Coconut Oil

Troy Archie · 10-02-2007, 08:16 PM

I've been arguing with a friend who's a nutritionist about saturated fat and coconut oil. Her argument is that coconut oil, which are high in saturated fats and raise cholesterol levels, increase heart disease and should be limited.

My caveman thought process says otherwise but I can't find much in the way to back me up save a blurp on Dr.Eades blog about saturated fat and high carb diets. This makes me wonder if I'm wrong now...

Her links she's given me:
http://www.capitalhealth.ca/especial...lycerides_fats
http://diabetes.org/nutrition-and-re...cific-fats.jsp
http://www.capitalhealth.ca/especial...ting/transfats

David Aguasca · 10-03-2007, 06:22 AM

chocolate is also high in saturated fat, but of a different variety than that found in meat. there has been at least one study done showing that this particular saturated fat doesn't increase LDL and actually can decrease it....but i'm too lazy to find it.

here's the wikipedia citation for the study:
Kondo K, Hirano R, Matsumoto A, Igarashi O, Itakura H., Inhibition of LDL oxidation by cocoa, Lancet, November 1996; 348(2):1514.

Garrett Smith · 10-03-2007, 06:49 AM

Most of the time, I'd say don't waste your time arguing with flat-earth nutritionists.

The saturated fat issue is a tricky one. While I don't think saturated fat itself is a problem, I also think it is way too easy for people nowadays to get WAY too much of it.

The main issue, IMO, is a combination of too much fat and too many carbs (see American diets).

I'd really like to see a study on the effect of proper meat, non-starchy veggies, and a lot of oil (ie. coconut and olive) to see what that combo does to blood levels of many things.

Recently I decreased my sodium intake and my general fat intake and both my heart rate and blood pressure came down to my "normal" undergrad levels. I must say, that meant something to me. Sodium is another thing that we can WAY overconsume these days, even if it is real sea salt.

Scott Kustes · 10-03-2007, 08:10 AM

Here is a post I made at my site many moons ago. Coconut and palm oils have been consumed throughout history and prehistory, yet people weren't having heart attacks right and left. Palm oil is the 2nd most consumed oil in the world, behind soy, and first if you exclude the United States, yet the US is the country with the heart disease problems.

Mike ODonnell · 10-03-2007, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy Archie

I've been arguing with a friend who's a nutritionist about saturated fat and coconut oil. Her argument is that coconut oil, which are high in saturated fats and raise cholesterol levels, increase heart disease and should be limited.

I've never met a nutritionist who wasn't either overweight, on meds, or suffering from High BP and Cholesterol. I ignore everything a nutritionist says....unless I like having the walking version of the USDA telling me to have 7 servings of grain a day to stay fat and sick. Nutritionists are just sales people brainwashed by a wrongfully adapted model of "sick"care in this country.

Coconut Oil is a healthy MCT....she can just ask any person who suffers from digestive disorders such as Chrons Disease.