Coconut Oil is the Healthiest Oil on Earth!
Revised 2008
"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 Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid which is
abundant in coconut oil, and considered responsible for many of
its health benefits. Coconut oil is about 50% lauric acid. The
only other abundant source found in nature is in human breast
milk. Dr. Jon J. Kabara, PhD and Professor Emeritus of Michigan
State University says, "Never before in the history of man is
it so important to emphasize the value of Lauric Oils. The
medium-chain fats in coconut oil are similar to fats in
mother's milk and have similar nutriceutical
effects."
Dr. Mary Enig, a
Ph.D. nutritionist/biochemist and one of the world's leading
authorities on fats and oils, goes on to say, "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."
See Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century
at www.apcc.org.sg/special.htm
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. Much
of the research can be found on the
www.coconut-info.com
website.
Population
Studies While some clinical studies have been conducted
recently, like the study on AIDS patients in the Philippines
(1999 - 2000), much of the studies have been done on tropical
populations where coconut products are a main part of the
diet.
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.
Summary If you are
interested in learning about all the other wonderful health
benefits of coconut oil, go to the www.coconut-info.com website and read the research. There is also a
discussion list you can join and interact with some of
the world's best authorities on coconut oil, including
Dr. Mary Enig, Dr. Bruce Fife, and many others who have
done research or experienced first hand the wonderful
healing properties of coconut oil so that we can say,
"Coconut oil is the healthiest oil on earth!"
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.
You can buy coconut oil in the UK from
Coconut Oil UK
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