Coconut Oil...it kinda rocks!

Coconut oil has had a bad rap and that is so sad because it really is good for you, it's a good oil, it's one of the good guys. Take some politics and a little bit of misunderstanding and it was almost eliminated from our general food source in the 80s. Nutritional historians (if there is such a thing) will be talking about the injustice of coconut oil in years to come.  Just remember you read it here first!

What we now know is that not all saturated fats are the same and the fats in coconut oil are not the villains we were led to believe they were. The truth lies in the length of the saturated fats; medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) are not metabolized the same as long chain fatty acids.  In a few days of passive research I have found only good articles about MCFA in relation to coconut oil nutrition.  I find that quite revealing, because if you do a search on agave sweetener you get a mixed list of articles claiming it is the sweetener if choice because it is low glycemic and a bunch of articles claiming it is the same (if not worse) than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  I may write a blog post about "higher than HFCS agave" in the future, but for now I'm all about coconut oil. In fact the more I read about the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil the more I want to shout out their virtues to the world!

I haven't tried to rewrite and summarize the words of good research writers and scientists, in this blog post I tried to provide a collection of articles and paragraphs that I found informative, fascinating and downright uplifting.  For the few days this post sat in my blog draft list I was overcome with a strange feeling of enthusiasm and joy, as if I had just discovered a cure for cancer, Alzheimer's and anti-aging all at once. This knowledge has empowered me, I truly believe the science and chemistry I have read recently will influence me for the rest of my life.

I know, I'm sounding like a religious coconut freak, so if you read only one article on coconut oil, please read this one by Dr Mary Newport and her husband - http://coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDiseaseDrMaryNewport.pdf  

It's a fact that coconut oil is high in saturated fat...we assumed that meant it was bad for us and would clog our arteries....so we stopped using it.

Audrey Kunin, M.D. had the same concern about the saturated fat content of coconut oil; http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/audrey-kunin-md/going-nuts-about-coconut-oil "I have avoided one of my favorite food sources due to my concern that it was high in "bad" fat. Warned about the high levels of saturated fat found in coconut oils, I sadly said goodbye to coconut milk-based sauces, macaroons, piña  coladas and Mounds bars. My palate protested the unfairness of a plant saturated with saturated fat!" 

However on further investigation Dr Kunin found that there is very good information out there to suggest we should all be eating more coconut oil!

"I discovered that my general health concerns about using either coconut or coconut oil in my recipes was unfounded. Coconut oil is composed of an unusual medium chain fatty acid. These fats don't wreak the havoc on the cardiovascular system that its saturated-fat cousins cause." 

The most ironic thing is coconut oil may be The Healthiest Oil on Earth says Dr Ray Peat.  He also has an excellent article here Coconut Oil and Its Virtues  - I have pasted my favorite paragraph here; 

"When I first used coconut oil I saw an immediate response, that convinced me my metabolism was chronically inhibited by something that was easily alleviated by "dilution" or molecular competition.  I had put a tablespoonful of coconut oil on some rice I had for supper, and half an hour later while I was reading, I noticed I was breathing more deeply than' normal.  I saw that my skin was pink, and I found that my pulse was faster than normal--about 98, 1 think.  After an hour or two, my pulse and breathing returned to normal.  Every day for a couple of weeks I noticed the same response while I was digesting a small amount of coconut oil, but gradually it didn't happen any more, and I increased my daily consumption of the oil to about an ounce.  I kept eating the same foods as before (including a quart of ice cream every day), except that I added about 200 or 250 calories per day as coconut oil.  Apparently the metabolic surges that happened at first were an indication that my body was compensating for an anti-thyroid substance by producing more thyroid hormone;  when the coconut oil relieved the inhibition, I experienced a moment of slight hyperthyroidism, but after a time the inhibitor became less effective, and my body adjusted by producing slightly less thyroid hormone.  But over the next few months, I saw that my weight was slowly and consistently decreasing.  It had been steady at 185 pounds for 25 years, but over a period of six months it dropped to about 175 pounds.  I found that eating more coconut oil lowered my weight another few pounds, and eating less caused it to increase."

If that doesn't convince you check out this from Oprah's doctor Dr Oz.

Photo of So Delicious coconut milk carton

 Coconut Oil Super Powers | The Dr. Oz Show

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/coconut-oil-super-powers-pt-1
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/coconut-oil-super-powers-pt-2 

Dr. Oz reveals the 3 most powerful health benefits of this tropical oil. Learn how it can help you lose weight, treat skin conditions and ulcers. 

Below I pasted more of the amazing benefits of coconut oil from this article; http://www.coconutoil-online.com/Medium_Chain_Triglycerides.html (MCT)

"Digestion and Nutrient Absorption
The digestive health advantages of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) over long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) are due to the differences in the way our bodies metabolize these fats. Because the MCFA molecules are smaller, they require less energy and fewer enzymes to break them down for digestion. They are digested and absorbed quickly and with minimal effort.
Metabolism and Energy  
The fact that MCFA digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism has led athletes to use them as a means to enhance exercise performance. Studies indicate this may be true.
Nature's Perfect Food in Nature's Nectar  
An important component of breast milk is medium-chain fatty acids, principally lauric acid. Lauric acid is also the primary saturated fatty acid found in coconut oil. Apparently nature thought it essential to the baby's health to include it."

Some of the important reasons medium-chain fatty acids are included in milk are improved nutrient absorption and digestive function. As noted earlier, pancreatic enzymes aren't even necessary to digest them. They also help to regulate blood sugar levels. Another very important function is that medium-chain fatty acids protect the baby from harmful microorganisms. The baby's immature immune system is supported by the antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties of these vital fatty acids. In fact, without these unique saturated fats, the baby would probably not survive long. It would become malnourished and highly susceptible to a myriad of infectious diseases."

Another good list of Coconut Oil sites is listed here http://www.coconutoil.com/research.htm It is where I found my holy grail of articles by Dr Mary Newport; http://coconutoil.com/AlzheimersDiseaseDrMaryNewport.pdf  This article almost brought me to tears.

Photo of So Delicious coconut milk carton

www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com

You will notice the So Delicious brand of coconut milk is marketed as having medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), which by now you know means "really easy to digest (and not stored) good fat".  When you read at the nutritional information of a coconut product you have to pay attention to the type of saturated fat, it must be medium chain fatty acids (MCFT) or medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and not hydrogenated. There will be over processed and less healthy coconut products out there - be educated on the differences and be healthy!

And finally, how to get more coconut oil into your body;

• Always use it to saute vegetables

• Add a tablespoon to rice or mashed potatoes before serving

• Add to oatmeal in the morning

• Use it in place of oil, butter or margarine in baking

• Use So Delicious coconut milk and creamer instead of dairy and other non dairy creamers. So Delicious also makes coconut yogurt, kefir and ice cream :-)   

The Spunky Coconut had it right all along!  I'm so sorry I doubted you Kelly!  Check out the great GF CF recipes on her blog - http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/

And don't forget to use it on your skin, it is excellent for chronic dry skin!  You can use the same cooking coconut oil, no need to buy a special cosmetic version.


Where to buy
I'm actually surprised to see it more and more in regular groceries and stores.
If you start using coconut oil as much as you should you might want to buy it in bulk online;
http://www.nutsonline.com/nuts/coconut/oil.html
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/ 


Note added a few days later....
You should know that coconut oil has a mild laxative effect.  It start to use coconut oil you need to start eating it in small amounts and gradually build up your tolerance.  The first week when I either drank a small glass of coconut kefir or ate a meal where I had used as little as 1 tablespoon of oil to fry onions I got a slight stomach ache about 20 minutes later.  The ache wasn't extreme but it was noticeable. My husband whined about it, but we all know men can't deal with pain as well as XX chromosome individuals (just kidding honey!). Anyway, be forewarned, take it easy, don't overdo it and gradually introduce those MCFA into your life!