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Coconut oil is the healthiest oil on earth" says Dr. Bruce Fife, a naturopathic doctor and the author of the book The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil.
Modern research seems to back up this bold statement. Once wrongly accused of increasing cholesterol levels, coconut oil is now actually being used by doctors in the treatment of a variety of disorders. Clinical studies have shown that coconut oil has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties, and is now even being used in treating AIDS patients. Studies conducted in the Philippines last year showed that coconut oil does indeed reduce the viral load in AIDS patients.
Lauric Acid a Key Component to Health
"Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid."
The Politics of Tropical Oils
So why has coconut oil gotten such a bad rap in the recent past? After all, much of the research supporting coconut oil as a healthy fat has been around for some time. The answer is politics and economics. Coconut oil was heavily used in the US at one time, being used for baking, pastries, frying, and theater popcorn. But starting in the 1980s some very powerful groups in the US, including the American Soybean Association (ASA), the Corn Products Company (CPC International) and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), began to categorically condemn all saturated oils. Faulty science was used to convince the public that ALL saturated fats were unhealthy, when in fact saturated fats rich in the medium chain fatty acids, like lauric acid, are very healthy.
These organizations were/are aided by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many of whose key personnel are recruited from and return to the vegetable oil industry.
The result was that most people switched to vegetable oils, and the main source of lauric acid from tropical oils in the American diet was lost. The countries that these tropical oils came from, mainly the Philippines and Malaysia, were too poor to counter these untrue claims with advertising investments for the truth. It is only recently that the health benefits of these tropical oils are starting to become rediscovered.
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A study on Coconut
oil
One such study was done
in the South Pacific
islands of Pukapuka and
Tokelau near New
Zealand. The studies
were started in the
1960s before either
island was exposed to
Western refined food.
These populations ate
only natural foods, and
coconut foods were the
most prevalent, being
consumed at each meal in
one form or another.
While most people in
western countries get
30-40 percent of their
calories from fats, the
people in these islands
averaged between 50 and
60 percent of their
calories from fat, most
of that being saturated
fat from coconuts.
So what kind of health
did these studies find
among the populations in
these two islands?
Bruce Fife reports in
his book: "The overall
health of both groups
was extremely good
compared to Western
standards. There were no
signs of kidney disease
or hypothyroidism that
might influence fat
levels. There was no
hypercholesterolemia
(high blood
cholesterol). All
inhabitants were lean
and healthy despite a
very high saturated-fat
diet. In fact, the
populations as a whole
had ideal
weight-to-height ratios
as compared to the Body
Mass Index figures used
by nutritionists.
Digestive problems are
rare. Constipation is
uncommon. They average
two or more bowel
movements a day.
Atherosclerosis, heart
disease, colitis, colon
cancer, hemorrhoids
ulcers, diverticulosis,
and appendicitis are
conditions with which
they are generally
unfamiliar." (The
Healing Miracles of
Coconut Oil)
A fat that causes
weight loss??
Another incredible
fact about coconut oil
is that even though it
is a fat, it actually
promotes weight loss!!
The reason is again
because of the healthy
medium chain fatty
acids. These fatty acids
do not circulate in the
bloodstream like other
fats, but are sent
directly to the liver
where they are
immediately converted
into energy, just like
carbohydrates. So the
body uses the fat in
coconut oil to produce
energy, rather than be
stored as body fat.
Medium chain fatty acids
found in coconut oil
also speed up the body's
metabolism burning more
calories and promoting
weight loss. The
weight-loss effects of
coconut oil have clearly
been demonstrated by
many researchers. (There
are a list of references
in Bruce Fife's book The
Healing Miracles of
Coconut Oil.)
Therapeutic Dosage
So how much coconut
oil should one consume?
A good therapeutic
dosage is 3 to 4
tablespoons a day. This
provides enough lauric
acid to build the immune
system.
Also, look for unrefined
coconut oil. Stay away
from all hydrogenated
oils, whether it is
coconut oil or vegetable
oils. Hydrogenated oils
are oils with trans
fatty acids, which have
been altered from their
original chemical
composition, and have
been shown to raise
serum cholesterol levels
that can lead to heart
disease. Also look for
unrefined coconut oils,
like Virgin Coconut Oil.
Most commercial coconut
oils are RBD (refined,
bleached, and
deodorized). While these
RBD oils do maintain the
beneficial chemical
structures of the medium
chain fatty acids, they
also contain chemicals
used in processing.
About the author: Brian
Shilhavy is a Certified
Nutritional Counselor (CNC),
is the president of Mt.
Banahaw Health Products
Corporation (
www.philippineherbs.com
), and is the owner of
the coconut-info.com
website and discussion
list.
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