The Wonders of Coconut Oil

Reclaiming Saturated Fat

Poor Gilligan. All he had to eat on that island was coconuts; think of all that saturated fat! Surely Skipper would have had a heart attack from eating so much of it—but he didn’t. In fact, if they knew how good coconut oil was for their health, they would have given up trying to get rescued.

Coconuts and especially coconut oil have been given an unfair rap over the years. The trouble started more than 4 decades ago when animal tests showed that coconut oil raised levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad kind); but these tests used hydrogenated coconut oil, not virgin coconut oil.

Hydrogenated oil is made by forcing hydrogen gas into oil at high pressure. In the 1990’s, it was realized that this process created products with negative health effects, a tragic irony since they were originally produced and promoted as being healthier than conventional oils. Virgin coconut oil is extracted without chemicals or heat, which makes all the difference. Some retailers and manufacturers of virgin coconut oils call their product “extra” virgin, but there is no official classification or difference between virgin and extra virgin coconut oil as there is in the olive oil industry. The two oils are completely different in fatty acid composition, harvesting procedures, and terminology.

Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are smaller than long-chain fatty acids, so they are more easily digested, and they are converted to energy instead of being stored as fat. A study in 2009 found that dietetic supplementation with coconut oil can even help reduce abdominal fat. This type of antiviral, antimicrobial fat (42% to 57% lauric acid) is also found in human breast milk and can boost metabolism and weight loss. In a coconut oil research paper written for the Hallelujah Acres Foundation, Research Director Dr. Michael Donaldson notes, “There are only a very few good sources of lauric acid in nature—coconut oil (44-49%), palm kernel oil (47%), and breast milk, (4-10%, depending on diet). The lauric acid in breast milk, and the monolaurin formed in the baby’s stomach, helps protect the baby from disease. This protection can be increased if the mother consumes coconut oil.”

The truth is that the saturated fat in coconut oil does not cause clogged arteries; in fact, it actually promotes blood platelet function. In contrast, some polyunsaturates (omega 6) are the fats that studies have repeatedly shown to have a strong correlation with cancer and heart disease.

Does this mean that saturated fat is good? Yes and no. If speaking solely of coconut oil, then yes—the medium-chain, saturated fat in coconut oil is truly in a class by itself. It is stable, doesn’t go rancid, and works well for cooking. Animal-source saturated fats on the other hand are long-chain fatty acids, making them less desirable for optimal health.

Perhaps the most noteworthy characteristics of coconut oil are its antimicrobial, antifungal, and antitumor effects, which have been shown to strengthen the immune system. This is due to its lauric acid content (mentioned above) which disrupts the lipid membranes of offending organisms, giving the immune system the upper hand. A study completed in 2008 by the American College of Chest Physicians showed that children with pneumonia who were given coconut oil in addition to ampicillin (an antibiotic) were able to normalize their respiratory rate sooner than those who relied solely on the antibiotic. So powerful is coconut oil’s immune boosting ability that AIDS patients have used it to successfully control their disease in combination with Naltrexone (a drug used primarily in the management of alcohol dependence), ginger root, and garlic. Using this concoction, one patient reduced his viral load of 50,000 to nondetectable levels in just 5 weeks.

You may have to read this article several times to reverse your thinking about the saturated fat in coconuts, but the truth is that saturated fat does not cause health deterioration. So, ignore the fat free hype and take the next 60 days to reclaim your health using fats that are extracted naturally, using as little processing and/or heat as possible (cold pressed, unrefined), especially coconut oil—the medium-chain saturated fat superstar.

~Taken from Hallellujah Acres magazine publication~