Articles about the benefits of coconut oil have been catching my attention lately. It appears to be a panacea; however, when claims made by advocates seem miraculous, I get suspicious.
Coconut oil is a saturated fat. I’d always heard, and many experts still insist, that saturated fat is detrimental to us. According to the American Heart Association, it causes both high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and increases the risk of stroke and heart attack.
But there are other voices and ideas concerning saturated fats. One of them belongs to Tim Ferriss, who writes a blog, Experiments in Lifestyle Design. In one post, he articulates the benefits of saturated fats, with excerpts from a book written by a doctor who did the research.
I decided to do a little exploration of my own on the subject of fat. I don’t mean how to lose it. I’ve read every article I’ve ever come across on weight loss. I’m talking about the chemistry of fat, though chemistry is a subject I’ve never been fond of, and almost failed at Penn State.
One thing about internet research is that you are almost guaranteed to find contradictory evidence, no matter what your subject. And I did. I already knew the current medical judgement on fats. They’re to be avoided. Except for monounsaturated fats like olive and canola oil, and polyunsaturated fats found in cold-water fish, some nuts and avocados. According to conventional wisdom, the only thing worse than saturated fat is trans-fat, the evil stepmother of fat. Eeek!
There’s more to the fat issue. All fats are composed of fatty acids, which can also be classified by the length of the carbon chain into short, medium or long-chains. Coconut oil is composed of medium-chain triglycerides, particularly lauric acid, which, according to the Coconut Research Center, is one of the primary components of breast milk. Everybody knows how good breast milk is.
So what are the claims for coconut oil? From Organic Facts, here are some benefits: it fights against heart disease, stimulates weight loss, improves hair, skin, teeth and bones. It’s good for our liver and kidneys, and helps reduce stress. It boosts the immune system, thereby helping our bodies to fight infections.
I don’t want you to run away screaming WOOOO WOOOOO, but among the claims for coconut oil are efficacy against cancer, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and HIV.
I’m in the market for some nice organic coconut oil, despite the fact that it isn’t that easy to find here in Costa Rica, unless you’re willing to give your first born child in payment. I don’t care if it’s saturated fat or not. If even a few of the claims are true, what’s to lose?
I’ve been reading the same positive retake on Egg yolks lately.
@SusanChast Thanks for reading and commenting, Susan. I’ve been thinking about retracting everything since watching Forks Over Knives, about the China Study. They claim all animal fats are bad for you, and have empirical evidence, which seems to be lacking in the case for coconut oil.
Myra, there is lots of it here on the Caribbean side of the country. My old landlady, where we lived before we built our house, used to boil the stuff in her outside kitchen. The smell was wonderful. As you drive from Limón toward Puerto Viejo look at the roadside stands and you’ll see bottles of it for sale. Because it’s made at home, it often has a slight smokey flavor to it. I love a little coconut oil with my sautéed greens. Yum!
@scmorgan Sarah, you have greens? I’d die for some greens. Do you grow them?
@scribblegal I grow green leaf chard, collards, and mustard greens. They do alright in the humidity and heat and sea spray. But there is a wonderful farmer’s market in Puerto Viejo on Saturdays that has kale and red leaf chard. I do love me some greens.
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@scmorgan Me too! I gotta get some seeds! Do you get yours in the States?