I too would like to buy the cold pressed, (I

> think that is the kind that is flavorless, but still safe?)

>

> It contains about 50% lauric acid, which is also well documented to

> kill/inhibit a variety of bacteria, fungus and viruses (virii?). If

> you put it on a pimple or a sore scratch, it heals quickly. It is

> known to help hypothyroidism, and fight candida albicans, herpes,

> even AIDS patients report better immune system response. Though I

> don't know of any multi-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled

> clinical studies conducted on humans, I think I read that some are

> in progress, and I know there have been some conducted on rats.

>

> The clinical evidence for the oil (but there is lots for lauric

> acid) may be sparse, but if you buy into Nourishing Traditions, and

> the Weston A Price " I know it when I see it " dictum (Seeing is

> believing!), then you ought to give it a try. Contrary to most of

> the supplements I've tried, coconut oil delivers results in short

> order. I noticed it the first hour. So far, I'm sold.

>

> Whew, sorry to be so long-winded. I get going, and can't stop!

>

> -Blair

>

December 4, 2003

Well... I don't know about for eating/cooking, although I will be looking

into it ).

I buy it in 50 gallon tubs for soapmaking (which I haven't had the energy to

do in months), and it works quite well for that .

coconut oil

from dr.weil.com

I would like your input on virgin coconut oil. I have been reading that it

is very good for you and has been getting a bad rap.

-- Jo Anne Simers

Today's Answer

(Published 12/02/2003)

Coconut oil is one of the few saturated fats that doesn't come from animals,

but like other saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels and, therefore,

should play only a very limited role, if any, in your diet. In the past, it

was widely used in movie popcorn, candy bars and commercial baked goods but

was phased out of many of them during the past decade because of consumer

opposition to unhealthy tropical oils.

Now coconut oil is being promoted on the Internet as a weight loss aid; it

is also featured in a popular book by a naturopathic doctor. The rationale

goes something like this: as a source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT)

coconut oil isn't stored in the body as fat as readily as oils composed of

long-chain triglycerides (LCT). Some research from McGill University in

Canada suggests that this is true; MCTs also boost metabolism and satiety,

and therefore may promote weight loss when they replace LCTs in the diet.

Because they are so easily digested, MCTs' are given in hospitals to provide

nourishment for critically ill people who have trouble digesting fat.

Promoters also note that coconut oil is high in lauric acid and contains

trace amounts of caprylic acid, both of which appear to have antiviral and

antifungal properties, and support immune function. Lauric acid is actually

present in breast milk; infants convert it to a substance called monolaurin

that protects them from infections. These two fatty acids and their effects

on health are being studied, but for now, we don't have any evidence

suggesting that coconut oil is better for you than other saturated fats. The

benefits of coconut oil in the diet, if any, are likely to be minimal, and

until we have more and better evidence about coconut oil's effect of

metabolism and potential role in promoting weight loss, I do not recommend

using it.

Weil, M.D.

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December 8, 2003

I've been taking coconut oil for about six months, maybe seven. My advice is

that if you aren't losing weight, it would be better to get your thyroid

medication increased. I have not noticed any of the touted benefits of coconut

oil. Also remember if using it for weight loss that it has a lot of calories

(if you're watching calories) and you can sabotage your own weight loss program

with just a little bit of it. Since I have been using coconut oil, my

temperature has dropped to the 97's and I have not been able to lose weight even

though I am sticking to Atkins pretty strictly. So, I'm pursuing increasing my

thyroid dosage.

Coconut oil IS good for you, in that it is a source of Omega 3 oils that are

helpful to the thyroid as well as the rest of the body. It is useful to

maintain proper metabolism. It is not, unfortunately, the magical cure that

people selling it claim it is.

carolyneswanson <carolyneswanson@...> wrote:

i've started taking coconut oil to promote weight loss. a serving

size on the bottle is 4000mg from emerald labrotories. does any one

have any information on this or if this works. i'm taking .150

synthroid and am feeling a bit better than i have

December 8, 2003

I think Weil is wrong, especially in the belief that we should avoid

all saturated fats. Humans have always consumed saturated fats. I was

just reading that the Pilgrims brought barrels of preserved salted butter to

America with them, and traded butter to the Indians, who were most fond of

butter and beer. For another view on fats, see http://www.westonaprice.org

Gracia

> from dr.weil.com

>

> I would like your input on virgin coconut oil. I have been reading that it

> is very good for you and has been getting a bad rap.

>

> -- Jo Anne Simers

>

> Today's Answer

> (Published 12/02/2003)

> Coconut oil is one of the few saturated fats that doesn't come from

animals,

> but like other saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels and, therefore,

> should play only a very limited role, if any, in your diet. In the past,

it

> was widely used in movie popcorn, candy bars and commercial baked goods

but

> was phased out of many of them during the past decade because of consumer

> opposition to unhealthy tropical oils.

>

> Now coconut oil is being promoted on the Internet as a weight loss aid; it

> is also featured in a popular book by a naturopathic doctor. The rationale

> goes something like this: as a source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT)

> coconut oil isn't stored in the body as fat as readily as oils composed of

> long-chain triglycerides (LCT). Some research from McGill University in

> Canada suggests that this is true; MCTs also boost metabolism and satiety,

> and therefore may promote weight loss when they replace LCTs in the diet.

> Because they are so easily digested, MCTs' are given in hospitals to

provide

> nourishment for critically ill people who have trouble digesting fat.

>

> Promoters also note that coconut oil is high in lauric acid and contains

> trace amounts of caprylic acid, both of which appear to have antiviral and

> antifungal properties, and support immune function. Lauric acid is

actually

> present in breast milk; infants convert it to a substance called

monolaurin

> that protects them from infections. These two fatty acids and their

effects

> on health are being studied, but for now, we don't have any evidence

> suggesting that coconut oil is better for you than other saturated fats.

The

> benefits of coconut oil in the diet, if any, are likely to be minimal, and

> until we have more and better evidence about coconut oil's effect of

> metabolism and potential role in promoting weight loss, I do not recommend

> using it.

>

> Weil, M.D.

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Take advantage of our best MSN Dial-up offer of the year - six months

> @$9.95/month. Sign up now! http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup

>

December 8, 2003

,

You wrote:

>I've been taking coconut oil for about six months, maybe seven. ...

>

Me too.

>... I have not noticed any of the touted benefits of coconut oil.

>

Me either, but I suppose there could still be very subtle effects. The

dose recommended for Carolyne was 4,000 mg. That's just 4 g, less than a

teaspoonful. That's about what I have been using.

>... Coconut oil IS good for you, in that it is a source of Omega 3 oils that

are helpful to the thyroid as well as the rest of the body. ...

>

You might be thinking of fish or flax oil, which do contain omega-3

oils. Coconut oil contains medium length saturated fats, which are

reputed to help the effectiveness of omega-3 oils in kidney function in

cholesterol sensitive rats. The only human study I am aware of, showed

that _hydrogenated_ ultra-saturated coconut oil caused a rise in total

serum cholesterol. All the other claims are based on speculation or

extrapolation. That was enough for me to try it ... once. However, this

list does not even seem to be able to generate anecdotal evidence. That

makes me even more skeptical about the claims of it preventing oxidation

or racemization of lipids in vivo.

Also, shop around. Some of the prices out there are truly outrageous.

Chuck

December 8, 2003

Hmmm...I was told that it did contain Omega 3. I'm glad you can correct that.

I've been trying a tablespoonful a day while keeping my thryoid medication and

diet, and everything else, constant except for the addition of coconut oil. I

have also been taking my temperature several times a day. I don't feel more

energetic, and my temperature is not rising during the periods when I take the

coconut oil. When I have stopped using it, there is also no effect or change.

I think all it does is add calories. I have noticed that many of the sites say

you have to buy a particular kind of coconut oill, virgin coconut oil or

whatnot, and that no others will work. As you say, many of these are very high

in price. It's a pretty common snake-oil practice, as well, when it is reported

that something doesn't work, to claim that it's not the *exact* special right

perfect product, with, of course, that one costing a great deal more.

I have not seen any anecdotal evidence that coconut oil works, except on a

couple of Atkins groups where people who were stalled in weight loss (with

normal metabolisms, no thyroid disorder) added coconut oil and began losing

again. Atkins works best when the fat intake is high, though, and that is

probably why that worked for these people.

Interestingly enough, I have found that increasing the amount of thyroid hormone

taken does appear to boost the immune system.

Last year, I spent a lot of money on supplements, none of which worked. I was

getting a run-around by my HMO doctor, but I realized if I took all the money I

had spent on supplements, I could afford a better health plan with the savings.

In January, I am going to visit one of the top docs from Shomon's list, a

local endocrinologist who also has Hashimoto's.

Chuck Blatchley <cblatchl@...> wrote: