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The Miraculous Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil changed my life, and also my genetic coding.

I had heard that coconut oil was a natural wonder, and I’m all for anything that doesn’t contain gluten, but I couldn’t have known how big an impact this little oil would have on me.

One night, while simultaneously drinking and bathing in a vat of coconut oil, I opened my eyes. What do you think happened? Coconut oil got in my eyes? Yes. Was it extremely painful? Yes, again. Did it also make my vision superhuman? You nailed it.

Within seconds, I was able to see three galaxies away to a planet named Gå4n! That is very, very far from Beacon, New York. A few dabs of coconut oil in my ears and I could hear the…

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Articles of Interest

Coconut oil: are the health benefits a big fat lie?

It’s the latest ‘superfood’, endorsed by wellness bloggers and celebrities, yet it contains more saturated fat than lard. Is coconut oil really all it’s cracked up to be?

Coconut oil: not quite poisonous, but best treated with caution

Coconut oil is under attack. Once hailed as a miraculous superfood, its reputation has been more than a little bruised after a Harvard professor described the substance as “pure poison”. To remove any doubt about her feelings, Karin Michels, an epidemiologist, added that coconut oil is “one of the worst things you can eat”. Pure poison? Well it won’t kill you instantly, eyes popping, foaming at the mouth, gasping for breath – nothing quite as dramatic as that. But it’s true that coconut oil could, for avid and devoted fans, contribute to potentially fatal heart disease. So how can such a natural plant product be regarded as being so dangerous? After all, it looks so innocent, with its white flesh and refreshing liquid centre providing an exotic taste of tropical beaches, as well as minor amounts of minerals (potassium and iron), some fibre and fat.

Does Coconut Oil Deserve Its Health Halo?

“It’s been known for a long time that coconut oil raises blood levels of artery-damaging LDL cholesterol,” one expert said. I hope the science-based evidence that follows will convince you to relegate coconut oil to the status of, say, ice cream — an occasional treat best used in modest amounts because you enjoy its flavor and texture.

Is Coconut Oil Good or Bad for You?

A Harvard professor called coconut oil “pure poison.” Not everyone takes such a harsh stand.

Is Coconut Oil Worth the Hype?

"Coconut oil is made up of anti-inflammatory dietary fatty acids, which are important for skin health. When applied topically, it has wonderful moisturizing properties for the skin, increasing elasticity and emolliency. In addition, coconut oil enhances wound healing and has antioxidant properties. Studies have also shown that the lauric acid in the oil has antimicrobial activity against P. Acnes [bacteria], so it's a potential treatment for acne and adult atopic dermatis," she says.

You Asked: Is Coconut Oil Healthy?

The bottom line: Some preliminary evidence suggests that coconut oil is healthy—especially if you’re using it for frying and high-heat cooking. But spooning the stuff onto everything you eat probably won’t help you meet your health goals.

Actually, coconut oil is bad for you

Remember when literally everyone you know replaced coconut oil for just about every other oil they used? Remember when that person was you? Yeah, us too. Well, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), it isn’t quite the miracle oil we all came to know and love — at least when it comes to cooking.

Ask Well: Is Coconut Oil a Healthy Fat?

Coconut oil’s image has gotten a makeover in recent years, and many natural food stores stock the product. But despite “a lot of hype about it,” said Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein, a Tufts University professor of nutrition science and policy who is vice chair of the federal government's dietary guidelines advisory committee, “there’s virtually no data to support the hype.”

Can everyone please stop freaking out about coconut oil?

Why is this a shock, why was there all this confusion, and what are you supposed to do with your jar of piña colada scented cooking oil, moisturiser, and sexual lubricant? Well, you can keep that jar in your naughty little goody drawer AND in your pantry.

Coconut oil is the latest reminder that there’s no such thing as a ‘superfood’

To date, no studies suggest that coconut oil provides any superior benefit compared to other foods, especially other oils. Nevertheless, for the past decade, it has been touted as a “healthy fat”—compared to others—that should be eaten and used in cooking often.

Coconut oil: are the health benefits a big fat lie?

It’s the latest ‘superfood’, endorsed by wellness bloggers and celebrities, yet it contains more saturated fat than lard. Is coconut oil really all it’s cracked up to be?

Have We Been Delusional About Coconut Oil This Whole Time?

Surely you've heard by now that coconut oil is the secret of life. It fights viruses, reduces heart disease, promotes weight loss, and can be used as a butter substitute. Only it's not actually that healthy.

How coconut oil went from health food to “poison”

A Harvard professor’s assertion that the oil is like “poison” is just one more battle in the coconut oil wars.

How Does Coconut Oil Affect Cholesterol?

Will the saturated fats in coconut oil raise your cholesterol? More to the point, does this matter?

Is Coconut Oil a Healthy Fat?

Coconut oil is high in saturated fatty acids...Coconut oil’s image has gotten a makeover in recent years, and many natural food stores stock the product. But despite “a lot of hype about it,” said Dr. Alice H. Lichtenstein, a Tufts University professor of nutrition science and policy who is vice chair of the federal government's dietary guidelines advisory committee, “there’s virtually no data to support the hype.”

Is Coconut Oil Good for Brain Health?

Can coconut oil treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease? What are the benefits of coconut oil and MCTs for brain health?

Please Take A Deep Breath: Coconut Oil Is Not The Worst

Look, don't drink it by the gallon but also it's not all of a sudden poisonous. The significant takeaway from this study is less about the effects of coconut oil and more about correcting the misconception that coconut oil is a "health food." "We already know all of this...Coconut oil is a fat like all other fats; it's not a health food. It doesn't miraculously have some life-changing effect on our bodies..."

The Benefits Of Coconut Oil

If you believe everything you read on the Internet, coconut oil is a panacea, recommended for everything from frying your chicken to shaving your legs...But coconut oil is more than 90 per cent saturated fat, or about 11.8 grams per 15 millilitres (one tablespoon), compared to about 63 per cent or 7.2 grams for the same amount of butter. And saturated fat is generally considered to be a "bad" fat that increases overall cholesterol levels and specifically bad cholesterol. The reason this doesn't apply to coconut oil, say supporters, is that about half the saturated fat in the oil is medium-chain fatty acids, which are easier to digest than the more prevalent long-chain fatty acids in most other oils, including butter. While the scientific community doesn't disagree, it urges caution.

The World’s Coconuts Are in Danger

In this day and age, coconuts seem to be, somehow, everything at once. You can buy oil from coconuts—not to be confused with butter from coconuts—and flour and sugar and milk and aminos and vinegar from coconuts. The coconut market is booming. But the long-term outlook for coconuts? Not as good. In the Caribbean, bacteria that cause lethal yellowing are wiping out coconut trees...

Unlikely Source of Healthy Fat: Coconuts

Coconut oil has some 12 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, compared with about seven grams for butter, according to the USDA's food-nutrient database. Studies, though, have found residents of South Pacific islands who eat a lot of coconut oil have very low levels of heart disease. Those studies can't be applied to Americans as Pacific Islanders are far more active on average and eat an entirely different diet, said George Blackburn, associate director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Mass. Heart-wise, however, coconut oil is "better than butter" and other animal fats because it has no cholesterol, he adds.

Yes, Coconut Oil Is Still Healthy. It’s Always Been Healthy

Does coconut oil deserve a place in your pantry? This has been hotly debated since the American Heart Association recently released a report advising against the use of coconut oil, blaming the high level of saturated fat and “no known offsetting favorable effects” — or so they say. Before you say goodbye to coconut oil for good, let’s dive a little deeper into the American Heart Association’s statements to find out the real truth…