Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

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ElliotB
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Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by ElliotB »

Some have touted Coconut oil as being good for you. Perhaps you use it. I never have.

BUT a Harvard professor just busted the myth that coconut oil is good for you. Here is a link to the article:

https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard ... ?r=UK&IR=T

Yet, according to the HuffPost:
"Yes, Coconut Oil Is Still Healthy. It’s Always Been Healthy."

Here is a link to that article:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ye ... 6c0a8d09ad


Who is right? Who knows!!!
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jimmylegs
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by jimmylegs »

Randomised trial of coconut oil, olive oil or butter on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors in healthy men and women
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/3/e020167

"Intervention Participants were randomised to extra virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter and asked to consume 50 g daily of one of these fats for 4 weeks, which they could incorporate into their usual diet or consume as a supplement."

50 g yikes

"Conclusions and relevance Two different dietary fats (butter and coconut oil) which are predominantly saturated fats, appear to have different effects on blood lipids compared with olive oil, a predominantly monounsaturated fat with coconut oil more comparable to olive oil with respect to LDL-C. The effects of different dietary fats on lipid profiles, metabolic markers and health outcomes may vary not just according to the general classification of their main component fatty acids as saturated or unsaturated but possibly according to different profiles in individual fatty acids, processing methods as well as the foods in which they are consumed or dietary patterns. These findings do not alter current dietary recommendations to reduce saturated fat intake in general but highlight the need for further elucidation of the more nuanced relationships between different dietary fats and health."

it bugs me when 'reduce fat' is issued as a blanket statement.
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THX1138
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by THX1138 »

:-BD Exactly...
As if reducing the fat from avocados would be no different than reducing the fats from hydrogenated "vegetable" oils.
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jimmylegs
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by jimmylegs »

i mean even saturated fat. interesting nuances continue to emerge.
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ElliotB
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by ElliotB »

I am on a very high good fat diet (foods high in Omega 3 fats) and I have never consumed coconut oil even though many say it offers many health benefits as it is high in saturated fat and probably has little if any Omega 3 fatty acids at all.
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NHE
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

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There is more to discuss about coconut oil than saturated fats vs unsaturated fats. For example, the chain length of the saturated fatty acids is important in determining how the fats are used by the body. Coconut oil is primarily composed of medium length chain saturated fatty acids. Lauric acid, a C12 fat, makes up 44-52% of the fat composition in coconut oil. These are processed differently in the body than long chain fatty acids, e.g., C18. They are more easily broken down and more readily used for energy production.

https://www.chempro.in/fattyacid.htm

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-he ... -1.1491406
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NHE
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by NHE »

From the article...
There's no study showing significant health benefits to coconut-oil consumption. And, according to Michels, coconut oil is more dangerous than lard because it almost exclusively contains saturated fatty acids, ones that can clog the coronary arteries. You can identify fats that contain large quantities of saturated fatty acids by checking to see whether they remain solid at room temperature, as is the case with butter or lard.
Coconut oil being composed of mostly medium length fatty acids has a fairly low melting temperature (Tm). It's just 78°F which is 20°F less than body temperature. As a result, coconut oil will be liquid once you consume it.

By the way, fat is not the enemy, sugar is!

Sugar: The Bitter Truth by Dr. Robert Lustig
ElliotB
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Re: Harvard professor calls coconut oil 'pure poison'

Post by ElliotB »

"By the way, fat is not the enemy, sugar is!"

I tend to agree! But when it comes to fats, some are thought to be better for health than others.
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