Monday, September 20, 2010

Is Saturated Fat in Coconut Oil Bad for Your Heart?

I just spent a glorious weekend in Vermont with my partner and two friends of ours, enjoying the beautiful weather, amazing scenery, and tremendously fabulous food Vermont has to offer. Our friends are from NYC, which for the East Coast, is relatively health-conscious. During our weekend, I was asked about my copious use of coconut oil, because "isn't it a saturated fat which causes heart disease?" I argued my points as to how coconut oil does not apply to this science, but was rebuffed. The jury is still out as to whether coconut oil is good or bad.

Monday morning rolls around... I receive an email from our friends thanking us for the wonderful weekend, along with a link to the article Saturated Fat in Coconut Oil is Bad for Your Heart. this article claims that saturated fat is bad regardless of the source - even if that source is coconut oil. I love a healthy debate, especially one about health!

So... I immediately searched for "coconut oil" on Mercola.com. What I love about Dr. Mercola is that he does not expect you to take him at his word... He always likes to back up his articles with plenty of outside studies and research from medical journals and the like. In his article on coconut oil, he dispels the myths surrounding coconut oil and explains where these myths come from.

Dr. Mercola maintains that coconut oil is the only oil that is "stable enough to resist heat-induced oxidation during cooking, while it also helps you promote heart health, maintain normal cholesterol levels, and even supports weight loss." I can attest to this last piece personally!

Of course there is controversy around anything that is actually good for you, because chances are it comes from the earth and large corporations (pharmaceuticals, food industry, etc) can't make a killing from it. Who do you think pays for the vast majority of medical "research"?

Aside from the health-promoting properties of coconut oil, I love it for many more reasons. For example: it is fabulous for removing glue goo (like from stickers and labels). Honestly, it is the most amazing stuff on the planet and I am never without some. Don't take my word for it... Like anything, do your own research and come to your own conclusions about what's best for your health.

Augusta

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