Does Coconut Oil Clog Arteries?

Transcript: Does Coconut Oil Clog Arteries?

Why not give it a try, though? Well, unlike other natural remedies, like the spice saffron, which was able to beat out placebo and seemed to work as well as a leading drug without the side effects, coconut oil is one of the rare plant sources of saturated fat, normally only found in animals, which tends to increase LDL, or bad cholesterol, the number one risk factor for our number one killer, heart disease. So hey, you want to try it on someone with Alzheimer’s for a few days to see if it makes a difference, fine. God, I'd try almost anything. But if, as expected, you don't see an improvement, I would be hesitant to keep anyone on it long-term. Now those selling coconut oil say one needn't worry because coconut oil contains a saturated fat that doesn't raise cholesterol. You hear the same thing from the beef people. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is always going on about how beef contains a saturated fat called stearic acid. Unlike those evil saturated fats, palmitic, myristic, and lauric acids - which do increase blood cholesterol levels - stearic acid has been shown to have a neutral effect on blood cholesterol. That's true, and beef does have stearic acid, but guess what it has twice as much of the palmitic and myristic, which they just admitted does raise cholesterol. That's like coca cola saying they know for a fact that soda doesn't make you gain weight, because it contains water, and water has a neutral effect on weight gain. Yeah, but that's not the only thing in it, and the same with coconut oil. Years ago I profiled this study that found that cholesterol levels were significantly lower during a coconut oil diet—but only when compared to a butter diet. Yes you know you have a bad product when the only way you can make it look good is to compare it to diets rich in butter. Yes it made bad cholesterol go up, but not as bad as butter, but how much is that really saying. That was all the science we had for ten years, but four new studies have recently come out, a population study and three clinical trials. The population was Filipino women, and although those that ate the most coconut oil had the worst levels of bad cholesterol, they were also more overweight, which alone can raise your cholesterol. When the fact that the coconut oil eaters were eating a lot more calories, and were more overweight, etc. was factored out the rise in cholesterol lost statistical significance. To really control for factors, though, you've got to put it to the test. The first clinical trial involved giving people 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day for 3 months and their bad cholesterol went up but not significantly. But during this time they were all forced to lose weight be being placed on a calorie-restricted diet. When you lose weight your LDL should drop naturally; the fact that it didn't on the coconut oil suggests an adverse effect. A most encouraging study was this one, an open-label, meaning not blinded, no control group, pilot study in which 2 tablespoons for coconut oil a day for a month added to their regular diet did not worsen their cholesterol, though when tested in a better designed study—a randomized crossover trial coconut oil did significantly worsen bad cholesterol, hence Walt Willett's recommendation from Harvard, if you are going to use it use it sparingly. Now look, if you're eating so healthy that your LDL cholesterol is under 60 or 70, then I don't see coconut oil as a problem. Unlike saturated animal fats, coconut oil doesn't cause that spike inflammation immediately after consumption of animal foods, which makes sense because as you'll remember it may be the dead bacterial endotoxins in animal products ferried into the body by saturated fat that are to blame. So in this study when people were given chocolate cake made out of flax seed oil or coconut oil we didn't see much change in inflammatory gene expression, but the cod liver oil cake seemed worse.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Jonathan Hodgson.

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Acknowledgments

Images thanks to Jon DÃez Supat, thehoneybunny kristin_a (Meringue Bake Shop), 0Four / Flickr, Kulmalukko and Kitty Mecklenburg via Wikimedia Commons

Doctor's Note

If you missed my last video, this is a follow-up to Does Coconut Oil Cure Alzheimer's?

Here are the two saffron videos I referenced: Saffron for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s and Saffron Versus Aricept. The spice may also help with PMS (Saffron for the Treatment of PMS) and depression (Saffron vs. Prozac).

Think my water-in-Coke joke was too over the top? When a corporate exec was asked on the stand if Coca Cola was "nutritious" he said that it is "providing water, and I think that is part of a balanced diet."

More on meat industry hijinks in videos/blogs like:

The "compared to butter" bit reminds me of the "compared to pork" nuttiness: Nuts and Bolts of Cholesterol Lowering.

What was that thing I said about saturated animal fat and endotoxins? See my three part series:

Please be sure to check out my associated blog post for even more context: Is Coconut Oil Bad For You?

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Comment Etiquette

bgrune
Good video and I agree that coconut oil like all oils should be used sparingly in the diet. I have read that while coconut oil may raise LDL it also raises HDL significantly. I have also read that Lauric acid may have many beneficial properties. Coconut oil also contains medium-chain triglycerides which may be readily used by the body for energy which is why many athletes favor it. As Dr. Greger points out, it is healthier than comparable animal derived saturated fats such as butter. Makes a great pie crust though I also try to use pie sparingly in my diet.
- Toxins
  Just because both HDL and LDL go up, does not mean coconut oil is heart protective.
  Coconut oil manufacturers constantly point a finger to the medium chain saturated fatty acids being used for energy expenditure and therefore not being disposed of as fat in adipose tissue. Coconut oil
  does indeed contain medium chain fatty acids and this may be metabolized differently but there are very few studies to make the conclusion that coconut oil is “ok” or that medium chain saturated fats are negligible. A tablespoon of coconut oil has about 12 grams of total saturated fat. about 8 grams of this is medium chain saturated fat and about 3.7 grams of this is long chain saturated fat. We have an abundance of evidence concluding that long chain saturated fats are harmful so we cannot consider this oil a healthy option based on that alone.
  As far as minerals and vitamins go, there is not one significant vitamin or mineral in coconut oil. The only vitamin present in a tablespoon of coconut oil is .1 micrograms of vitamin k which does not even register as a percentage of daily value. Its also absent of any omega 3 fats. Just looking at coconut oils nutritional profile we see that it is clearly a junk food. Junk food is by definition empty calories.
  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/508/2
  - Plant Power
    You’re the bomb, Toxins! I never thought I’d say that…
  - kathi richards
    Though I absolutely love coconut oil I think I will reduce consumption. I may have to leave it in my triple coconut cookies. Thank you for the input. Yes, another junk food when it is separated from the source.
    - Toxins
      You can always apply it topically as a moisturizer.
  - Bert
    Your facts are outdated. There are two different types of LDL. Type A which is large and buoyant and type B which is small and dense. Type B is caused by oxidized lipids and can become lodged in the endothelium whereas type A is not. PUFA’s are responsible for type B.
    - Toxins
      Please share evidence that long chain saturated fats are negligible in terms of LDL cholesterol levels.
      - Bert
        http://chriskresser.com/the-most-important-thing-you-probably-dont-know-about-cholesterol
      - Bert
        Toxins, most of the studies that you cite are from Government agencies that have adopted the low fat mantra being spewed from their corporate sponsors. VERY BIASED info that recommends statins for health. Ridiculous !
      - Ori LegFav
        RIP Junk Science:
        http://www.activistpost.com/2014/04/researchers-urge-return-to-butter-and.html
        https://www.facebook.com/notes/eric/ldl-hdl-cholesterol-most-vital-lipids/10100635712918228
    - vegan minstrel
      Insofar as oxidized lipids are a culprit in atherosclerosis, coconut oil lacks the antioxidant protection of vitamin E which comes with many other oils, so using it for daily cooking seems unwise. Coconut flakes in moderation appear alright, probably due to the fiber in that. Moderate amounts of Daiya vegan cheese (made with coconut oil, palm oil, etc.) might be alright for the same reason, inclusion of plant fiber.
      - sn321
        Coconut oil has been used for so many years in India. It is one of the safest oils to use when deep frying. They use it in almost everything with NO SIDE EFFECTS.
  - Bert
    Where is this abundance of evidence concluding that long chain saturated fats are harmful ? The people of India, Philippines and Thailand use coconut oil exclusively to eat and cook with and there was never any history of CVD until modern industrial seed oils were adopted. This is all more Vegan propaganda designed to scare people.
    - Joe
      Bert – on the wider point of saturated fats – there is a ton of research from the last few decades pointing the finger. That is not to say it is right – I don’t trust the health agencies one iota – but the health agencies have made their recommendations based on those studies – its not simply vegan propaganda.
      There are also so many other factors. Thai diets for example are rich in greens and fruit and whole foods. If the saturated fat from coconut was causing damage, its quite possible that other magical things in their diets were negating it.
      Olive oil here in the med is another tricky thing to study, for that very reason. Anyway, one thing is for sure – those highly processed seed oils are bad news.
    - leepers
      Bert, could it be that the people from the countries you mentioned might have a genetic expression that protects them from the (perceived?) damages of long chain saturated fats?
    - Eve Curtis
      coconut oil is plant based and could be part of a vegan diet.
    - Lata Vasvani
      It is true that some parts of India cook in coconut oil, but I am informed from good source that the tradition of using coconut oil was because that was common and available in their land, and since they toiled and worked in their land, they were healthy. Now those same people have a different lifestyle. They pay others to till their land and do not exercise as much. Hence they have developed many lifestyle ailments. They now use rice bran or other oils.
  - TheGardenAddict .
    I eat coconut oil every day. My HDLs went up and my LDLs and triglycerides went down when I stopped eating the carbs and starting eating healthy fats. My total cholesterol was dangerously low at 118. I have finally gotten it to 156. I feel so much better eating fat. The fats that are bad are transfats, too much omega-6 relative to omega-3s, too many PUFAs. Correlations studies from the past are being proven wrong. Good fats do not cause heart disease. Inflammation causes heart disease. A plant-based diet can allow for quite a bit of fat. I eat my own grass-fed chicken eggs, coconut oil, nuts, seeds and butters, some meat, avocados, olive oil along with lots and lots of greens and some fruit, including raw. I have never felt better. I was a vegetarian for 20 years. I ate healthy food, not junk food as a vegetarian but not enough fat, too many carbs and too much tofu and grains. real food is the key. Not this crap being called food that most people eat. A study that utilizes subjects that eat corn-fed animals or any of the staples of the Western diet already has confounding variables.
    - Dan
      So grains aren’t “real food”?
      Also what kind of chickens do you have that thrive on grass as a staple?
      - SilverStar
        Correct, grains as we eat them are not real food :-)
        To a few grains from the land is not unhealthy but to eat daily a dish full of grain manipulated to bread of pasta or even cooked rice or any other grains is simply not meant to be eaten. It’s unnatural and for that very hard on our digestion-system to digest. Simple as that.
    - sn321
      100% Agree!!! Grass-fed. :-)
Jerry Kayne
What about coconut water? I drink Harmlest Harvest 100% raw coconut water after a workout (ice hockey) as a substitute for Gatorade.
- Thea
  Jerry: It’s my understanding that coconut water is completely different than what this video is talking about. It is so pure (when you get it pure – not the commercial stuff in the stores now-a-days) that it would technically be dripped right into your blood vessels. Dr. Greger has a video somewhere which mentions coconut water.
  When people are discussing the potential health problems with coconut products, they are usually discussing products made with the meat of the coconut – oil, milk, cream, and flakes.
  As for whether or not coconut water has any special health benefits, I don’t know. I’ve never heard that the water harms health in a signficant way. I’ve heard plenty of claims that it benefits health, but I don’t know if we have the science to back it up. You might want to check out Dr. Greger’s comment on this topic in his Ask the Doctor area:
  http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/the-benefits-of-coconut-water/
  Good luck!
  - http://www.facebook.com/anthony.lorenzo.140 Anthony Lorenzo
    Coconut water is loaded with electrolytes… it is great for dehydration and for uses where doctors would prescribe Pedialyte, if you are seeking natural alternatives.
ken engle
and what about coconut milk? Maybe I should switch back to almond milk
- Toxins
  Dr. Greger covers coconut milk here:
  http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-coconut-milk-good-for-you/
- http://www.facebook.com/anthony.lorenzo.140 Anthony Lorenzo
  Hemp milk is likely the best alternative for humans to consume…. as hemp is also loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids and is a complete protein for adults, not sure about children.
thehungryguineapig
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract – ’nuff said
- http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
  Dr. Greger obviously doesn’t know that his idol Ancel Keys (the charlatan responsible for the current diabesity pandemic) in fact ate beef. I’ve never felt better and healthier since I found that the Lipid Hypothesis is a big made up lie (thanks to Gary Taubes) and started to eat grass-fed dairy products, pastured eggs, extra-virgin coconut oil, grass-fed meats, and eliminated wheat from my diet!
  - http://www.facebook.com/jayquasters Jay Quasters
    Maybe you would appreciate watching these 4part vids and why Ancel Keys is absolutely no charlatan. If you watch you the whole 71 videos long playlist you might also find out why Gary Taubes is, well… funny.
    - BradK
      Why watch videos when as a biochemist I can read the literature and deduce that Keys was full of sh*t?
      - Carlos169
        I bet you have not really researched it to any depth and if you have you are biased like Gary Taubes is. Ancel Keys was not full of sh*t.
      - Bert
        The biggest bias comes from these vegan charlatans who perpetuate this low fat bunk.
      - Jaxson14
        Bert…. where are you getting this ‘vegan charlatans’ bullshit? The low sat fat, high carb studies aren’t coming from vegan camps, they’re coming from FDA which is in bed with the meat and dairy industry as strongly as they are with soy…. I think this is your own personal thing. Maybe you feel guilty about eating meat?
      - mark gottlieb
        Lord on high, you all are argumentative. Personally for me a whole-food-plant-based diet (vegan if you wish) seems to work well, but it has taken basic calorie restriction to lose serious weight. I’m trying to integrate some MCTs into my diet by using coconut oil in place of much of the small amounts of olive oil that were part of my diet, and maybe a bit more. We’ll see how that goes.
        But quite frankly for some the Paleo approach may be more palatable, for others vegan. Then read and debate specific arguments and studies, don’t turn this into a sports blog!
  - Mike Quinoa
    A little problem…most North Americans don’t actually eat, or can’t afford, the diet you consume. There’s not enough pasture land available for everyone to eat grass-fed, unless everyone cuts back significantly on meat as well.
    - http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
      Well, sadly, I have to agree, but let’s not mix science and political correctness. All studies are done with adulterated foods! Unfortunately, those are the foods most people eat, but at least, as scientists, dare to note “commercially-processed coconut oil” so that it is loud and clear.
      - http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
        Extra-virgin coconut oil is a “commercially-processed coconut oil”. With reports about a good percentage of extra virgin olive oil being less than virginal, and considering olive oil definitions are legally regulated, whereas coconut oil is not, I’d have trust issues with anything that comes from a jar these days.
        Eat a real, whole coconut instead.
    - Bert
      There are millions of acres of grassland that are not used and cannot be used for crop cultivation. Pastured ruminant animals reverse desertification by fixing CO2 back into the grass. Just another vegan biased lie of yours and Dr. Gregor’s.
      - handsomevegetarian
        Bull.
        The grasslands of north america are unrecognizable specifically because of large scale animal grazing, and doing so prevents other wild ruminants from getting their dietary needs.
        This logic is right up there with shooting wolves to prevent them attacking livestock herds, because the natural balance has been disturbed so much and human population has intruded on their territory so much that they basically have no choice.
        They’re not malicious, they’re just animals. We’re the ones that can make a conscious choice to change our behaviour.
      - handsomevegetarian
        also the main emotion I read from most of the people posting on this site is a paralyzing fear of DEATH.
        everyone try to breathe, fear is great at obstruction clear rational thinking.
  - Toxins
    You are consuming quite the unhealthful duet for a variety of reasons. There are inherent compounds in these foods that you cannot separate simply by eating organic. Lets look at each.
    Firstly, lets look at dairy.
    These first few will discuss specifically calcium from cows milk and slowly evolve to showing the harms that arise from dairy consumption
    A review published in the Journal of Pediatrics focused on the benefits of dairy “the findings of epidemiologic and prospective studies have raised questions about the efficacy of the use of dairy products for the promotion of bone health.” after a review of the existing literature and finding “A positive relationship between dairy product consumption and measures of bone health in children or young adults was reported in 1 of 4 cross-sectional studies; in 0 of 3 retrospective studies; in 0 of 1 prospective study; and in 2 of 3 randomized, controlled trials. Only 1 of these randomized clinical trials adequately controlled for vitamin D intake, and it showed no significant effect of dairy products on BMD [bone mineral density]” , they concluded, “Scant evidence supports nutrition guidelines focused specifically on increasing milk or other dairy product intake for promoting child and adolescent bone mineralization.”
    http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/115/3/736.long
    A meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal found, “The small effect of calcium supplementation on bone mineral density in the upper limb is unlikely to reduce the risk of fracture, either in childhood or later life, to a degree of major public health importance.”and “The authors concluded that the literature did not support recommendations for consumption of dairy products for bone health end points in children and young adults…Our quantitative systematic review confirms this conclusion” The authors also state, “Our results also do not support the premise that any type of calcium supplementation is more effective than another.” Even studies that used intakes of 1400 mg per day of calcium showed no benefit.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1602024/?tool=pubmed
    An editorial accompanying this meta-analysis pointed out,
    “Populations that consume the most cow’s milk and other dairy products have among the highest rates of osteoporosis and hip fracture in later life. Given this fact, it is important to ask whether sufficient evidence exists to continue assuming that consumption of these foods is part of the solution.” They concluded “It is time to revise our calcium recommendations for young people and change our assumptions about the role of calcium, milk, and other dairy products in the bone health of children and adolescents. While the policy experts work on revising recommendations, doctors and other health professionals should encourage children to spend time in active play or sports, and to consume a nutritious diet built from whole foods from plant sources to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and provide an environment conducive to
    building strong bones.”
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1602030/
    A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of the research on the effects of dairy products on bone health found 57 studies, and of these, 21 studies were considered to have stronger-evidence, worthy of inclusion in this review. “Of 21 stronger-evidence studies, 57% were not significant, 29% were favorable, and 14% were unfavorable.” Keep in mind that the majority of these studies were funded by the dairy industry, and even with this natural bias and influence to produce positive outcomes, no better than 29% of the studies were favorable to bone health. One of the studies that showed unfavorable results that was funded by the dairy industry showed some shocking outcomes. The findings showed post menopause subjects who received the extra milk (three 8 ounce glasses of skimmed milk daily) for a year lost more bone than those who didn’t drink the extra milk. The authors wrote, “The protein content of the milk supplement may have a negative effect on calcium balance, possibly through an increase in kidney losses of calcium or through a direct effect on bone resorption…this may have been due to the average 30 percent increase in protein intake during milk supplementation.” Skim milk is very high in protein so this is unavoidable unless one is to consume the very fatty whole milk in which 2-5% of the fat content is trans fat and is very high in saturated fat.
    http://www.ajcn.org/content/72/3/681.long
    http://www.ajcn.org/content/41/2/254.long
    Its evidence such as this that I am unconvinced calcium should be from cows milk. Long term studies on vegan bone density comparing the omnivores diet showed the same bone density “…although vegans have much lower intakes of dietary calcium and protein than omnivores, veganism does not have an adverse effect on bone mineral density and does not alter body composition.” The vegan participants had been on a vegan diet an average of 33 years.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19350341
    I find it interesting that modern society believes that the human species is dependent on the milk of another animal species. The primary biologic purpose of cow’s milk is to grow a 60 pound calf to a 600 pound cow in less than 8 months. This is no way natural to humans as cow’s milk has high concentrations of protein, potassium, sodium, calcium, and other nutrients to sustain rapid growth. In comparison, these nutrients are at a three to four times lower concentration in human milk than cow’s milk. Milk is used to promote growth, so how is this natural as human adults to be consuming milk, let alone another species of animals milk? Dairy is a heavy promoter of insulin like growth factor in adults. This spike in IGF-1 is the most likely source of positive bone growth in the studies showing favorable outcomes of dairy on bones, not necessarily the calcium. Elevated IGF-1 does more harm than good in adults, it heavily promotes tumor growth in breast, prostate, lung, and colon cells and accelerates the aging process.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12417786
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16168602
    The consumption of dairy in children has resulted in earlier puberty. “The effect of animal protein intake, which was associated with an earlier puberty onset, might mainly be due to dairy. “An earlier puberty onset has been related to an increased risk for hormone-related cancers in adulthood. For example, a meta-analysis of 26 epidemiological studies reported a 9% risk reduction for breast cancer with every additional year at menarche. Additionally, recent study results demonstrated that a 1-y delay in menarche was associated with a 2.4 to 4.5% lower total mortality.
    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/140/3/565.long
    The concern with dairy and hormone dependent cancer is something to think about as well. It has been shown that consuming dairy significantly increases circulating steroid hormones in woman and that vegetarians have far less of this hormone. “In conclusion, greater consumption of red meat and dairy products might influence circulating concentrations of SHBG and estradiol, respectively. Given the well-established role of steroid hormones in breast cancer etiology for postmenopausal women, these findings may have important health implications” Tumor growth from these hormone imbalances is also evident “A dramatic increase in estrogen-dependent malignant diseases, such as ovarian, corpus uteri, breast, testicular and prostate cancers has been recognized. Ganmaa et al. investigated the incidence and mortality of
    testicular and prostate cancers in relation to dietary practices. Among various food items, cow’s milk and cheese had the highest correlation with incidence and mortality rate of these cancers” Children are at high risk “Among the exposure of humans, especially prepubertal children, to exogenous estrogens, we are particularly concerned with” These xenoestrogens from lactating preganant cattle (the majority of commercial cattle used for milk) significantly raised estrogen levels in male adults and reduced testosterone levels and did
    even more so in children. This is significant since these estrogens have mutagenic affects “Toxicological and epidemiological studies have indicated that E2 could be categorized as a carcinogen. Milk is considered to be a rich source of estrogens. Indeed, E2 concentration is higher in mammary drainage than in the peripheral circulation in high yielding cows.”
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20211044
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19904296
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19496976
    Lets look at eggs now, keep in mind, these are inherent compounds that cannot be separated simply by eating organic.
    Eggs are considered good sources of lutein and omega 3 and an excellent source of protein. For these reasons, they are considered health foods. I am going to present the real science behind eggs showing that this is false. Firstly, chickens only have lutein due to the fact that they have a varietized feed, these nutrients are not inherent of eggs. A spoonful of spinach has as much lutein as 9 eggs. We cannot really consider eggs an appropriate source of this nutrient. As for protein, all whole foods are complete sources of protein so this statement to its benefits is insignificant. Energy needs satisfy energy expenditures which is equivalent to protein needs. As long as you eat whole plant foods when your hungry till your full, then your getting enough protein.
    Regarding Omega 3, current levels of omega 3 in eggs are highly inadequate and one must consume around 30 eggs to reach an acceptable level of omega 3 for the day. A male needs around 1.6 grams of omega 3 per day, a female needs around 1.1 grams a day. Omega 3 processes to EPA which is also processed to DHA, which is highly anti inflammatory. Omega 6 processes down to arachadonic acid which is highly inflammatory. The fact that eggs are the top source of arachadonic acid nulls and voids benefits received from the omega 3 in the egg itself. High intake of arachadonic acid is linked to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, as well as a clear link with cancer development.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=20950616uid
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18774339
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21139128
    In fact, David Spence, director of stroke prevention/atherosclerosis research center and one of the worlds leading stroke experts, said that based on the latest research, you can eat all the eggs you want IF your dying of a terminal illness. Eggs are not considered health promoting nutritionally speaking.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18400699
    Eggs have been linked with heart failure
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18954578
    As well as type 2 diabetes.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2628696/?tool=pubmed
    Furthermore, in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, David Spence, David Jenkins (the inventor of the glycemic index) and Jean Davignon (director of atherosclerosis research group) posted a review on eggs claiming that the egg industry has been downplaying the health risks of eggs through misleading advertisements. As soon as you eat one egg, you expose your body to several hours worth of oxidative stress, inflammation of ones arteries, endothelieum impairment (what keeps you blood running smoothly) and increases the susceptibility of LDL cholesterol to oxidize (beginning stages of heart disease).
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21076725
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9001684
    The egg industry has claimed that cholesterol from eggs is not important and does not raise cholesterol levels. The fundamental flaw in the study the egg industry has used to make this claim is that they measured FASTING lipid levels at night and not levels through out the day after egg consumption. “Diet is not all about fasting lipids; it is mainly about the three-quarters of the day that we are in the nonfasting state. Fasting lipids can be thought of as a baseline; they show what the endothelium was exposed to for the last few hours of the night.”
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989358/?tool=pubmed
    A single egg yolk contains approximately 215 to 275 mg of cholesterol. A safe upper limit can be capped at 200 mg if one is looking to prevent heart disease. One egg far exceeds this daily upper limit.
    Regarding coconut oil
    Looking at specifics, coconut oil has only 3 studies that supposedly support its use, but when the studies are examined in detail, we see that the evidence for its use is actually quite weak. Here is a summary on the 3 studies.
    Only 1 study on weight loss:
    Forty obese women cut their food intake by 200 calories a day and exercised four days a week. Half of them used two tablespoons of coconut oil (about 240 calories’ worth) every day in their cooking and the other half used soybean oil.
    After three months, both groups had lost the same amount of weight, about two pounds. To me this is not at all significant, and it could very well be attributed to the loss of calories as well as the exercise, not the oil.
    http://www.missclasses.com/mp3s/Prize%20CD%202010/Coconuts/oil%20and%20obesity.pdf
    Only 1 poorly concluded study with very mixed results on Alzheimers:
    Placebo and coconut fat takers scored no different on a cognitive impairment test when the subjects were randomized. If they weren’t randomized (which could represent stacking up the placebo group with very sick patients) then the coconut fat consumers scored slightly better after 45 days. After 90 days though everyone pretty much evened out. This is not something I would use as evidence either, yet it is.
    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/6/1/31
    Only 1 old study done to supposedly support heart disease:
    In the only study done in people in the last 17 years, Malaysian
    researchers last year found that when they fed young men and women 20 percent of their calories from coconut oil for five weeks, LDL cholesterol was 8 percent higher and HDL cholesterol was 7 percent higher than when the participants were fed 20 percent of their calories from olive oil.
    Just because Both bad cholesterol and good cholesterol went up does not mean that coconut oil is protective against heart disease and it does not at all mean its healthy. This doesn’t make good sense.
    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2011/10/26/ajcn.111.020107.full.pdf
    The above 3 studies are the only studies to date that support coconut oil use, and as you can see, they are quite insufficient.
    In addition, coconut oil manufacturers constantly point a finger to the medium chain saturated fatty acids being used for energy expenditure and therefore not being disposed of as fat in adipose tissue. Coconut oil does indeed contain medium chain fatty acids and this may be metabolized differently but there are very few studies to make the conclusion that coconut oil is “ok” or that medium chain saturated fats are negligible. A tablespoon of coconut oil has about 12 grams of total saturated fat. about 8 grams of this is medium chain saturated fat and about 3.7 grams
    of this is long chain saturated fat. We have an abundance of evidence concluding that long chain saturated fats are harmful so we cannot consider this oil a healthy option based on that alone. Coconut oil is also absent of omega 3 so we would be consuming a product that is 91% saturated fat
    In addition to all this, there are endotoxins, elevated IGF-1, and other compounds that will help to cause chronic illnesses and are all inherent of animal products. Your diet is not a healthy one.
    - http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
      Thanks for the wealth of resources, I will read later and respond when I get home, but I want to ask how many of those studies were made using unadulterated dairy, meats, and coconut oil? Because, for example, ultra-pasteurized and homogenized milk from inhumanely raised in dirt and misery, grain-fed animals, injected or fed with antibiotics and hormones, is not what I or any sane person would recommend. Just like vegans/vegetarians carefully select the foods they eat, conscious omnivores do the same. Regarding my diet being healthy or not, my lab results can speak for themselves. Just by replacing organic whole-grain bread and oatmeal in my diet with eggs, meat, cheese, and brisling sardines, I lost 15 lbs after I actually have increased my caloric intake as I now eat tons of raw almonds and avocados to alkalize, too.
      - Toxins
        Like i mentioned, none of that matters, as homogenized milk, raw milk, and organic homogenized milk all contain xenoestrogens, same with the other foods mentioned, conventional vs organic makes no difference, these are inherent compounds.
        Regarding your meat centric diet, you very well could be consuming less calories. More calories does not equal weight loss, and less calories does not equal weight gain. This is physics. Regardless of your weight loss, you are now exposing your body to much more than you are bargaining for. Lets look at the paleo diet (which is basically a fancy atkins diet).
        The paleolithic diet severely restricts simple and complex
        carbohydrates and advocates high meat and vegetable consumption. The vegetable part is good, but the high meat and rejection of carbohydrates is based on pseudoscience. This is another Atkins diet essentially.
        If you are following the diet strictly, you should be in a state of ketosis. What this means is that your body does not run on insulin but uses fat as fuel. The state of ketosis is commonly seen with people in starvation or with severe illness. When one is consuming carbohydrates, fat can be broken down as well but it is not the same as ketosis, as fat is now burned as the primary fuel source and is burned inefficiently. The byproduct of this inefficient process are toxic substances known as ketones, hence the name ketosis. Your body does its best to rid itself of these ketones through the lungs (why strict paleolithic dieters have rotten apple breath) and through urine.
        Why does this matter? Well this can be attributed to your weight loss as not only does the state of ketosis inhibit hunger pangs (essentially making you eat less calories
        which is why people end up losing weight on this diet) but it also causes you to lose water weight. To wash these toxic waste products out of our system our body uses a lot of water. The diuretic effect of low carb diets can result in people losing a gallon of water in pounds the first week. The body also resorts to using its glycogen stores of glucose. Glycogen, stored in the liver and muscles, can meet the average person’s glucose needs for about 12 to 18 hours. With each gram of glycogen is stored 2.7 grams of water. The average body stores 300 grams of glycogen. Depletion of the body’s glycogen would result in an almost overnight weight loss of 3 pounds. This precipitous early weight loss encourages dieters to continue the diet even though they have lost mostly water weight.
        What else does ketosis entail?
        The symptoms of ketosis include general tiredness, abrupt or gradually increasing weakness, dizziness, headaches, confusion, abdominal pain, irritability, nausea and vomiting, sleep problems and bad breath. Ketosis impairs cognitive ability. As reported in the International Journal of Obesity article “Cognitive Effects of Ketogenic Weight-Reducing Diets,” researchers randomized people to either a ketogenic or a nonketogenic weight loss diet. Although both groups lost the same amount of weight, those on the ketogenic diet suffered a significant drop in cognitive performance.After one week in ketosis, higher order mental processing and mental flexibility significantly worsened into what the researcher called a “modest neuropsychological impairment.”
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8589783
        Ketosis does not allow your brain to make good use of serotonin (what makes you happy)
        http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/carbs.html
        These are all short term side affects. What about long term side effects? High meat diets heavily promote the insulin like growth factor hormone. This hormone accelerates aging and heavily promotes tumor growth. Well considering that paleolithic societies don’t live
        very long (most don’t make it past 60 and the ones that do, like the Inuit, live on average 10 years less then the average Canadian (about the age of 65) this diet is already flawed.
        http://www.unm.edu/~jlancas/KaplanHillLancasterHurtado_2000_LHEvolution.pdf
        Studies at Harvard and elsewhere involving tens of thousands of women and men have shown that regular meat consumption may increase colon cancer risk
        as much as 300 percent.
        http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/54/9/2390.short
        Cancer is a disease primarily caused by diet. What’s the number one recommendation of the American Institute for Cancer Research? Plant based diets. The number one recommendation of the World Cancer Research Fund? Plant-based diets. The number one recommendation of the National Cancer Institute, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization
        of the United Nations? More fruits and vegetables. The number one recommendation of the American Cancer Society? More plants, less meat. In fact the American Cancer Society has officially condemned diets high in animal products. Cancer is preventable and in some cases reversible on a whole foods plant based diet.
        So high protein low carb diets heavily promote Cancer, what else? Since protein is not stored in your body but is excreted out through urine, kidney scarring is a very realistic threat to one on this diet. Kidney scarring results in heavily decreased kidney function eventually leading to kidney failure. Kidney failure is irreversible and the only way to manage it is through kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation.
        http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM198209093071104
        The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that high animal protein intake is also largely responsible for the high prevalence of kidney stones in the United States. Plant protein does not seem to have a harmful effect.
        http://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/1115/p2269.html
        A review over low carb diets revealed that “Complications such as heart arrhythmias, cardiac contractile function impairment, sudden death, osteoporosis, kidney damage, increased cancer risk, impairment of physical activity and lipid abnormalities can all be linked to long-term restriction of carbohydrates in the diet.”
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14672862
        The concern with bone health arises from the fact that muscle protein has a high sulphur content. When people eat too much of this meat protein, sulfuric acid forms within our bodies which must somehow be neutralized to maintain proper internal pH balance. One way our bodies can buffer the sulphuric acid load caused by meat is with calcium borrowed from our bones. This is actually why dairy tends to be harmful for the bones. Cheese has a very high sulfuric load. People on high meat diets can lose so much calcium in the urine which solidifies to form kidney stones. Over time, high animal protein intakes may leach enough calcium from the bones to increase one’s risk of osteoporosis. People may be peeing their bones into the toilet along with the ketones.
        Researchers from the university of Texas and Chicago published a study concluding that “Consumption of an LCHP [low carb high protein] diet for 6 weeks delivers a marked acid load to the kidney, increases the risk for stone formation, decreases estimated calcium balance, and may increase the risk for bone loss.” After just two weeks on this type of diet, the subjects were already losing 258 mg of calcium in their urine every day.
        http://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386%2802%2900039-2/abstract
        What about heart disease? Since the paleolithic diet includes A LOT of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, the risk for heart disease has increased by a lot. No matter what you may here from a paleolithic diet book or what some crock “doctor” like taubes has claimed, years and years of research has directly linked dietary cholesterol
        and saturated fat with heart disease. Even independent of the effects on obesity, meat consumption itself has been related to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
        http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0091743584900173
        The fat from animal foods damages our endothelial cells, lining our blood vessels. These cells are responsible for clearing up plaque and dilating our vessels. A high animal protein meal will inhibit proper endothelial function for 6 hours until they heal and regenerate. Over time, excessive damage does not allow our cells to heal back until we change our diet to a purely plant based diet. This is why heart disease is so prevalent in America, its the high fat intake from animal products. Most people hospitalized with heart attacks have cholesterol levels considered “desirable” under the current recommendations. Having a “normal” cholesterol in a society where it’s normal to die of heart disease is not necessarily a good thing. The average cholesterol of the patients who were hospitalized for heart issues in this study were at 170. This is considered “desirable” to your doctor. The logic is not to assume cholesterol is negligible, but that the “desirable” levels for cholesterol are too high.
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21146668
        It has already been proven that a purely plant based diet can reverse heart disease and that animal products promote the progression of atherosclerosis. So why continue to eat the wrong way and promote one of America’s top killers?
        Keep in mind, everything discussed here has to do with inherent compounds found in meat, and none of thee compounds change when one switches from conventional to grass fed.
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=1973470
      - ted
        Awesome information, Toxins! (When do you sleep?) I’m looking forward to delving into the many references you cite. I’ll remember your “response” so that I may direct potential “Paleos” to it so they can make a more informed decision based on science instead of Internet antidotes.
      - http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper
        Toxins is AMAZING, I wish I had half the talent/eloquence/smarts that s/he does. I, too, will commit this response to memory as the Paleo/Primal (re-formulated Atkins diet) viewpoint comes up ALL the time these days. I predict that it is a trend that will eventually fizzle out, once the health outcomes start to wreak havoc on people’s long term health.
        As Dr. Ornish has stated in his book _The Spectrum_ “… a convergence of scientific evidence can help us resolve conflicting claims and distinguish what just sounds good from what’s proven to be true.” (p.4). Dr. Greger has stated the same viewpoint many times on this site.
        There is A LOT of bad science out there, and sadly most people are not skilled at how to critically read and understand scientific papers.Jeff Novick does a great job of addressing this in his newsletter Todays Breaking Health News!!. I highly recommend it.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
        The Jeff Novick link doesn’t work. Do you have a title for his article?
      - http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper
        @facebook-670735069:disqus I fixed the link; it should work now. If not, try this: http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Newsletter/Entries/2012/6/18_Todays_Breaking_Health_News!.html. The article is called “Today’s Breaking Health News!!”. It’s dated, Monday, June 18, 2012 and is in the Newsletter section of his web-site.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
        Oh cool. Thanks very much!
      - BrianHumphrey
        I love you Toxins!!! I’ve been studying diets of all kinds for almost 10 years and this one the best and most concise scientific reasons to adopt and in my case stick with a plant-base diet!! Simply Amazing! I’m copying and pasting this into the dicussion section of:http://www.meetup.com/Plant-Strong/
      - Bert
        RUBBISH !
      - Bert
        Serum Cholesterol levels have nothing to do with CVD. Even the Statin drug makers have conceded this fact. They now say the key factors for CVD are inflammation, C-reactive protein and triglycerides. Your info is out of date and merely reflects your biased vegan opinions. It has never been proven that a whole plant based diet will prevent CVD. Take one example; Davy Jones of the Monkees, RIP, was a vegetarian for decades and even jogged for exercise, died of a heart attack. Sam Simon was vegan since his teens and yet he developed cancer just the same. I know of at least 3 vegetarian women who got breast cancer too.
      - Toxins
        From the editor in chief of the American Journal of Cardiology.
        “As shown in Figure 1, most of the risk factors do not in themselves cause atherosclerosis [heart disease]…The atherosclerotic risk factors showing that the only factor required to cause atherosclerosis is cholesterol.”
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3603726/
        The information is not out of date, you are the one on the fringe who believes pseuodo science twisted by internet bloggers who think they are researchers. I am not interested in your anecdotes about vegans or vegetarians getting cancer, and I encourage you to have an open mind and explore this site as the issues you have difficulty with such as cholesterol and diet are explained in many videos through out this site with countless studies to back them up. This discussion regarding cholesterol particularly is silly once you have the background knowledge regarding cholesterol, its implications in heart disease, and the dietary influences. “Plant positive” has spent a lot of time gathering the data on what is already known and I encourage you to visit his site as well as explore more here. The video tagged below is a good starting point and cleans up the mess between what you might see in blogs vs the non-misconstrued data.
        http://www.plantpositive.com/18-cholesterol-confusion-1-pri/
      - Bert
        The link you provided is from a government website in which Dr. Dean Ornish is a part of. This info from this website is biased. Is this all you have ? Not much other than more BUNK !
      - Bert
        NCBI was started by the government and uses government data bases. The same people who encourage you to go on a low fat diet. The government agencies like the CDC are in lock step with whoever gives them the most money. Big Pharma is who is giving them the money for these studies and they are all biased in the low fat mantra.
      - Bert
        Before the 1920’s CVD was relatively unknown. People died of other illnesses other than CVD. The amount of saturated fat in our diet in the form of meat, eggs and dairy has decreased and yet CVD and cancer have increased since then. See any correlation yet ? Why is this Mr. Toxin ?
      - Bert
        I do have a very open mind. In fact, I was a vegetarian for 27 years, eating a mostly macrobiotic diet. So I have truly been there and done that. Since I changed my diet my health issues have almost completely gone away. I will never go back.
      - Paleo Huntress
        Toxins is a “true believer”, Bert. He’s been a vegetarian for a little over 3 years, and it is his savior and his salvation. He really isn’t interested in evidence.
        If cholesterol was the cause of arteriosclerotic plaques, we could cause this in vegetarian lab animals by feeding them cholesterol. But we can’t. Rabbits are the animals most commonly used in cholesterol experiments. When they are forced to eat cholesterol, their serum cholesterol rises 10 to 20 times higher than the highest ever seen in humans. And then even though cholesterol is deposited in the arteries, the deposits don’t resemble the lesions of human atherosclerosis.
        The cholesterol correlation is garbage. More cholesterol is found when the body is inflamed because it is the body’s anti-inflammatory. Without inflammation, cholesterol is harmless.
        It is inflammation that causes arterial sclerosis.
      - NotRappaport
        https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/anecdotal
      - Ray
        Ketones are only toxic in high amounts. They aren’t actually harmful in and of themselves and neither is ketosis.
      - Rami Najjar
        Plant positive brings to light the science of ketogenic diets and its associated harms in much more detail than I can provide for you here.
        http://plantpositive.com/blog/2012/3/26/tpns-58-61-ketosis-is-natural-natural-is-good.html
        http://plantpositive.com/the-ketogenic-advantage-nusi-g
      - Sara
        Or, you could go to the actual experts, those who’ve been doing the actual research and working with low carb and ketogenic diets for decades, Prof. Tim Noakes and Dr. Spencer Nadolsky. “Plant Positive” is not an expert or even a researcher. For that matter, Dr. Greger has never done any nutrition research either.
      - Rami Najjar
        None of those people are “experts”, the real experts as in those that are part of organizations that make honest health recommendations for the country, agree that low carbohydrate diets are damaging to health. Dr. Greger and plant positive have gathered the already available evidence to make this point. You don’t have to conduct a study to be versed in the literature. Branching outside of this coconut oil video would also be beneficial, as Dr. Greger has some very thorough and compelling videos with many relevant studies regarding this topic.
        http://nutritionfacts.org/?s=low+carb
      - Veganrunner
        So Tim Noakes. Really interesting story. He has this running book I have loved though the years. One theory he threw out there was that the brain was what limited us at max exhurstion not our heart.
        Anyhow on to the fat as energy thing he has been writing about lately. It all started because he ended up overweight and with heart disease. Man was that disappointing. Here was this guy on the insert of his book looking like a fit running professor and he becomes fat and unhealthy and joins the paleo group. Made me really sad.
      - Rami Najjar
        Its interesting how so many find the paleo diet so appealing. I am in the preliminary process of conducting my own study using paleo nutrition to the T vs very low fat plant based nutrition, head to head. Its going to be a short interventional study looking at the inflammatory effects of 1 meal + endothelial dysfunction but it will be very enlightening nonetheless. Both meals will be organic and the paleo meal will contain non starchy vegetables just like they advocate. It will be the first study of its kind to do this, and be true to both diets.
      - Veganrunner
        That is wonderful! So the subjects will come in and have one meal or the other and you will test endothelial function? The volunteers will be on the SAD? How many subjects will you have?
      - Thea
        Rami: This is SO COOL! I think this type of study is great. I hope you will let us know the results.
      - Rami Najjar
        I will!
    - Thea
      Wow. Once again Toxins, you are awesome!
    - Joe
      Brilliant information. Do you have anything to say about this study?
      http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.e8539
    - Bert
      These are all epidemiological studies which do not prove anything. Where is the clinical,double blind, placebo study ?
  - http://www.facebook.com/shay.jensen.9 Shay Jensen
    Grass fed dairy and meat with pastured eggs sounds good, but there’s something wrong with it. I grew up on a remote cattle ranch and my dad was very much against the use of any kind of pesticide or growth additive, either in the animals or hay crops. So all we had was pure naturally organic and grass-fed beef, pork, totally free range chickens. We even made our own butter and milked our own cows, and made cottage cheese.
    We had a 2 acre garden that required a lot of work to keep kids busy and we had our own orchard. The only store bought item we consumed regularly was Quaker Old Fashioned rolled oats, but mostly our diets were anything beef — including sweetbreads and scrambled brains with eggs.
    Sadly 3 of my siblings died young as teenagers from illnesses of unknown origin. There were 5 of us, close and close in age. My surviving brother was not deathly ill, but had hay fever, asthma and a heart murmur. My aunt always said it was because we ate far too much meat — and it would make my dad furious to be told that. When my oldest brother left home, he became totally vegan, and now over 30 years later — he looks like Adonis, as well as being super fit — fast and athletic.
    - Halli620
      I’m very sorry to hear about your siblings. However, this sounds like very anecdotal evidence. While the balance of research in general, taking into account many extremes, continues to suggest that a well rounded diet is best, with any beef being grass fed, but without excluding any of the 5 main “food groups, and yes, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. I haven’t seen any research linking meat to asthma, hay fever, or heart murmers, and certainly being physically fit requires physical exertion as much as a healthy diet. I’m very glad that your brother has gotten past his ailments and is doing well, though to claim that this proves that total abstention from meat was necessary is not supported, as opposed to the addition of newer, helpful dietary, medical, and/or exercise aspects. We cannot know what your young siblings passed from according to your post to attempt to link their deaths to meat or anything else. I hope that you and your family continue with the diets that you feel suit you best and that they continue to do so.
      - http://www.facebook.com/anthony.lorenzo.140 Anthony Lorenzo
        No one on this thread is suggesting an all meat diet is healthy, no matter how the animals are treated.
      - Guest
        How is this any different from the paleo cheerleaders who claim they reversed all their diseases and lost 15 pounds from stopping carbs and eating cow and eggs and coconut oil?
        It’s ALL anecdotal unless actual studies take place to prove it.
        Furthermore there is ZERO evidence that increasing consumption of animal products is healthful, where as increasing whole plant foods consumption is, and has been shown in thousands of studies.
- Mike Quinoa
  Are there any other studies that absolve saturated fat’s impact on CVD, and what kind of sat fat was used in this study?
  - thehungryguineapig
    It’s actually a meta-analysis which is compilation of a number of different studies (21 in this case). I don’t know what types of saturated fats were studied, but meta-analyses tend to be more comprehensive and reliable than single studies.
    - http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
      …unless the meta- researchers cherry-pick their base studies to meta-analyze. One needs to know their sources as well.
      - thehungryguineapig
        This is true.
      - thehungryguineapig
        This is true.
    - http://www.DonForresterMD.com/ Don Forrester MD
      I disagree with your statement about the reliability of meta analysis. We are seeing more of them because they are relatively inexpensive to do. The problem from a statistics point of view is that when you combine studies you bring all the shortcomings together. You also don’t see the studies that were excluded. It is hard to assess single studies but when you have many rolled together it is very difficult. It can be a very useful tool but like all studies need to be viewed within the context of their strengths and weaknesses.
      - thehungryguineapig
        Excellent point! I appreciate your feedback.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
  “Supported by the National Dairy Council”
Charlie Mike
I have been consuming coconut oil (a la carte) in copuious amounts for maybe 18 years, I recently had some blood work done and my numbers were great. I’m in my early forties and routinely eat coconut oil every morning as well as before athletic competitions. I workout maybe 3 times a week (nothing too intense). My resting heart rate is in the low 40’s. I enjoy smoking weed, doing yoga, holding hands and taking long walks on the beach. Coconut oil is great on your hair, skin (especially after getting sunburned), and makes for a phenomenal massage oil … the ladies love it :)
Hey Dr. I ordered one of your videos a couple of years ago and you never sent it, what gives?
CM
- http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.
  Sorry Charlie–please just email me your mailing address and what you ordered and I’ll send it right out.
  - Charlie Mike
    Wow I didn’t think you would be monitoring these comments but thank you for responding. Could you please send me an email address and I will supply the necessary informaiton. Thanks.
    - http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.
      mhg1@cornell.edu
      - Cbish
        I hope you get this. I can’t figure out where to post this question. What do you think of the hCG diet. What reliable studies have been done specifically about the safety and efficacy of the use of hCG itself? I have heard Nay Sayers say that it wrecks havoc on your metabolism. I have looked for unbiased research or anything that says the latter and have been unable.
- http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper
  Thanks for bringing a little humor to these sometimes heated nutrition discussions. :)
Charlie Mike
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iScs0uzQZFk
http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
Can we please stop calling LDL “bad cholesterol”? First, cholesterol is not bad. Secondly, not all LDL particles clog arteries – only the small dense ones and your studies measured only LDL-C. You’re trying so hard to be a vegetarian/vegan nazi than you start bashing even healthful vegetarian foods, because they have something remotely similar to meat products. This doesn’t serve you well!
- Carlos169
  Taubes is a fraud. This is well demonstrated in this series: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv3QDzdxan_JkGX47Rpboyh2oYyAFZDBA
  Did you know that the scientists you criticise discovered cholesterol’s role in the body? It’s not news to them. Glucose is the only fuel that red blood cells can use so there it is vital to the body too. Just like cholesterol too much in the blood is bad for you. Did you know cholesterol cannot pass the brain-blood barrier? Your brain cells make their own and every cell is capable of this.
  Ancel Keys was a productive scientist whom used to recommend bacon and eggs. He proved himself wrong like any good honest scientist should.
  - http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
    So, YouTube should be my source of (dis)information? When you pitch one or another theory so passionately (like the Plant Positive guy from the anti-Taubes YouTube series you mention) – being Ancel Keys, Gary Taubes, or Greger, you’re lead by your ego, agenda, and not purely by science. Cherry-picking studies that fit your point and ignoring others is being a charlatan and not a scientist. Even Ancel Keys knew that most circulating cholesterol is endogenous, yet, he vilified a super food like eggs! People are pushed from one extreme to another! Look at sodium, for example – another essential mineral was bashed with little evidence! Or take a look at the trendy gluten-free foods, which are trading celiac disease for diabetes! What Gary Taubes taught us is that traditional foods are best as they’ve passed through rigorous tests of time and that we’re best adapted to them. He also taught us that scientists are more often than not lead by interests other than science.
    - http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
      If Taubes were not criticized and protested by the very scientists he cites for his taking their words out of context and for imputing intent that was contrary to the researchers’ true positions, I might actually have a little respect for his point of view.
    - Toxins
      The youtube series is actually very well constructed and lays down the science very well. The paleo diet is indeed a crock.
    - Carlos169
      The thing that never ceases to amaze me is that no one make any specific criticism of Plant Positives work. Ever. Why is that?
      Gary Taubes also says there is no problem with factory farmed animal products as well. How is that traditional?
      All you’ve done is make big claims that scientists in general are wrong but have nothing specific.
      Dietary cholesterol does raise serum cholesterol you’re just picking the poor studies you want to pick there.
      - http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
        Nobody criticizes Plant Positive’s work as nobody has the patience to watch it all. I don’t recall in any of Gary Taubes’ two books (the original and the shorter and more recently updated one) to pitch of factory farmed animal products and I am only discussing his books. Yes, dietary cholesterol raises serum, too, but 80% of serum cholesterol is endogenous, so, eating eggs or not won’t really make a big dent. And serum cholesterol is not necessarily bad. Recently there were studies showing that the lower the serum cholesterol is, the shorter the lifespan is. I’m sure you’re aware of Chris Masterjohn and his work.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
        In his NY Times article, Taubes took his sources’ words out of context; that’s called dishonesty; no way around it.
      - joeboosauce
        It’s called academic integrity and honesty which Taubes has demonstrated time and time again. He’s a journalist with an agenda to sell books. That’s all he is.
        And Chris Masterjohn is motivated by his psychological issues as he mentioned in a recent debate on intelligence squared. He has made really bad assumptions on his own health issues and diet. I think the poor guy is just lost and you get that from the debate. You should research the people who feed you this “research.”
      - http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
        I’m not sure about Chris Masterjohn, but most vegans with no doubt make their dietary choices based on (often serious) psychological issues, not science.
      - joeboosauce
        Study please? No? Didn’t think so. What is the name of the psych disorder when you pull things out of your behind? Butterpullerouter maybe?
      - Paleo Huntress
        http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/9/1/67/abstract
        International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2012, 9:67
        “In Western cultures vegetarian diet is associated with an elevated risk of mental disorders.”
        What is the name of the psych disorder where one prefers cherry-picked studies over real data and is insufferably pious and rude to meat eaters simply because they disagree with you. Oh yes, I remember–Veganism. Let’s see if your madness can be cured.
      - joeboosauce
        Haha, Apparently, you have only a cursory understanding of the study you cite… Go actually read the study and read what it really says…
        Here is something to CONTEXTUALIZE that study for you… you ever see the skyrocketing rates of psych disorders in the USA??? Oh, let me guess, these millions upon millions are all vegans!
        You presented that study… here I’ll up you by 3.
        Restriction of meat, fish, and poultry in omnivores improves mood: A pilot randomized controlled trial
        http://www.nutritionj.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-11-9.pdf
        Research Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states: a cross-sectional study in Seventh Day Adventist adults
        http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1475-2891-9-26.pdf
        Arachidonic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid ratio in blood correlates positively with clinical symptoms of depression
        http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02637069
        If you want I can also give you the one with higher IQ correlation with veg children. And the pro-paleo attempted study which shows that paleo actually impairs brain function! LOL Are you part of that study?
      - Paleo Huntress
        The first two links lead me to a blank, black screen. Perhaps you could simply provide the citations and I’ll find them myself.
        The third link says nothing about omni or vegan diets.
        These are the three you’ve “upped” me by? Well, ok.
      - Paleo Huntress
        And yes, please elucidate me with a citation for the “pro-paleo” study that shows impaired brain function. I don’t know what this has to do with coconut oil or veganism, but I’d love to have it for my own library.
      - http://nikolay.com/ Nikolay Kolev
        The disorder is called “food with a face syndrome”.
      - Tommasina
        I’m all for a vigorous debate (even vehement disagreement!), but no insults or name-calling, please. Let’s keep this a safe place for all of us.
      - Paleo Huntress
        Without a doubt. Start with Greger, the guy has never done any nutrition research in his life and his allegiance is to the Humane Society which makes ALL oƒ his anti-animal food advice suspect.
        I can’t imagine what he might be motivated by… but it isn’t science.
      - Thea
        Paleo Huntress: It is unacceptable to post known lies about a person on this site. As evidenced by the hundreds and hundreds of videos showing the results of likely thousands of hours of nutrition research, it is patently untrue that Dr. Greger has never done nutrition research.
        You are welcome to disagree with Dr. Greger’s conclusions. The rest of your post, which expresses your opinion, is acceptable, if in poor taste. But the flat out lie is unacceptable.
        You have a come a remarkably LONG way in improving the tone of your posts on this site. I appreciate that you have made such an effort in toning down the rudeness. Let’s not backslide now.
      - Paleo Huntress
        Way to be triggered, Thea. It is not a lie, it is the absolute TRUTH.
        I’m not talking about him sitting in front of his computer READING, I’m talking about him being involved in the actual research… the stuff done in a lab? I’ve probably spent more time reading research than Dr. Greger has, what merit am I owed for that?
        Cite any peer-reviewed nutrition article published in a scientific journal with Dr. Greger’s name on it. The only actual research he’s ever done was on agriculture, not nutrition.
      - Paleo Huntress
        And please, save the judgmental sanctimony for someone who cares.
      - Paleo Huntress
        My apologies, Thea… I was struggling with a stubborn teen at the time I responded to you. FWIW, I do find your last paragraph both condescending and superior, but I didn’t need to be so harsh in my response. We have a history of miscommunication– I will try to keep that in mind the next time you misunderstand me, and I would hope that you’ll try to keep that in mind the next time you feel compelled to respond so ferociously. If we both do that, I think we’ll manage better.
      - Thea
        Paleo Huntress: My sympathies in dealing with a human teen. That can be tough.
        My last comment was meant as a sincere complement/appreciation of you and meant to be encouraging. I had been thinking those thoughts for some time now and thought this would be a good time to share. I wish the sentiment came across to you as I intended, but I hear you that it does not. I have taken note of your feelings and will do my best to avoid complements to you in the future. Fair enough.
      - Paleo Huntress
        Aww now, please try a little harder to be genuine. This is a compliment–> “You have a come a remarkably LONG way in improving the tone of your posts on this site.”
        This is a scolding–> “I appreciate that you have made such an effort in toning down the rudeness. Let’s not backslide now.”
        If there were any kind of relationship where you were a mentor, a boss, a parent or some other person in authority to me, it might possibly have context because one expects a relationship like that to foster a desire to please. But without any sort of relationship, the comment is condescending- in the same way that calling someone you don’t know by a familiar term like “Honey” or “sweetie” is.
        And I think you know that… it’s hard to imagine someone reaching your age without picking up some of the more subtle forms of communication. If you truly don’t, I apologize for the assumption.
        In the future, if you have an actual compliment to share that isn’t actually intended to provide context to a scolding, I hope you’ll feel free. =)
      - joeboosauce
        I’m sorry but is that all you got? That is a feeble attempt. Wow. Hmmm… let’s see, he provides YOU with research which which has nothing to do with him and mostly non-vegan researchers (not that it matters except to a few dullards who don’t even have the slightest understanding of peer-review publishing). But, I see… you are too LAZY to actually follow INTERNET LINKS to articles and examine them yourself. That you in a nutshell? Yeah, thought so, but no skill on my part, you just made it that easy miss “paleo huntress.” I’m finding that those on “paleo” have a severe critical thinking issues. BTW, you know that that diet those diet gurus sell books for have zero understanding of what people ate back then. That’s the problem with “paleo.” No one knows with any certainty what they ate BACK IN THE PAST. Plenty of evidence that they did not follow “The Paleo Diet” (trademark).
      - Paleo Huntress
        I have no idea where your assumptions come from, but that is all they are, ASSumptions. It isn’t often that Greger presents a citation to a published study that I haven’t already read, but when he does, I read it as well. There is nothing wrong with the data he posts, the issue is that he claims it proves something it cannot possibly prove, and he conspicuously leaves out the pro-meat data he found while “scouring” the research to the picture is never balanced, just perpetually biased.. If his intentions were truly to educate, he’d share everything pertinent to the topic, even if he disagrees with it. In fact, if he had a solid argument, a pro-meat study would give him the opportunity to show where the flaws are, but he just pretends it doesn’t exist.
        So again, instead of attacking strangers on the internet merely because they disagree with your religion, try reading what they write and responding to that instead.
        McDougall has done his own research.
        Frassetto has done her own research
        Ornish has done his own research.
        Cordain has done his own research.
        Campbell has done his own research.
        Cousens has done his own research.
        Greger has NOT done his own research. Greger scours OTHER people’s research.
        If you’re gonna look to a guru for information, you should definitely research the people who feed you this “research”– because ANY clown can learn to read at PubMed.
        “From:Disqus
        To: paleo.huntress@yahoo.com
        Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 5:46 PM
        Subject: Re: New comment posted on Does Coconut Oil Clog Arteries?
        Settings
        A new comment was posted on Nutrition Facts
      - joeboosauce
        Where is dog’s name would you think that ANYONE would think that Gregor has done research on what he writes about?!?!?? THAT is mind-blowing!!!! He does not present himself in that way. That’s a straw man and a red herring if I ever saw one. You’re gonna post crap faux intellectualism fed to you by the latest diet guru on the internet, I sure as hell am going to come at you.
      - Paleo Huntress
        Where in cat’s name would you get the idea that I said that Dr. Greger misrepresents himself?
        Read. Again.
        I’m used to vegans with no real understanding of science “coming at me”. Bring it on. See if you can in any way stick to the science because the personal attacks are tedious and are generally the first sign that someone’s argument is too weak to stand on its own.
      - joeboosauce
        Looky here at what you said:
        “McDougall has done his own research.
        Frassetto has done her own research
        Ornish has done his own research.
        Cordain has done his own research.
        Campbell has done his own research.
        Cousens has done his own research.
        Greger has NOT done his own research.”
        So the heck what? No sheet sherlock. Why in dogs name would you even need to make that statement? It’s a BS distraction. Did you watch his videos for a long time and get destoryed once you realized he was simply REVIEWING other research???? I would bet money no one else thought that. “Stick to the science.” You haven’t presented anything except “wah wah Humane society wah wah.”
      - Paleo Huntress
        Joeboosauce, you are one ugly individual. Here, I’ll help you with a little context-
        “the guy has never done any nutrition research in his life and his allegiance is to the Humane Society which makes ALL oƒ his anti-animal food advice suspect.”
        “It is unacceptable to post known lies about a person on this site. As evidenced by the hundreds and hundreds of videos showing the results of likely thousands of hours of nutrition research, it is patently untrue that Dr. Greger has never done nutrition research.”
        “I’m not talking about him sitting in front of his computer READING, I’m talking about him being involved in the actual research… the stuff done in a lab.”
        What exactly is so special about reading Medline, picking out the data that supports your pet theory and posting it online? What kind of expertise does this require? Doctors get less formal nutrition training that nutritionists do and anybody can be a nutritionist, you don’t even need a degree. So what can Dr. Greger do that any half-literate person can’t also do for themselves at Medline/Pubmed?
        Nothing.
      - Paleo Huntress
        I have no idea where your assumptions come from, but that is all they are, ASSumptions. It isn’t often that Greger presents a citation to a published study that I haven’t already read, but when he does, I read it as well. There is nothing wrong with the data he posts, the issue is that he claims it proves something it cannot possibly prove, and he conspicuously leaves out the pro-meat data he found while “scouring” the research, so the picture is never balanced, just perpetually biased.. If his intentions were truly to educate, he’d share everything pertinent to the topic, even if he disagrees with it. In fact, if he had a solid argument, a pro-meat study would give him the opportunity to show where the flaws are, but he just pretends it doesn’t exist.
        So again, instead of attacking strangers on the internet merely because they disagree with your religion, try reading what they write and responding to that instead.
        McDougall has done his own research.
        Frassetto has done her own research
        Ornish has done his own research.
        Cordain has done his own research.
        Campbell has done his own research.
        Cousens has done his own research.
        Greger has NOT done his own research. Greger scours OTHER people’s research.
        If you’re gonna look to a guru for information, you should definitely research the people who feed you this “research”– because ANY clown can learn to read at PubMed, even you.
Robright
Coconut oil dies seem to trigger intense pro and/or con feelings and caused responders toward vehemence!
- http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper
  Such is the nature of the controversial world of nutrition science these days. Although, I suspect that much of the claims made by the pro-coconut folks is not based on good science.
Thea
This is such great info. The science and info is compelling. Thanks for addressing this topic. Much needed!!!
J. Ann
There is a huge difference between organic extra virgin coconut oil and the coconut oil that is processed. Were the studies conducted with the processed coconut oil? Any studies done with the organic one? This should be answered before everyone gets on the bandwagen that coconut oil is bad for us.
- Plant Power
  Says who? The people trying to sell it? Ha!
- http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
  All oils are processed foods divorced from their whole food sources.
stacy
Then why have so many people regained their health by using Co oil? It’s highly recommended for gut healing, reducing inflammation, and helping with metabolism. I unfortunately know way too many vegans who are now paleo due to nutrient deficiency issues and other major health problem that they developed from a vegan diet… And yes, they were eating a near perfect vegan diet. Since adding back meat, their health has improved greatly: no more ibs/ibd, a healed gut, bettet energ . And sleep, no more depression or anxiety, stable wt, no intense hunger despite being full, balanced hormones etc. Can u please explain this?
- Veganrunner
  Hi Stacy,
  How do you know “too many vegans?” I find us to be rather rare. I live in Southern California and you would think being in the land of fruits and nuts I would know even just one. And I am not a recluse.
  Soon to know one though! My sister is going vegan after some disappointing heart health news. Now I won’t be the only one bringing vegan dishes to the holiday get-togethers!
  - http://www.facebook.com/anthony.lorenzo.140 Anthony Lorenzo
    Because it is an unsustainable diet for long term health. B12 deficiencies can take decades to fully manifest, though there are others…
    - Guest
      Please show evidence of your claims.
    - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
      “Because it is an unsustainable diet for long term health.”
      Source?
    - Veganrunner
      So I don’t know any other vegans because they are all dying off? Interesting.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000430602810 Randy Pelican
        It’s true…a lifelong strict vegetarian (may have been a vegan?) reclusive runner died over a few years ago at the age of 96…Jack Kirk. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/JACK-KIRK-1906-2007-The-Dipsea-Demon-was-a-2620235.php
      - Veganrunner
        Randy I just got a good chuckle! Thanks.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000430602810 Randy Pelican
        :)
      - http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper
        @facebook-100000430602810:disqus , good counterpoint. ;-)
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000430602810 Randy Pelican
        Thanks :)
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
        Maybe I’m missing something, but 1906-2007 is 101 years.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000430602810 Randy Pelican
        Sorry! He ran his last race at age 96…died at 100 :)
      - emmarsh
        What a great story! Turns out he lived to 100, though. His diet and fitness likely helped him live to such a great age. I suspect it was more than this, though. I read a book on eccentric people (and I think Jack Kirk would qualify). They are usually healthier than other people… and they don’t care what other people think of them or how they like to live. Worth thinking about!
      - Bert
        I can guarantee you that this 96 year old didn’t start out as a vegan. Show me a 96 year old vegan from birth who was born of lifelong vegan parents. I’ll bet there are none, zero, nada. Not even Indian Gurus are vegan. They eat dairy.
      - joeboosauce
        Wow, you’re demonstrating really bad critical thinking skills. Maybe we could assume your diet impairs brain function? Oh yeah, there is at least one study (which tried to be pro-paleo) and showed that paleo diet followers had impaired brain function! Pro-paleo study!
      - Thea
        joeboosauce: Personal attacks are not OK on this site. You can disagree with someone strongly, but a personal attack is unacceptable. We want this site to be a place where people can share ideas politely. A polite environment is the starting ingredient for a productive effort.
      - joeboosauce
        Thea,
        I got pulled in by what I saw as ridiculous comments and acknowledge I got myself pulled in. Sorry, I’ll make sure not to get pulled in again. :(
      - Thea
        joeboosauce: Believe me, I fully understand. Thank you for this note.
      - Bert
        Link please !
        Your brain is made up of cholesterol and fat and needs these substances to function properly that is why your cholesterol is recycled in the liver and not removed from the body thru your kidneys.
        Sounds like your brain is malfunctioning from lack of these critical nutrients.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong
  How do all these low-carb people know more vegans than vegans do? Show me a study of all these perfect vegans that had to go “paleo” because their perfect vegan diet failed them.
  I personally don’t know a single vegan in person, but I do know many non-vegans who are overweight and/or unhealthy from my perspective. What about the millions on non-vegan diets that get sick and/or die? Just ignore them. Paleo is fad and unhealthy (and it’s not even real paleo), no matter what your paleo gurus tell you.
  - http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
    “How do all these low-carb people know more vegans than vegans do?”
    ROFLOL
    I’d love to find A vegan, A lacto-ovo vegetarian, or even A mostly whole plants flexitarian amongst my friends and relatives.
  - emmarsh
    Haaaaah! Good points. I’ve lived in Atlanta where I worked for a year at a health food store and now in a very small town. In that time I’ve only known 2 vegans. One of them I married.
- Thea
  stacy,
  I happen to know several vegans as I am involved in a group of health, environmental, and ethically conscious people. NONE of them have had to add any animal products into their diet for any reason. Some of them have been vegans for *decades*. I know a 20 something person who has been vegan since birth, not counting breast feeding from a vegan mother in infancy. Every single one of these people are the picture of health.
  It is near impossible for me to believe that you know even one person, let alone many, who were truly eating a balanced whole-food vegan diet, with B12 supplement, and who developed nutrient deficiencies. Nutrient deficiencies are notoriously the problem of animal eaters since animal products contain trace elements of the vital micro nutrients at best. Thus, it is likely that if you know any former vegans who actually claim that they developed nutrient deficiencies, they have likely not been truthful with you about what their former diets were. Something to think about.
  The only time I have heard of someone running into a problem on a healthy whole plant-food based diet is someone who has a genetic defect, where their body is not able to make all of the proteins that the bodies of normal humans make. Dr. Greger has a video on this problem if you are interested.
- joeboosauce
  What you’ve posted seems like obvious rubbish. Where do you live? I would like to come to a place with so many vegans. Funny, I know so many people who eat paleo who have quit saying it is unsustainable and they felt like crap. It’s not hard since this fad diet craze has taken foot. Good thing I’m seeing is it’s dying down just like Atkins.
Darryl
A cursory search on Pubmed reveals that coconut oil (both plain and hydrogenated) has been used to induce elevated serum cholesterol and atherosclerosis in animal studies for the past 50 years.
When I discovered this a few years ago, I was saddened; coconut milk laced curries were among my favorite dishes. I soon discovered that Tom Yum (Thai hot & sour soup) is even better than Tom Kha (Thai coconut soup), so all is well.
Synergy
Dr. Greger,
Wouldn’t Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (important distinction) in moderation be superior to unsaturated vegetable oils when cooking at high temperatures given the free radical production of those “healthier” oils in such settings? Would that balance the scales at all?
Along those lines, I would love to see more debate with regard to the paleo diet (exploding in popularity in my experience) and cholesterol/saturated fat proponents (Gary Taubes, for example). How can such a large crowd of seemingly credible dietitians (in many instances) come to such polar opposite conclusions?
I don’t know how many times people have recommended I read Taubes books or Lierre Keith’s The Vegetarian Myth (which I have read much of) and other such books. Just look at the reviews on Amazon for Johnny Bowden’s The Great Cholesterol Myth!
- Nick
  Why can’t the scientists just agree? Is LDL-cholesterol bad or isn’t it?
  This study doesn’t seem to think there’s a problem with saturated fat.
  http://www.bmj.com/press-releases/2013/02/04/study-raises-questions-about-dietary-fats-and-heart-disease-guidance
  - http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
    Your link refers to a recent analysis of data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study – a randomised controlled trial conducted from 1966 to 1973. It refers to substituting sunflower oil and sunflower oil margarine. I am surprised the margarine is not referred to as a trans fat, something that was not known to be harmful back in the 60’s and 70’s, but which are well known now.
    I’m sure Dr. G will get into the details of the data, but I know what Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn would say about it:
    http://youtube.com/#/watch?v=b_o4YBQPKtQ
- http://www.facebook.com/anthony.lorenzo.140 Anthony Lorenzo
  Coconut oil is superior for cooking for the reason you mentioned, absolutely. There is plenty of science that demonstrates that cholestrol buildup in arteries and veins is not due to the presence of saturated fat, but due to the inflammation of the inner linings of the blood vessels, and that the laying down of cholestrol is a protective function of the body. What causes that inflammation? Probably the carcinogens we ingest, like the unsaturated fats in other vegetable oils that result from cooking, sitting on shelves too long, or factory extraction processes.
  - http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
    As stated by me and others, check out Dr. Greger’s videos on post-prandial endothelial inflammation caused by endotoxins inherent to all animal products.
  - GoingVeganUK
    Perhaps it is sugar. Dr. John Yudkin wrote about this in 1972 and his book, “Pure White and Deadly” has just been republished.
    http://amzn.to/16Sh5yR
- Plant Power
  Just because someone writes a book doesn’t mean the information is true. Most books are just a conglomeration of an author’s opinions and NOT based on credible science.
- http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
  Try citing authors who do not distort and misrepresent the studies they cite.
http://www.facebook.com/anthony.lorenzo.140 Anthony Lorenzo
It seems that your scientific perspective is dated. There is little evidence that the amount of cholestrol in the blood stream correlates to thickening of plaque buildup in arteries. In fact, it is not thought that inflamation of the arterial and venous walls is what stimulates the blood stream to lay down a protective layer of cholestrol, which begins the process… I would dispute your findings on coconut oil increasing the presence in our systems, but i would dispute the idea that it really matters as much as you are insinuating (in the prevention of atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis)…
- Plant Power
  Says who? Where are you getting this information from? Provide credible sources, please.
- http://macsmiley.tumblr.com/ MacSmiley
  It’s not inflammation instead of excessive cholesterol that contributes to coronary artery disease. It’s excessive cholesterol AND inflammation. They both go hand in hand.
  Check out Dr. G’s videos where he reports on the subject of endotoxins in animal products causing post-meal endothelial inflammation.
  If you are going to indulge in coconut oil, it makes sense to do so in the context of a 100% plant-based meal.
http://www.facebook.com/rmrsullivan Rachel Sullivan
Dr. Gregor,
What do you suggest as a butter substitute for those of us trying to follow your recommendations? I’ve been able to rid my diet pretty easily of everything but real cheese and butter, and I’d be very interested in any suggestions or resources you may have. Thanks for all you do!
Thinkabouddit
This was recently posted on Facebook to support the Paleo thing. Any comments? http://www.gnolls.org/1444/does-meat-rot-in-your-colon-no-what-does-beans-grains-and-vegetables/
Ted
The issues with these studie is that we have no idea what kind of oil was used etc. Grain of salt thingy applies here, just be sure to use real or sea salt:0)
Veganrunner
Hi everyone,
My husband just forwarded me this great vegan-athlete website. I am really enjoying the videos. Makes me want to get out there!
http://truelovehealth.com/dayinthelife/
http://www.facebook.com/cherylmhayton Cheryl Hayton
Thank you for this excellent and much needed information!! So many people are grabbing at the crazy notion that fats and cholesterol are no problem for your health. I love when people say they “know numerous amounts of vegans” who have had to go Paleo for their health. I can tell you, as a Seventh Day Adventist I know hundreds and hundreds of vegetarians and vegans who have thrived on those diets for their entire lives… Many of them well into their 80’s and 90’s!!! Numerous studies have been done on our members and time after time the studies have shown that not only are we healthier, but we also live longer than any other group of people. Find me a similar Paleo group that can show the same data for over 200 years… I don’t think you can. Thanks Dr. Greger for another educational piece!!
Julie Someone
i bought some organic virgin coconut oil, from Dr Bronner…LOL i am gonna USE a tbsp IN my BATH WATER…to see if my Vitamin D 15 minutes of sun daily improves my tan. I’m 67-65-68 now…i want 60-60-60 and 60 <— Vitamin D from sun. 67-65-68 <— everyone can see my cheats.
Carrie
Cholesterol is important for your body and living. Yes you might get higher cholesterol levels by eating saturated fat as butter and coconut oil, but it changes your cholesterol profile to a better one, that is not associated with getting heartdeceases. It changes your LDL particals from small ones that is a risk for heartdeceas, to big particals that flows easily through your veins, and don`t get stuck, and those big particals are not associated with heartdeceases. Oil and margarine made of plants are making an unbalance in your fatty acids balance, because of the amount of omega-6 acids. This could make inflammations in your veins and give a high risk of getting heartdeceases. Butter and extra virgin coconut oil is the best if you want to be healthy and well!
- http://nutrientuniverse.blogspot.co.uk/ JamesKB
  Not all oils or margarine’s have poor omega ratios, or are hydrogenated. Many are absolutely fine. Canola is about 1:2. Olive 1:10. The best meats like grass fed beef are about 1:8. Butter 1:7. Coconut oil practically has no omega 3. Same with most conventional meats. One study saw that polyunsaturated fat intake was negatively associated with CRP (a marker for inflammation). In many studies saturated fat has caused inflammation.
Biochemystery
The crux of the argument lies in the title of this post: Does Coconut oil clog arteries? And the answer is probably not, since the oil in most studies raises HDL slightly more than it icreases LDL, thereby IMPROVING the lipid profile and CVD risk.
http://www.facebook.com/darryl.roy.752 Darryl Roy
Confirmed: coconut oil does facilitate intestinal endotoxin transport.
V Mani, JH Hollis, NK Gabler. Dietary oil composition differentially modulates intestinal endotoxin transport and postprandial endotoxemia. 2013
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/10/1/6/
Paradigms
For me, your condescending tone gets in the way of any information you are trying to convey.
Eudemonia
But how bad would eating coconut oil be, really, if you’ve been vegan for almost a decade getting no cholesterol and very very low levels of sat fat in your diet? I started eating coconut oil (sparingly, I use it to make refried beans and to roast the veggies I put in my soups) along with more avocado recently as, after 9 years of being vegan, I was feeling rather low-energy and moody and thought it might be due to low levels of cholesterol inhibiting some hormone production. I feel much better now not to mention my hair and skin aren’t dry as heck and I rarely get rashes/hives that used to be near constant. Am I just crazy or could there be some truth to needing SOME intake when you’re already eating low-fat vegan?
Bert
This video and this so called Doctor are full of rubbish ! Complete RUBBISH !!!!
- http://jolkapolkaskitchen.blogspot.com/ WholeFoodChomper
  “Rubbish”? Oh no, just the facts, the peer-reviewed, empirical, and reproducible scientific facts.
  - Bert
    In your dreams maybe !
  - Bert
    The problem is refined carbohydrates, sugars and vegetable oils which are all relatively new additions to the human diet. Vegetable (seed) oils have only been around for the last 100 years and are extremely unstable and go rancid quite readily especially when heated. These oxidized lipids then become free radicals in the body.
    It’s Tragic that we were told to abandon traditional Lard, (which, if it was from pastured animals is second only to Cod Fish Liver oil in it’s vitamin D content) and replace it with cancer causing free radical vegetable oils ! Lard is also made up of mostly saturated fats which do not oxidize when heated. All this because of the unfounded fear of cholesterol.
    Is it any wonder why we got so sick ????
    - Annoyed by Paleofraud
      I agree wholeheartedly about refined oils, they have no place in a healthy diet; from what I gather this is Dr. Greger’s position as well. Common ground aside, I’m sensing a double standard (see the studies cited by Dr. G and show me the double blind ‘lard is good for your brain and heart’ studies — there aren’t any), as well as an irresistible affinity for good news about bad habits.
      - Bert
        Show me the studies that show lard is bad for me… There are none either !
  - Bert
    Fear based Vegan propaganda and nothing else. Show me the clinical trials with a double blind placebo study. There aren’t any dumbo !
    - Annoyed by Paleofraud
      Click on the references cited tab above for the 2XB studies on coconut oil. Regarding your ‘dumbo’ comment this is not the forum for name calling and detracts from your arguments.
dar
more grist for the mill:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/13-evidence-based-medicinal-properties-coconut-oil
[ my yearly usage of 2 gal. of horse liniment is history- cco is better:a superb analgesic for those of us prone to decades of mbike,ladder,roofing,skiing,mechanics,etc mishaps with attendant contussions,sprains,strains&blood. .. ]
rumurphy
Any consensus on health risks with MCT oil as an alternative to coconut oil? It has a bit shorter chain then these oils so not sure if that helps or not?
Olrac Amor
I smell bull shit…
I http://naturalsociety.com/incredible-superfood-coconut-oil-benefits/
- Toxins
  Not a single cited study in the article
Guest
Seriously?! What can you eat nowadays without it being bad for you :(
- Toxins
  Whole, unprocessed plant food of course! Oil is not a whole plant food.
  - Lauren Remington
    Wrong again, Toxin. Gmo vegetables cause inflammation. Most nightshade plants cause inflammation. And yes, coconut oil is a wholefood plant.
    - Toxins
      Evidence based nutrition Lauren, please share studies
- Thea
  How about: whole fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. The range of healthy food options is huge. I recommend getting a good whole food plant based cookbook and you will be amazed at the variety. Good luck.
- Lauren Remington
  Free range meat, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. Most fruit and vegetables are gmo. Even if they aren’t they are at the most 30% bio available with nutrients. And let’s not forget they are carbohydrate which is tech talk for “sugar water”. As for grains, your body can’t digest most of today’s grains. Your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize most of the things you call food.
  - Toxins
    Many citations are needs for your response. I have never seen a single study implicating gmo as inflammatory, nor have I seen studies implicating WHOLE unrefined grains as being bad for us. Pointing to Celiac disease is not evidence in itself that grains are harmful.
http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.
“Paleo Huntress” has been banned (again) for her continued ad hominem attacks. I’m all for discussion (even vehement disagreement!), but name-calling has no place and detracts from the safe, welcoming space we’re trying to create here on NutritionFacts.org. Please email to alert me if you see any racist/misogynist/homophobic/etc. or otherwise innappropriate language in the comments section and I’ll try to attend to it asap: mhg1@cornell.edu. Sorry it took me so long to catch this–I’ve been so busy winnowing down the 500+ applicants down to just 7 people so far in the running! (http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/12/20/employment/)
- Thea
  Thank you!!!!
- joeboosauce
  Hey, sorry, I should have realized she was a troll and should have known better than to get pulled into an argument!
  - Annoyed by Paleofraud
    No shame but don’t feed the trolls anymore.
- Annoyed by Paleofraud
  She creeped me out several months ago by posting a lot of personal information on me from sources outside this forum, thought I would need to hire protection. Now I’m posting anonymously. Is there any way to have those old inappropriate posts deleted (if they are still there)?
wilmark johnatty
YOu should review the scientific literature over the past 60 years on heart disease/cholesterol/sat fat etc. Most of the material on your website are based on common medical dogmas. I suggest Paul Attias video reviewing most of the science on this – quite enlightening.
- Toxins
  The literature over the past 60 years clearly links cholesterol and heart disease. There is no disconnect. Books and bloggers are not scientific resources.
  - wilmark johnatty
    Books and bloggers like you are not science – even if they have an MD. I have reviewed the science from most of the major studies from the nonsense that Ancil Keys put out in the 40’s to the Framingham to Jupiter etc. The results don’t support the continued dogma that you site is propagating. I urge your readers to study these findings instead of looking to authorities to explain them. Funny you would use the word disconnect. Thats exactly what it is.
    - Annoyed by Paleofraud
      Peter Attia’s blogging is apparently a stunning success: “What
      could be a better outcome for a blog than to have a bunch of uneducated low
      carbers out there thinking they know more than their doctors about the one
      aspect of low carb most likely to kill them?” — Plant Positive, http://www.plantpositive.com/a-very-serious-low-carber-nusi/
      - Lauren Remington
        Or those who don’t know that plants are carbohydrates which is technical for “sugar water”. You always have some stupid vegan with no education in biology who believes they know everything. lol They believe sugar water is the key to health. Yeah, talk to the rats in the laboratories. As for knowing more than doctors…the average sixth grader probably knows more. They get all their info from pharm reps. What a maroon. lol
  - Lauren Remington
    Toxins show me this research you refer to. I have access to pubmed. To my knowledge and I keep on this, there has never been a double blind study which conclusively related cholesterol to heart disease. Do you even know why you have cholesterol in your blood? It’s part of your immune system. It’s there to repair damage. If you have it, it’s because the arteries are already damaged. But if you have real research I don’t know about, please share it. Preferably something not funded by pharm companies who are selling cholesterol medicine. lol
    - Toxins
      “Given the capability of all tissues to synthesize sufficient amounts of cholesterol for their metabolic and structural needs, there is no evidence for a biological requirement for dietary cholesterol. Therefore, neither an Adequate Intake nor a Recommended Dietary Allowance is set for cholesterol. There is much evidence to indicate a positive linear trend between cholesterol intake and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, and therefore increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). A Tolerable Upper Intake Level is not set for cholesterol because any incremental increase in cholesterol intake increases CHD risk.”
      http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI/DRI_Energy/542-588.pdf
      There has been many many studies showing the strong relationship between serum cholesterol and heart disease. The 7 countries study, after 40 years, still shows the strong relationship between serum cholesterol and heart disease.
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642008/
      If your first thought is that Ancel Keys was a biased researcher with an agenda, you are mistaken. This is a faulty demonization by low carbers who simply do not understand the studies or data.
      Other studies have found this
      http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199711203372102#t=articleResults
      We know that inflammation leads to the oxidation of cholesterol which leads to plaque. Several videos on this website have shared studies showing how eggs and animal based foods lead to this inflammation.
      http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-the-egg-board-designs-misleading-studies/
      http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/endotoxemia/
dewdroppings
I have a suspect optic nerve and am fifty five. I have been taking coconut oil of the spoon for a few days and my eyes have improved. So did my mood/ I am furious curious cancer survivor on google.
Ruby
I wish there were some research on eating coconut meat, since the refining process as you say guts the essentials of the fruit from which the oils are extracted, and to me this seems the reason that these oils are not so great – because they are extracted from their natural, edible environ – and not because the oils themselves are bad. All this talk and “research” of oils being bad seems to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater and nothing more, period. I think our nerves need the oils and that a society that eats bad one and howver extratceted ones may have a LOT to do with neurological and other nerve disorderes(I think psychological as well – and in so saying I am seaking to civilization and every on eof us in it)
PM
i was wondering about vegan or near vegan butter substitutes. For example Earth Balance organic. Are they healthy?
BodyRocker Kudelka
http://www.amara.org/it/videos/nxWxMevQYF9P/info/does-coconut-oil-clog-arteries/ (Italian subs)
Name
Your voice is just AWFUL.
Elisa
Ohhh we’re all going to die! No one gets to stay forever. Coconut oil tastes better than other oils e basta! It’s nice to feel good – but in the end – genetics win out. Just live, people, and quit worrying about all of this.
Jay M
Saturated & mono-unsaturated fats make up of most of the fats in mammals milk. Why don’t infants suffer ill effects (ie diabetes, CVD, strokes)?
Inccbus
At the end of the video basically discredits everything. Coconut oil in cupcakes are not extra virgin coconut oil. The key ingredient in extra virgin coconut oil is MCT which promotes HDL which is good for the heart. Or you could ditch coconut oil altogether and use MCT oil. Facepalm.
Lynn
This video and information on coconut oil is very disappointing and just wrong. Coconut oil is good for you…natural…and has no bad side effects. There is no link to coconut oil consumption and heart disease. Pleople have been eating coconut oil since the earth began..it is good for you!! Dr. Mercola has some good articles on coconut oil. Alzheimer’s is an epidemic and Lipitor, ( and the like), are causing this epidemic. Cholesterol is needed in our bodies, especially our brains to function properly. Let’s wake up people. The bad fats and are the man made vegetable oils, (Crisco, wesson…), and the meats that are raised wrong, (i.e. GMO Corn, Soy, antibiotics, ground animal, etc.). That’s what we need to watch out for …not coconut oil for goodness sake. Coconut oil is a good food…I eat alot…have for years and have no health problems.
http://justdamnlool.blogspot.com/ geekkarim
I had acne in my face for a long time, and i was so angry about it, days after, i was surfing in the internet, i just found some useful products one of them is Coconut oil for acne, i tried it , and i can proudly say, i don’t have acne in my face anymore, i want to help other people to try it.
Thank you
Source: http://www.coconut-oil-acne-guide.com
TheGardenAddict .
When people are in the act of losing weight, their LDLs naturally go up. All of this talk about cholesterol levels in moot. Inflammation is key. Research does not agree with Dr. Gregor’s conclusions. Rarely do they. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22030224
Charlie Ross
Does coconut oil saturated fat get absorbed into the bloodstream when topically applied?
Lauren Remington
That is the funnies video I’ve seen. Thank you for sharing. Sounds like vegan crap to me. Never take a class in biology but they know everything there is to know about medicine. lol Coconut oil can not clog arteries. Do you know why you have cholesterol in the blood? Because there is damage in the arteries. Cholesterol is part of the immune system. Translation: Cholesterol comes in to heal the damage which is already there. If you continue to damage the arteries then the Cholesterol will continue to try to repair the body. To say Cholesterol or Coconut damages or clogs the arteries, is like saying the trucks they send out to repair the potholes caused the potholes. Most medical doctors receive their education from pharm reps. Rarely do they go beyond that. Sometimes they go to read the abstract. Extremely rarely do they actually read the study. And even rarer do they understand what they’re reading. But if you have pubmed links for me to review, I’d love to see them. It’s this kind of mis-information which is why most people don’t take “medical doctors” seriously.
HungryShrew
I can’t get my head around the polarity of opinion regarding coconut oil.
Greger seems so sure of his opinion and others seem sure of their entirely different view. Both provide numerous link to research.
How can such opposing opinions co-exist?
Isn’t that what research is for, to settle such debates?
I eat a lot of coconut oil, no bread, lots of veg. I’m very lean and feel great, but worried.
- Toxins
  Hello Hungry Shrew, I think this topic by Jeff Novick, one of the best dieticians out there, will be very informative for you.
  https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=44512
  The coconut oil proponents do not have good studies to back up their claims. For example, the study on weight loss they constantly circulate has 2 groups of obese women add either canola oil or coconut oil to their diet, they then cut calories and exercise and by the end of the 2 months they lost 2 lbs’. The study concludes that coconut oil can be a means to weight loss, but does that really seem true to you or effective? We must read beyond the conclusions. Also, coconut oil’s saturated fat still contains ~30% long chain fats, so don’t let people tell you its healthy.
leepee
I wonder if EV coconut oil should be very limited-completely avoided by those who have metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and/or hypertension? My brother has diabetes, and consumed coconut oil (moderate amount). He also ate some foods that he shouldn’t. He never had EV coconut oil before, and said that he fell in love with it. This probably means that he was consuming the coconut oil at least once a week. The heart attack happened 3 weeks after his initial consumption of the coconut oil. When I spoke to him, a few days ago, he told me that he had a heart attack. His arteries were clogged. One was 90% clogged. The hospital implanted stents.
Whenever I eat coconut oil ( I also love it) my body reacts strangely, and I get palpitations. I DO take atenolol and hydrochlorothiazide, so there is a (slight) chance that that could be the cause of the palpitations; although, I rarely get them….they occur always when I consume coconut oil, broccoli (perhaps I need my thyroid levels checked….it’s been a while).
Boomer4Health .
There are healthy fats and there are unhealthy fats. Coconut oil is a healthy fat. And we actually
NEED some saturated fat. It would be absurd to associate coconut oil as unhealthy. The vegetable oil industry (i.e. corn, veg, canola, etc) demonized coconut oil decades ago to gain a foothold into the market. So, what do we have now? Many people don’t realize that those “vegetable” oils turn to trans-fats in your arteries when heated. Not to mention that corn oil and canola oil are both
genetically modified (GMO). Not natural.
Corn is actually a grain, not a vegetable. You know, they use corn to fatten up CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) cows before slaughter.
If you must eat meat, eat grass-fed ONLY. Olive oil is an option if you don’t heat it up past the smoke point. Great on salads. Unfortunately, many olive oil producers are diluting their oil with other oils. You can look up a list of suspected diluted olive oil producers.
Coconut oil can be heated to high temps without any problem. And it most assuredly can be a part of
a vegan/vegetarian diet. Due to it’s antibacterial and antifungal characteristics, it is probably the healthiest oil for your body. And it’s great to slather on your skin.
- Thea
  Boomer4Healther: re: “…we actually NEED some saturated fat.” This statement is false if you mean that we need to consume saturated fat. Our bodies make all of the saturated fat that we need. The only essential fats (ie, fats that we need to consume in our diet) are the omega 3s and 6s. Other than that, our bodies make everything we need fat-wise. Not only do our bodies make all of the saturated fat that we need, but consuming saturated fat in our diet is strongly associated with increased health risks.
  I had similar responses just about every point in your post. I would encourage you to educate yourself on the matters you listed. You can find out a lot about nutrition on this site. But for a really great overall understanding of fat and oils, I highly recommend this primer talk:
  From Oil To Nuts by Jeff Novick
  http://www.amazon.com/Oil-Nuts-Essential-Facts-Oils/dp/B003UYAQIY/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1413577376&sr=1-1&keywords=from+oil+to+nuts
  And if you want a free source to learn details about the scientific evidence against eating saturated fat, I highly recommend the videos from Plant Positive, who has put together a very scholarly work on the subject:
  http://www.plantpositive.com
  Good luck.
  - Toxins
    Well said Thea
  - DanielFaster
    Thea those are great resources. I am amazed how people continue to be shocked when you tell them oil is not a food group, or for that matter neither are carbs, sugar or protein. But particularly fat/oil. They are only constituents of the foods (esp. the whole plant foods most of the people who follow Dr. Greger) will eat. The deconstruction of foods into these ‘food groups’ only serves the interests of the meat, egg, dairy and processed food industries (and the disease treatment machine that relies on the continued future of sick Americans and the fable of the magic bullet for their present business models), protein being code for animal products, fats coding for refined oils, carbs for starchy vegetables and sugary drinks etc. If you don’t argue the whole premise of ‘food groups,’ you’ve already lost – fiber and antioxidants and nature’s packaging can’t even be considered in that framework of course. If you consider food groups to be the types of similar plants, e.g., leafy greens, whole grains, beans, berries, citrus, mushrooms, etc., then the processed foods almost drop out of the picture entirely, e.g. factory meat can be considered as just a highly processed form of the products made by the corn and soybean processors, and coconut oil as an extract of coconut – they may be edible and food-like, but not really food at all.
    - Thea
      DanielFaster: Thanks for your reply. I’m SO with you!
Roberta Morrison
Yes, coconut oil DOES raise colesterol HDL COLESTEROL! The kind YOU WANT.
Mark
Whole raw beets = Health promoting food
Refined Beet Sugar = Junk food
Whole Soybeans = Health Promoting food
Refined Soybean oil/protein isolate = Junk food
Whole raw Coconut = Health promoting food
Refined coconut oil = Junk food
Coconut oil is useful when used in small amounts as a lubricant when cooking (due to it’s oxidation resistance), but you will do no good things to your health by ingesting it.
However, used topically it is very effective as a moisturizer, lip balm, hair conditioner, and It is claimed to be good for oral health when swished (AKA Oil pulling, though I haven’t seen much clinical data supporting this)
Remember, WFPB (Whole-Food Plant-Based) Not PFPB (Processed-Food plant based)
- Lauren Bateman
  Nice job, Mark!
qman
I would consider a one-month study hardly a study at all.
Maggie O’Brien
Does coconut oil clog arteries
.
Lauren Bateman
Good question Maggie: YES, indeed, coconut oil clogs arteries. Blood vessel clearing wishes on a WFPB — benefits galore — ‘diet’ :)
The liberated guy
Holy moly… First time (I think) I read this blog and I probably won’t come here again. Do a search on pubmed and find a bunch of articles regarding sd-LDL (small dense LDL) being involved in CVD and CAD. The regular LDL and total cholesterol markers have nothing to do with CVD or CAD. Get yourself updated.
Eat saturated fatty acids. There is not one single study suggesting that SFA’s have anything to do with CVD. SFA raises regular (there are several sub classses) LDL and HDL. SFA’s do not cause small dense LDL. Ergo: No CVD from saturated fat.
Vegetable oil (Omega-6) however causes your arteries to clog.
Sylvie
What about using coconut oil for skin and hair?
Susan Louise Ginkel Oroviceanu
I have a question. can using coconut oil on skin raise cholesterol? I never eat any oil but do use coconut oil on my hair and skin every day. I really hope I get an answer on this
- Joseph Gonzales R.D.
  Good question. No, I really don’t think so ;) I use it on my skin as well and find it soothing. Almond oil is another one I have heard is helpful for skin.
  Best wishes,
  Joseph
Pam
Hi, can you address whether and how the addition of coconut oil can decrease the caloric load of white rice (see blurb below)? And is it a particular kind of white rice? Does this same science have the same effect on brown rice composition?
Method of cooking rice can actually cut calories
Rice is a staple in many places around the world, but given its content of both starch and calories, it’s not necessarily a healthy one.
Scientists from Sri Lanka have figured out a way to lessen the weight gain-inducing effects of the popular grain, and it involves a cooking technique that’s simple enough to do at home. That trick is, as explained by one of the researchers, “… when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil—about 3 percent of the weight of the rice you’re going to cook. After it was ready, we let it cool in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That’s it.”
Why it works is a matter of how the approach switches up the composition of the grain. When prepared conventionally, rice is primarily made up of starches that are easily digestible and thus quickly transformed into glucose, then glycogen and ultimately fat. The scientists’ preparation method turns part of that starch into matter the body can’t process, thus diminishing its undesirable effects. By how much varies based on the type of the grain used, but caloric reductions could be as high as 60 percent .
Matthew Smith
No. The number one grocery product sold, the saturated fat which is a required way of saying good, because its small on the nutrition label would raise cholesterol. Saturated fats might be the good fats. Is there a good fat? Let’s try to see if there is a yes to fact that my first guess is yes.
- Matthew Smith
  sold at amazon.gom grocery
  - Matthew Smith
    Is their a good fat? Was their a good animal?
Surfer2u2015
What about eating whole coconut; meaning coconut as a whole food as a vegan?
Rick
If coconut has saturated fat, and using saturated fat is risky, what about MCT’s sold in Health Food Stores?
- Joseph Gonzales R.D.
  Good question. I don’t think healthy individuals need MCT oil. MCT fats tend to go into formulas when folks cannot eat by mouth (cannot obtain any fat). A bit of nuts and seeds (perhaps coconut flakes) will give you all the fat needed.
Surfer2u2015
Anyone on eating whole coconut?
- Joseph Gonzales R.D.
  Better than consuming the oil or the milk, as more concentrated sources of fat without the fiber. I little coconut goes a long way. I’d scale back or avoid if cholesterol is an issue. Thanks for reposting this.

Transcript: Does Coconut Oil Clog Arteries?

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Transcript: Does Coconut Oil Clog Arteries?

Video Sources

Acknowledgments

Video Topics

Doctor's Note

Next Video

Previous Video

Don't let the next nutrition video be our last!

Don't let the next nutrition video
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