Why is Coconut Oil Bad for you?...Because all of the negative publicity regarding coconut oil?
You guess it… ”saturated fats”.
But most people don’t realize is that “saturated fats” are classified into two (2) primary categories:
And each subgroup has markedly different biological effects in our body, other words there are many different types of saturated fat and all of them affect the body differently. (this will be explained later).
Let’s get to the good stuff and tell you all the wonderful attributes of coconut.
It all started when my family went to the Caribbean a couple years ago and we had fresh coconut from the locals. They were telling us how good it was for us, I told them that in the states it was considered a “bad” fat. They had so many good things to say about this fruit, I became very intrigue and wanted to know more about coconut and its benefits.
So I began a search to find out anything and everything I could about coconut oil. First thing I discovered was that very little has been written about coconut oil. I know the best place for me to research is in respected scientific and medical research journals, where cold, hard facts were written.
This is what I found – That Coconut Oil is the one of the remarkable health foods available. You should buy the “virgin” or “extra virgin” coconut oil.
Think about it, where coconut is abundance, (such as the South Pacific) natives enjoy remarkable good health, free from aches, pains and any degenerative disease such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.
When all said and done we all want to avoid coconut and palm oil because of the saturated fat content. But we all have been purposely misled by.. you know who -> the self-serving commercial enterprises.
At this point, though, you may be skeptical and perhaps apprehensive of the idea coconut CAN be healthy. But using this oil for all your cooking needs may be the best and the healthiest decision you ever make.
Ok, you may be asking - “If coconut oil is as good as you say it is, why has it had such a bad reputation?” Very simple – three reasons –
Unfortunately and tragically the oil that replaced the coconut and palm oils is hydrogenated vegetable oil – one of the most health-damaging dietary oils in existence.
I won’t get into the whole propaganda, but it is an entire and carefully orchestrated campaign by the Soybean Industry. Coconut and palm oil is the victim of an 80’s smear campaign against tropical oil producers, an attempt by domestic oil producers to eliminate the competition. According to Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D., author of The Coconut Miracle". , they capitalize on the public’s fear of saturated fat and its association with heart disease.
The Truth
O.k. most people correlate the words “saturated fat” with “heart disease”, right?
Another reason people believe this oil must be bad for you is misguided association: coconut is a saturated fat and "saturated fats are bad for you."
Dietary guidelines inevitably fail to distinguish between different kinds of saturated fats and insist that saturated fats (meaning all saturated fats) are harmful.
This is not just misleading. It is bad science. Leading scientists now recognize that just as there is good cholesterol, there are also good saturated fats.
HERE in somewhat layman terms is an understanding how the saturated fat in coconut oil really works.
But, you don’t really need to know the chemistry of oil in order to benefit from using this oil.
Most doctors use the terms "lipid” referring to fat. The most important “lipid” is our triglycerides. It is the triglycerides that make up our body fat and the fat we see and eat in our foods. About 95% of the lipids in our diet are triglycerides.
Triglycerides are composed of individual fat molecules known as fatty acids.
Fatty acids have been grouped into three types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.
Regardless of whether it is saturated or not, each fatty acid affects the body differently and exerts different influences on health.
For instance, saturated fatty acids that are found in coconut that have no harmful effects; consequently, it all depends on the type of fatty acid and not simply on its degree of saturation.
Very few people know the different between the medium-chain saturated fatty acids in coconut oil and the long-chain saturated fatty acids in meat and other foods.
Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - ON SALE NOW! SEE VIDEO on "How Real Virgin Coconut is Grown" |
Coconut has the best source of medium-chain fatty acids unlike the typical long-chain fatty acids found in meats and vegetable oils.
The medium-chain fatty acids stored in coconuts are broken down and used for energy production and thus seldom end up as body fat. Unlike most fats in our foods, if not used immediately as an energy source, it will store as fat in our bodies.
In other words, most of the saturated fat in coconut oil is easily digestible and converted into quick energy. And these types of fatty acids are less likely to cause obesity because they are immediately used by the body and have no opportunity to be stored.
Also, medium-chain fatty acids do not have a negative effect on blood cholesterol and help protect again heart disease.
Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) – The Real Cause for Concern
In fact, the real problem fats in our diets are the trans fatty acids which are created by modern technology and are foreign to our bodies.
Trans-fatty acids are manufactured fats created during a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation aims to stabilize polyunsaturated oils to prevent them from becoming rancid and to keep them solid at room temperature.
Trans-fatty acids may be particularly dangerous for the heart and may pose a risk for certain cancers. Hydrogenated fats are used in stick margarine, fast foods, commercial baked goods (donuts, cookies, crackers), processed foods, and fried foods.
Because these fats are unlike the "natural fatty acids in coconut for good health, our bodies are incapable of utilizing them in a useful way.
They say eating trans fatty acid is like pouring apple cider in your gas tank, it will clog it up and cause the engine to freeze just like the fatty acids can cause our cells to freeze leaving them dysfunctional. The more trans fatty acids eaten, the greater the tissues and organs become seriously affected and ultimately diseases will appear.
Finally, after years of denial, the FDA and CSPI are finally talking about the harmful effects of trans fatty acids (TFAs), evidence of which has been accumulating since the 1950s.
Nonetheless, they continue to criticize coconut oil and take no effective action to eliminate TFAs, which already have been banned in some European countries. In 2006, the only action FDA has taken is to list TFAs on food labels. TFA dangers have been known for decades and continue to cause disease!
News items coming from the USDA and FDA still lump trans fatty acid with saturated fats, which are why coconut which is a saturated fat gets a bad rap.
How effective is this brainwashing?
Many of you will not believe the facts on these pages and will continue to avoid and coconut milk and oil. Everything is backed by medical studies and proven benefits of coconut oil. We invite you to investigate further.
Further Readings and Websites
– An excellent site with many excellent information and links about coconut.
Pure Virgin Coconut Oil - The Smarter Fat That Helps Promote Health
Experience the Incredible Health & Weight Loss Benefits of the Premier Pure Virgin Coconut from Tropical Tradition.
Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil - ON SALE NOW!
SEE VIDEO on "How Real Virgin Coconut is Grown"
The Coconut Oil Secrets:
Disclaimer: The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration of any government. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or disorder.