Several years ago, when i first discovered and embraced the paleo concept, i found the argument that coconut oil enhances metabolism to be persuasive. It seems that farmers who were trying to fatten their cattle on lipids had tried CO only to find that their charges actually got LEANER; it was thus supposed that CO is the perfect fat for dieters because it revs up the thyroid. Also, it contains LAURIC ACID! This stuff is just FULL of fabulous, healing, nourishing MCTs....
I had to try it! I bought very-good-quality virgin organic coconut oil by the jar, and finally graduated to the gallon tub. No doubt, it's good stuff. Only problem -- it didn't seem to do what everyone claims it does -- at least not for me. I supposed that i went from polyunsaturates to real animal fats first, and that was camouflaging the remarkable properties that lipophiles claim for coconut oil when i finally added it to my diet. I only started to doubt coconut-oil's efficacy recently.
It comes back to the problem of extrapolating from animal studies to humans, and also to assuming that what's good for a young euthyroid athlete to ... uh ... someone who's NOT, is a logical extension.
Here's the thing -- people with "weak" thyroids are a lot more sensitive to many different foodstuffs. My suspicion is that most of us ARE hypothyroid BECAUSE we're intolerant of glutens or histamines, AND we don't absorb nutrients well and as a result are micronutrient deficient, AND we're environmentally poisoned by things like fluoride, chlorine, and sometimes lithium in the water supply. And guess what -- i just learned that coconut oil is rife with salicylates, one of histamine/tyramine's co-irritants. ...That would explain a few things....
I still have a big tub half-full of coconut oil, but i'm not planning to throw it out or anything; i'm just going to use it with less abandon, and i'll certainly recommend it to others with a caveat. Ditto for coconut milk! It's a valuable substance, offering flexibility to a dairy-free or -reduced diet. But i don't think either of them is the miracle-food they're painted to be.
This takes me back to what the Strong Medicine regimen, and my experiences and readings have taught me -- all naturally-occurring saturated fats are my friends, but ruminants' tallow is the BEST friend i have in that regard. Coconut oil just doesn't compare.
I just backed off the liberal use of cocnut oil myself. Was doing the tbsp in my coffee for about a year when I was very lc. It made me bounce off the walls which was great for a while but became exhausting. I added berries and nuts to my diet and backed off the C.O. and butter. Feels better and more natural for me.
ReplyDeleteI also read a post by Dr. Robert Su at Carbs Can Kill about the danger of C.O on very lc diets. He felt it ruined his health. Something about it generating excess ketones that compete with uric acid for excretion. He liked CO for cooking but not by the Tbs as a supplement. He just passed away. I don't know but maybe someone smarter than me can read what he said at his website and comment. He was not againest ketosis but deep ketosis via tbs of oil partially CO .
whoa -- Dr. Su died? that IS a loss.... i guess i need to go back and read again what he wrote about CO!
DeleteHere's a link to his forum discussion. He seemed upset that he damaged his health with C.O
Deletehttp://www.carbohydratescankill.com/forums/general-questions/negative-about-coconut-oil
thanks for the link. i didn't find his argument very persuasive, though. do you know his cause-of-death? while googling around, it sounded as though his health hasn't been good for some time -- that could affect how he fared on coconut oil. :-) not that i want to sweep his findings under the rug, but one wonders....
DeleteHe claims his health was great after he started lc in 2003 till he started CO in 2009 . Sounds like he quit taking CO around 2012 as he blamed his decline in health to the 3 tbs a day he was taking and was trying to regain his health. I do not know the cause of his death. I wonder also...
DeleteYeah, I only use it about once a week, and then just a tablespoon or so. I'm still a little leery about massive amounts of even 'good' oils. Thanks for sharing your own discoveries!
ReplyDeletemy pleasure! ...yes, if animal fats didn't make me feel so good, it would be harder to ignore the decades of anti-fat propaganda we lived with so long.
Deletedespite the BS and hoopla about oil pulling, I have noticed a 5 minute swill once a day of CO results in slightly whiter and much smoother teeth, kinda like the feeling after having your teeth cleaned at the dentist. No other benefits noted.
ReplyDeletei tried oil-pulling once for about a week, and saw no phenomena. of course, the idea of the cloudiness being significant is nonsense -- that's just what happens when one emulsifies saliva and oil. :-)
DeleteI didn't know coconut oil was full of salicylates. That would explain its analgesic properties. It's also an antibiotic.
ReplyDeleteI'm just thinking here, but maybe it's not a good idea to stuff ourselves with medicine, but take it by the spoonful. Personally, I cook with lard just because it's cheaper.
i haven't hunted down an authoritative resource concerning the salicylates, so i won't SWEAR to it.... :-) i certainly agree though that taking medicaments when they're not indicated isn't a good idea. i recall reading that chronic echinacea-tea-drinking keeps the stuff from being effective when you actually need it.
Deletei cook with various fats, depending on the character of the dish. sometimes bacon grease, sometimes butter, sometimes olive oil, sometimes red palm oil....
I love coconut oil and coconut milk. For a time I drank coffee with coconut milk, and can't get two cups down before feeling a little sick from the coconut-ness. With cream, I can gulp down a whole pot of coffee until the cows come from. :)
ReplyDeleteUntil the cows come home, I mean. :/ do you render your own tallow tess? Sometimes, browsing food blogs, I get envious of all the kerrygold blocks of gold out there!
ReplyDeletei definitely find cream "more moreish" than coconut ... and a lot of other things, too!
Deletei save tallow from cooking roasts and things, definitely. i have a good butcher from whom i can get suet, and sometimes use it as-is, and sometimes render it. mostly, i just like to buy fatty cuts of meat and incorporate the fat that comes naturally with the broth or gravy we eat. YUM. :-)
coconut milk raised my lipids so much I gave it up.
ReplyDeletewas that the only thing you did different from one blood-test to the next? interesting....
DeleteI would also like to add that coconut oil also works wonders as a skin moisturizer, so there's an alternative use for all that surplus coconut goodness. :)
ReplyDeletecoconut oil definitely has plenty of good applications! :-)
DeleteI tried it and it made my skin break out. Heavy moisturizers are too much for me.
DeleteDarn, I guess it's not for everyone then. I have very dry skin so coconut oil works well for me
DeleteI prefer coconut oil as a cooking oil.
ReplyDeleteit's certainly ideal for frying, being saturated. on the rare occasion i let myself have popcorn, it's perfect for that too.
Delete