Coconut oil has come under a lot of scrutiny recently and its seems to be mentioned in the news on a daily basis. Many have claimed it to be a wonderful product for many uses, but recently we had a professor come out saying it was “poisonous” and harmful for our health. So who is right and why are we having this great debate over a common oil? Makes you wonder? There seems to be a number of factors at play here.
Firstly there is the belief that the saturated fats in coconut oil is harmful for the body as it leads to high cholesterol and heart disease. On the other hand there are many who dispute this and put forward, that it is actually the sugar in the foods we eat which is more harmful. It is believed that a high intake of sugary foods leads to inflammation of our arteries and as such contributes to blockages in the arterial system.
Just yesterday we had another cardiologist come out, slamming this accusation that ‘coconut oil is poisonous’, saying that the claim should be retracted as it damages the reputation of the prestigious Harvard institution. So why you may ask yourself are we having this continuous debate over the good old coconut oil? Could it be that more people are turning away from all the cholesterol lowering drugs and medications and choosing natural healthier alternatives? Are the pharmaceutical companies threatened by lesser profits and trying to discredit the good old coconut oil?
As you may have read in other posts on this site, coconut oil has been found to aid in lowering the effects of dementia, used for cleaning and preventing teeth diseases, helps to increase HDL, the good fraction of cholesterol and many other purposes. So why is it suddenly a poisonous food substance that has been around and eaten by many for many years. To the islanders in certain areas, it is a stable part of their diet. Maybe we need to look at their rate of heart disease?
Just a quick 5 minute research into the impact of coconut oil on the health of Polynesians revealed some interesting facts mainly that high cholesterol due to saturated fats was not the cause of vascular disease, high blood pressure or diabetes. “Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect in these populations. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease have increased considerably in Wallis Island over the past 30 years, consistent with modernisation in way of life.” Obviously we need more research into this topic so we know the real facts. It shows that we cannot believe anything we read. In one particular research trial, virgin Coconut oil actually increased the good HDL cholesterol. It is believed by having higher HDL cholesterol you reduce the bad LDL one. So is coconut oil good for you?
To read more about the dispute on the harmful affects of coconut oil check out the links below to help make up your own mind:-
http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/servlet/DCARead?standardNo=0446577162&standardNoType=1&excerpt=true
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7270479
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26346757
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29387131