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Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,685
Registered: ‎07-21-2011

Tonight on our local news ABC channel 7, it was mentioned that a Harvard Professor considered coconut oil Pure Poison.  Coconut oil has an extremely high content of saturated fat and you would be better off with veg. oils.  I think you would be better off with light olive oils.  I wonder about using coconut oil for beauty -- if it is on your skin it does get into your system.

kindness is strength
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,845
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I've also read the opposite from other doctors...that veg oils are poison and the saturated fat which has been vilified in coconut oil is actually good for you.  

 

Sometimes it's hard to know what to believe.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,220
Registered: ‎07-27-2015

Sharing: This is an article I read asking the same question about coconut oil. 

 

Ask the doctor: Coconut oil and health

 

Is coconut oil good for you?

coconut oil

Updated: August 22, 2018  Published: May, 2011

Q. I have started noticing more coconut oil at the grocery store and have heard it is better for you than a lot of other oils. Is that true?

 

A. I've also noticed that coconut oil seems to be catching on these days. Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%). Too much saturated fat in the diet is unhealthy because it raises "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. So it would seem that coconut oil would be bad news for our hearts.

 

But what's interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives "good" HDL cholesterol a boost. Fat in the diet, whether it's saturated or unsaturated, tends to nudge HDL levels up, but coconut oil seems to be especially potent at doing so.

Saturated fat is divided into various types, based on the number of carbon atoms in the molecule, and about half of the saturated fat in coconut oil is the 12-carbon variety, called lauric acid. That is a higher percentage than in most other oils, and is probably responsible for the unusual HDL effects of coconut oil. But plant-based oils are more than just fats. They contain many antioxidants and other substances, so their overall effects on health can't be predicted just by the changes in LDL and HDL.

 

Coconut is a wonderful flavor and there's no problem using coconut oil occasionally. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so cooks are experimenting with using it instead of butter or vegetable shortening to make pie crust and other baked goods that require a solid source of fat. And if you're preparing a Thai dish, cooking with coconut oil may be essential.

 

But, for now, I'd use coconut oil sparingly. Most of the research so far has consisted of short-term studies to examine its effect on cholesterol levels. We don't really know how coconut oil affects heart disease. And I don't think coconut oil is as healthful as vegetable oils like olive oil and soybean oil, which are mainly unsaturated fat and therefore both lower LDL and increase HDL. Coconut oil's special HDL-boosting effect may make it "less bad" than the high saturated fat content would indicate, but it's still probably not the best choice among the many available oils to reduce the risk of heart disease.

 

— Walter C. Willett, M.D.
Harvard School of Public Health
Department of Nutrition
Harvard Health Letter Editorial Board

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Of course we shouldn’t be consuming it.

It’s a processed food.

Ick.

 

I saw a comment about this article on my FB groups.

 

She referenced an article proclaiming the evil of coconut oil

being used for movie popcorn. And this article was written

waaaaay back in the early 90’s.  Somewhere along the way,

coconut oil got an amazing marketing team (like Team Protein)

where none of their claims stand up.

 

The ‘poison’ disclaimer is a splashy headline, but it’s true.

The only thing I dislike...within the article it compromises

by saying other oils are preferred.

No....all oils are processed foods.  

100% fat.

Double Ick.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,323
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: Say NO to Coconut Oil

[ Edited ]

Every time someone comes out with a statement that something is not good for you panic and hysteria set in.  Coconut oil is not poison and is considered good fat by just about everyone but that particular Harvard professer who just might be a wacko.  Just because he is a Harvard professor doesn't make him an authority on it!  There is nothing harmful in coconut oil to harm you especially if it's put on the skin!!  Pure poison was just this person's way of saying the saturated fat is something he considers harmful and not really poinsonous!!  See what I was saying- hysteria over nothing!!  I think it's all a personal choice.  Some have weird eating views and that's their choice but not for anyone to say what others should choose to eat or use!!

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,343
Registered: ‎06-15-2018

I don't use oils.  Not in cooking or in my food or on my skin.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,928
Registered: ‎11-01-2010

@haddon9 wrote:

I've also read the opposite from other doctors...that veg oils are poison and the saturated fat which has been vilified in coconut oil is actually good for you.  

 

Sometimes it's hard to know what to believe.


@haddon9

 

Coconut oil was known to be healthy years ago - then the soy industry let loose with a propaganda campaign that destroy sales. Years later we know that soy bean oil is the unhealthy oil and coconut oil is indeed very healthy. It is different than other oils, has health benefits, even has a different number of calories per gram than other fats but that is mostly ignored. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,451
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I love coconut oil!  It is an excellent anti-microbial agent.  I will not be discouraged by the words of someone who has not read all the research I have regarding the extraordinary and miraculous health benefits of unique Medium Chain Tryglycerides, aka Medium Chain Fatty Acids.  Not everyone who hails from Harvard U is a mega genius.   Not everyone graduating from Harvard U is necessarily trustworthy and worthy of my attention, either.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 28,716
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Say NO to Coconut Oil

[ Edited ]

I read years ago that coconut oil is the worst pore clogger of them all, never use it on my skin or consume it!! if it clogs your pores, cant it clog your arteries too??

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,345
Registered: ‎05-01-2010

@Jersey Born wrote:

I love coconut oil!  It is an excellent anti-microbial agent.  I will not be discouraged by the words of someone who has not read all the research I have regarding the extraordinary and miraculous health benefits of unique Medium Chain Tryglycerides, aka Medium Chain Fatty Acids.  Not everyone who hails from Harvard U is a mega genius.   Not everyone graduating from Harvard U is necessarily trustworthy and worthy of my attention, either.   


@Jersey Born.  I agree. My Doctor told me to use coconut oil on my skin. Knowing her, I know she did heavy research as you did. We all know about the Harvard Studies.