Let's Be Clear About Coconut Oil ...
The American Heart Association (AHA) released a report warning against the use of coconut oil. The author of the study says he has no idea why people ever thought it was healthy, especially since “it’s almost 100% fat." To be clear -- saturated fat and cholesterol do not explicitly cause heart disease. It's a fallacy so many of us have been brainwashed by government agencies and media to believe. Start NOT believing this immediately, please. Be informed. Low cholesterol levels don’t necessarily equal healthy levels. It’s about balance, you need your good cholesterol and your bad cholesterol in balance or the whole system is off. If your cholesterol is imbalanced, there’s a chance you will get heart disease. Dr. Axe discusses a better understanding of good versus bad cholesterol in his article referenced below in Other Sources. The Wellness Way posted this statement:
"Coconut oil is packed full of saturated fat, which is why we love it! Eating saturated fat will raise your cholesterol levels and LDL. We don’t at all disagree with that. However, to say that eating saturated fats is the reason for the rise in cholesterol and therefore cardiovascular disease just isn’t true. Cholesterol is a vital substance in our body that is key in a number of functions, including:
providing strength and flexibility to our cells
allowing for optimal memory and brain function
supporting the gall bladder in digestion
and perhaps most importantly… is a precursor for your sex hormones!
This is just to name a few of the key roles cholesterol plays in the body. Eating saturated fat and having optimal cholesterol levels are critical to optimal health. And for clarification, optimal cholesterol levels do not mean low cholesterol levels. There is a big difference!" Low cholesterol levels put you at risk for hormonal issues which can lead to heart disease. Also, a common side effect of statin drugs is elevated blood sugar. This is exactly the type of thing you need to stay away from if you're concerned about heart disease. Inflammation causes heart disease. Elevated blood sugar (you guessed it!) causes inflammation in the body. With me so far? The timing of the AHA article is fascinating when you consider that the man who sued the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to stop blaming saturated fat for heart disease and to remove trans fats from processed foods died recently -- at the age of 102. He studied this topic for 80 years and spent the majority of his life trying to get the science community to accept the truth about trans fats (aka the artery clogging fats). The AHA is a non-profit with a mission to “build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke” yet in its 2011-2012 financial statement, received $521 Million in donations from non-government and non-membership sources and many well-known large drug companies, including those who make and market statins, contributing amounts in the $1 Million range. (Huffington Post source below) Let's be real, the AHA is in bed with pharmaceutical companies. This is why the AHA supports the consumption of highly processed, sugar-laden foods. Case in point -- they recently celebrated the endorsement of Subway as a "Heart Healthy" meal. You’ve got to be kidding me. If we eat these “heart healthy” meals (which they are not), we’re sure to raise our cholesterol and fall right into the trap of needing statin drugs Big Pharma is pushing. The AHA takes the "look over here approach" and tells us fats are "bad" for us because they are being funded by Big Pharma. Worse yet, the AHA recommends eating more corn and soy oil. Eeek! More than 90% of these crops are genetically modified. Researchers even found U.S. soy contains “extreme” levels of glyphosate, the main ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. (Yes, it’s inside food and can’t be washed off. This is a topic for another post.) With the low-fat craze, we were told that saturated fats are related to risks of various diseases including heart disease. Yet, our rates of heart disease have not decreased and, in fact, increased over the years. Who supported the low-fat craze? The AHA, the media and the food industry, who continues to capitalize on low-fat (i.e. chemical laden) packaged foods. As I’ve indicated in previous posts about low-fat items, fat is replaced with sugar and anyone who’s paying attention to my posts knows I think sugar is the DEVIL. The fact is if the AHA was correct in their studies and their findings, heart disease would not remain the leading cause of death in the United States. Think about it! So, now you ask, “what kind of oils should I use?” The AHA recommends vegetable oil. Not a chance! Rebuttal is best said, again, by The Wellness Way: "Vegetable oils like corn oil, canola oil, or straight up vegetable oil should be avoided like the plague. While cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease, eating and cooking with vegetable oil will. Olive oil is great source of fat, but it should not be heated during cooking. We only recommend using olive oil on salads or by itself in its natural, uncooked state. Coconut oil is the best oil for high temperature cooking because it remains stable during cooking due to the high content of saturated fat." I'll wrap this with Dr. Axe’s list of 20 Proven Benefits of Coconut Oil. Check out #4 and 20!
Treat Alzheimer’s.
Prevents heart disease and high blood pressure.
Cures UTI and kidney infection.
Reduces inflammation and arthritis.
Prevents & treats cancer.
Boosts immune system.
Improves memory and brain function.
Improves energy and endurance.
Improves digestion, reduces ulcers and colitis.
Helps gallbladder disease and pancreatitis.
Improves skin issues.
Prevents gum disease and tooth decay.
Prevents osteoporosis.
Improves Type II diabetes.
Helps weight loss.
Builds muscle and decreases body fat.
Benefits hair health.
Fights candida and yeast infections.
Anti-aging.
Hormone balancing.
The bottom line is this: While there is no one magical thing that will save us all, you should be aware of the context of what we are told by the media and governmental agencies to help understand the positioning they’re coming from and why. We are all unique individuals; this is the concept of Bio-Individuality I teach my clients. So, while coconut oil may not work for some others may find it a helpful addition to their diet in healthy quantities. Find the AHA article here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/06/16/coconut-oil-isnt-healthy-its-never-been-healthy/402719001/. Other Valuable Sources: https://draxe.com/coconut-oil-healthy/ https://twwclinics.com/aha-dead-wrong-coconut-oil/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-rosenberg/health-news_b_4398304.html
