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Is Coconut Oil Good For You?

The effect of the saturated fat in coconut oil on cholesterol levels.

December 8, 2010 |
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Supplementary Info

Is Coconut Oil Good For You?, 3.4 out of 5 based on 5 ratings

Sources Cited

Campbell-Falck D, Thomas T, Falck TM, Tutuo N, Clem K. The intravenous use of coconut water. Am J Emerg Med. 2000 Jan;18(1):108-11.

Cox C, Sutherland W, Mann J, de Jong S, Chisholm A, Skeaff M. Effects of dietary coconut oil, butter and safflower oil on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and lathosterol levels. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1998 Sep;52(9):650-4.

Acknowledgements

Transcript

Coconuts, may not really be nuts, but they are whole plant foods. But people don’t typically eat whole coconuts, so let’s break it down. Coconut oil, widely touted on the internet for it’s health properties, coconut milk which is now being used to make a variety of nondairy products, and dried coconut flakes.
Now none of these should be confused with coconut water, which is the fluid inside coconuts, which, interestingly, is so close in composition to human plasma in an emergency, you can use coconut water intravenously. You can literally just hook up a series of coconuts and drip them right into you. So if you’re ever on a desert island and just happen to have some IV tubing lying around…
Anyway, coconut oil. Harmful, harmless, or helpful?
In terms of what it does to our cholesterol it is as harmful as butter.

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 veganmontreal.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

For more context, check out my associated blog posts: Stool Size and Breast Cancer Risk and Soymilk: shake it up!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/veguyan/ Veguyan

    Does this mean that since my LDL, Direct is 77, it’s okay for me to consume coconut oil? Or should I shun it completely?

    Does eating coconut oil have any benefits?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      That is fantastic and likely a tribute to a very healthful diet! We should probably shoot for 70, though, so I would recommend cutting out saturated animal fats, trans fats, as well as cocoa butter, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/ja827/ ja827

      Doc, thanks for all the work you do and great information. Disagree with you on this topic though. If you can produce a study using Virgin Coconut Oil (not hydrogenated) showing worsening of people’s total cholesterol profile (the proportion of LDL to HDL is more important, vs the LDL only), I’ll listen to what you say. However, at this point, I’ve only seen positive effects in the literature of Virgin Coconut oil on people’s total cholesterol profile. And have been using it daily for a year to improve my own cholesterol profile, which was greatly improved on the last test 1 month ago. LDL decreased, not increased, 25 pts, and HDL increased 15 pts. Coconut oil is a nutritional and ‘medicinal’ powerhouse, IMO. It’s being used to keep in check the progression of HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer’s, to name just 2

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

        Hello ja827!
        Such a great comment you have made, but let me clear up some issues you are having with the video.

        Firstly, when something is hydrogenated, that means it is made into a solid state for preservation purposes. The coconut oil used in the study was not hydrogenated.

        Secondly, all oil is essentially liquid fat with little to no nutrition. That goes for olive oil too! Check out Dr. G’s video on olive oil and see my comment on there regarding its lack of health value http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/extra-virgin-olive-oil/

        Many claims have been made about olive oil as well, but the fact of the matter is, all oils cause epithelial cell damage to your blood vessels which causes a marked increase in your risk for heart disease since the protective cell layer can no longer clear up blockages. Remember, cholesterol is only 1 aspect of true health. One must ingest foods that provide proper nutrition without causing harm.

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

          Just because something is not loaded with phytonutrients does not mean it is bad for you. I am not suggesting that you take tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil but fat metabolism is a many and varied thing and you can’t just automatically say it is bad for you without looking at the context. Secondly – the study mentioned above supplemented the coconut oil in the study with egg yolks, margarine, and white flour. It is a severely flawed study.

          • Steve

            Exactly; water has no phytonutrients, but we sure need it!

          • Toxins

            Studies supporting your position would be preferred.

    • Steve

      Coconut oil has nearly too many benefits to list! Yes, definitely go for it.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/veguyan/ Veguyan

    And what about the fact that coconut oil is composed of medium chain fatty acids as opposed to the badder kinds? And Lauric Acid? Monolaurin?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Coconut oil manufacturers, like those in the beef industry, love to point out the fatty acids in their products that may not be harmful while conveniently ignoring their products also contain kinds of saturated fat that can significantly raise one’s LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease. It’s like when, during the McLibel trial, a McDonald’s executive was asked if Coca Cola is “nutritious” and he replied that it is “providing water, and I think that is part of a balanced diet.” Food is a package deal; we can’t get the good without the bad, and so I in my opinion we should ideally choose foods where the risk/benefit analysis is skewed way towards the benefits side.

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

        The libel here is mostly coming from the soybean industry historically. Tell me how much butyric, stearic, or palmitic acid are in coconuts and how much do you have to eat to get comparable levels found in animal and dairy fats?

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/chefjenny/ ChefJenny

    Oh Doc! Say it ain’t so! Not my precious coconut oil!! I saw the study flashed up at the end of the video, but can you tell me more about the effect on cholesterol? I’m almost scared to find out! Sigh…

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Coconut oil appears to raise one’s LDL (“bad”) cholesterol :( So as the Chair of Harvard’s nutrition department recently wrote, “I’d use coconut oil sparingly.”

    • Steve

      Consuming about 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil daily, I’ve raised my HDL cholesterol from an anemic 38 to an off the chart 73 in 1.5 years. Don’t worry so much about cholesterol; the healthiest people on the planet have an average cholesterol of 250. The Framingham study showed cardiovascular events (strokes and heart attacks) increased when cholesterol dropped below 160 and went over 260, but was lowest between those values. Studies also show that half the people with strokes and heart attacks had “normal” cholesterol and half did not. Another often overlooked factor is villainizing LDL cholesterol; it is there for a reason. But it does come in different particle sizes; the small particles are a problem as they can stick to arteries to form plaque, but the bigger particles are fine. Inflammation is the key here, not cholesterol. Avoid the processed sugars (as well as synthetic sugars — aspartame and the like are neurotoxic and carcinogenic) and the grains; eat lots of organic non-GMO veggies. And be sure to eat all the coconut oil you want!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/walfaro/ walfaro

    Dr. Greger:
    Thank you for this wonderful site. I have been reading about coconut oil lately and I would like to know your opinion about this article: Coconut oil is associated with a beneficial lipid profile in pre-menopausal women in the Philippines
    [PDF] de 211.76.170.15AB Feranil, PL Duazo, CW Kuzawa… – Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2011 – 211.76.170.15

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      The article confirms what we’ve known about the HDL (“good”) cholesterol elevating effects of certain saturated fatty acids. Though coconut oil is 90% saturated fat (compared to around 50% in beef, butter, and lard), a larger percentage is what’s called lauric acid, which boosts HDL more than palmitic acid, the saturated fat found predominantly in meat and dairy products. So as saturated fats go, coconut oil is preferable, but the recommendation remains “to avoid tropical oils, including coconut oil” according to a statement put out by the American Dietetic Association earlier this year.

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/walfaro/ walfaro

        Thank you Dr. Greger for your explanation. Regards.

      • Steve

        Thanks for the tip — if the American Dietetic Association says to avoid coconut oil, then I know I’m on the right track to consume as much of it as possible!

        • Toxins

          I am not sure where you get your science from, but the ADA is a perfectly credible health organization and bases its recommendations on research, not quack doctors who sell gallons of coconut oil or random articles you may read on the internet.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/laura-lee/ laura lee

    Hi Dr. Greger. So what oil is healthy to use? Isn’t vegetable oil as harmful?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Other oils are healthier (less saturated), but I recommend eating whole (unprocessed) foods whenever possible and so encourage people to avoid oils in part for the same reason I encourage people to avoid avoid white bread and added sugars–the nutrient to calorie density of these foods (something Dr. Fuhrman famously talks about in his work) is exceedingly low.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/modstream/ modstream

    I have a child that is PDD-NOS (autistic) but doing very well and improving greatly with nutrition and homeopathy. He is skinny though. What oil do you recommend? I typically use olive and coconut oil and was happy about the fat content of the coconut oil for him.

    Also – any nutrition or health information pertaining to autism on the site would be wonderful.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Autism is definitely one of my pubmed alerts. In terms of calorically dense plant foods I would recommend nuts, seeds, and nut and seed butters rather than oils, as well as dried fruit and smoothies. I am so glad he is improving!

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/modstream/ modstream

        But to cook with – for ex., cooking vegetables or cooking meat … what oil do you recommend? Or can you use seed butters for this? I don’t know of any. I also use sesame seed oil on occasion (it just has a strong flavor). Thank you!

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

          Hello modstream!
          Although this question was directed for Dr. Greger, I believe I can provide you with some alternatives.

          Firstly, you really shouldn’t be eating meat to begin with after looking at the massive amount of information on its health detriments. Check them out here http://nutritionfacts.org/?s=meat

          As far as cooking your vegetables in a pan, water works just as well as oil! I have noticed an insignificant taste difference so using water is your best bet. Also, making hearty plant based soups is an excellent way to bring a lot of foods together in one cooked meal. For more simple recipes check out http://happyherbivore.com/recipes/

          For more information on oil check out these 2 videos by good ol’ Dr. G! http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/forego-fat-free-dressings/ and http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/extra-virgin-olive-oil/

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lowfatveganchef/ LowFatVeganChef

          Hi Modstream,

          I cook without any oil or cooking spray for all of my recipes. Now that we have non stick pans it is completely unnecessary to use oil to prevent sticking. This was more for those d cast iron pans.

          I made a post on my blog about how I cook without oil if you want to check it out http://lowfatveganchef.com/how-to-cook-without-oil-or-how-to-cook-fat-free/

          I make vegetable broth, or you can use store bought, or just water and seasonings in a pinch.

          • Steve

            I quit using non-stick pans after I realized the very toxic chemicals from DuPont that are used to make them. They always start flaking off, so you know you are ingesting them. I go with cast iron and use loads of coconut oil. Probably the best cooking pan would be a ceramic type.

      • michali

        Dr. Greger,

        I have read articles (not studies) that coconut oil is very helpful for people with Alzheimer’s disease.  These articles claim that coconut oil helps make ketones in the brain which improves memory and cognitive skills.  What is your take on this.

        • Toxins

          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

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/raerae/ raerae

    Dr. Greger,

    I have been doing some research on this debate and have come to the question if the studies cited were testing hydrogenated coconut oil versus virgin coconut oil. Do you know which type was tested, as hydrogenated oil have higher bad saturated fats and have found much info stating that pure extra virgin oil is healthier option as it has no trans & hydrogenated fat and 62% mct’s

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/daneau/ Daneau

    I have read in a few places that vegans can suffer from poor hormone production if their saturated fat (coconut oil) consumption is too low. Is this true?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Hello Daneau,
      As stated by Jeff Novick, we actually do not need any saturated fat to survive, they are nonessential and harmful. Much of the “studies” coming out claiming carbs are bad and saturated fat is good are actually funded by food industry bodies, like the dairy industry http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/healthy-eating_b_629422.html This is not a reliable source and beef and dairy in themselves contain trans fats, Check out Dr. G’s videos all about those pesky trans fats here http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/good-great-bad-killer-fats/
      Back to Saturated fats, Dr. McDougall states that the study claiming saturated fats were not harmful was debunked by Dr. Jeremiah Stamler, “this dairy-industry funded study based on its flawed methodology, and a disregard of 50 years of diet-heart research with contrary findings, and dozens of metabolic (ward-type-feeding) experiments showing that eating saturated fat and/or cholesterol causes an adverse effect on blood lipids. In addition, thousands of relevant animal studies on the damaging effects of saturated fat and cholesterol were ignored.” Check out the whole McDougall article here going into detail http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010other/news/weil.htm as well as the editorial by Dr. Stamler that debunks the Saturated fat claim here http://www.ajcn.org/content/91/3/497.full

      To check out more information on other oils, check out Dr. Greger’s video on Olive Oil here http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/extra-virgin-olive-oil/ as well as my comments to the users on that page.

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

        There are many different saturated fatty acids. They behave differently in the body. You can find information in articles about how the different saturated fatty acids (SFA’s) react in the body. The whole debate is hopelessly generalized and politicized. Start studying fat metabolism and you will realize that lumping all SFA’s together is just as bad as lumping all carbs together.

        • Steve

          Amen and Halleluja!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/yummy/ yummy

    A well-known cardiologist posted today that coconut oil is fantastic for the heart and whole body…my personal doctor says “no” to using it….no wonder people are confused…sure wish Docs could come together a little more on this subject.

    • Steve

      Dr. Bruce Fife has written over half a dozen books on the many wonderful health benefits of coconut oil. I eat it everyday, probably 2-3 tablespoons (put it in my smoothies, cereal, cooking, salads). I buy it in the 5-gallon bucket from Tropical Traditions. My HDL cholesterol went from an anemic 38 to an off the charts 73!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/chelsea/ Chelsea

    raerae: The coconut oil used in this study was not hydrogenated. The hydrogenation process is what makes liquid fats (oils) into shelf-stable fats that are solid at room temperature. Many oils are hydrogenated and this will always increase the trans fat content. However, some coconut oil is already somewhat solid at room temperature due to the saturated fat content. Any oil that has been hydrogenated should be avoided! This information is easily found in the ingredients list.

    Coconut oil can sometimes be referred to as “virgin”, though it doesn’t actually have significance in the product. Olive oil, however, does use the term to indicate the amount of times the olives have been pressed. “Extra-virgin” simply means the first press of the olives, as opposed to the second or third press.

    Healthy fats can be added to the diet in many ways other than oil. Watch this video for more information: http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/good-great-bad-killer-fats/

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/DavidSchmidt/ David Schmidt

    So what’s the least “bad” oil that one can use for frying etc?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Hello David,

      There is actually not a single healthy method to frying. Check out Dr. Greger’s video on frying here http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/deep-frying-toxins/

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/DavidSchmidt/ David Schmidt

        So what does one use when they are frying peppers, onions, etc. Is there a healthy option for pan frying?

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

          Hello again,
          Such excellent questions you are asking!
          I have used plain old water to pan “fry” food and it turns out great! Just add some seasoning and its good to go!

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lowfatveganchef/ LowFatVeganChef

          I use vegetable broth, homemade or store bought or even just water and spices to sauté in. Everything I make on my blog is oil free http://lowfatveganchef.com/how-to-cook-without-oil-or-how-to-cook-fat-free/

    • Steve

      Coconut oil is excellent for sauteing veggies, cooking eggs, etc. due to the high smoke point. When an oil burns, that means it has oxidized and produces damaging free radicals. Some oils like avocado oil have an even high smoke point, but that is not so common to find, so for practical purposes coconut oil should be the only thing you cook with. Never use vegetable oil for anything. Use olive oil as a dressing but don’t cook with it due to the low smoke point. And never buy any product with canola oil — it is highly genetically modified, is the main ingredient in some bug killer products, and is not even allowed for human consumption in Canada where we get most of it from.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/GalaChristen/ Gala Christen

    So what is the consensus on the coconut water, I love it! I never went for soda, but I could drink canned coconut water all day. It makes me feel so good. Since it is so similar to plasma, is that a green light?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lowfatveganchef/ LowFatVeganChef

      Be careful with coconut water, it is just like juice and loaded with calories. When you say you can drink it all day, it’s because it contains a lot of sugar and our palettes like sugar. Use it as a juice, only drink it once a day or less. If you drank it all day every day, and we’re not a full time athlete, you would be taking in way more calories than you need and gaining weight.

      Canned coconut water is the new soft drink, it is not a cure all, but a refreshing treat. Fresh coconut water is much better for you if you live in the tropics or can get it in China Town or Asian restaurants.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drdons/ DrDons

    Hi Gala Christen, Coconut water should be fine in moderation. It does have a high potassium content so patients with kidney disease and on certain medications should check with their doctors before using.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/MacSmiley/ MacSmiley

    Dr. Mercola was on Dr. Oz again praising virgin coconut oil and “safe” tanning beds for vitamin D. Oy vey!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      I find it interesting that people tout liquid fat (coconut oil is 91% saturated fat) as being healthful. Oil is essentially fat without any vitamins minerals or antioxidants. Id like to see the evidence supporting coconut oil.

      • Steve

        For one, look up Dr. Mary Newport’s success in treating her husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease with coconut oil. Similar success stories abound on the internet and I’ve seen it in a relative.

        Fat is essential for health. I refuse to buy low-fat and no-fat products. But I also don’t buy nasty stuff with hydrogenated or canola oils either.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/MacSmiley/ MacSmiley

    I came up against a Dr-Oz-recommends-coconut-oil-so-it-must-be-true discussion today. I was about to refer the other conversants to the study you cite, but then I read the abstract.

    True, it says that the effect of coconut oil on HDL and total cholesterol is comparable to butter, but that it lowers LDL like safflower oil.

    “CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that cholesterol synthesis is lower during diets rich in coconut fat and safflower oil compared with diets rich in butter and might be associated with lower production rates of apoB-containing lipoproteins.”

    The study, therefore, is not as clearcut as it would seem from your video, Michael, and doesn’t help our position in the discussion.

    Any thoughts?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      I can see how you’d be confused just reading the abstract! LDL levels weren’t lowered by coconut oil; they just weren’t raised as high as butter (but how much is that saying?)

      • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

        This article you choose is hopelessly flawed. Do you know that the coconut oil group had their diets supplemented with egg yolks and margarine as well as white flour and they were encouraged to eat meat and cheese as part of their diets? Not all saturated fats are created equal and this has actually been studied. On the other hands, populations of Pacific Islanders have been studied who have 60-70% of their diets from the fat of coconuts with minimal heart disease. (Dr. Ian Prior) MCT’s have been extensively studied and the metabolism of them as well, that is why you can find them in supplements, in hospitals, and infant formulas. They are converted and used as energy when eaten. You don’t betray the saturated fat thesis by accepting the possibility that coconut oil has no effect on heart disease, you just have to understand fat metabolism in the body and the differing effects of caproic, caprylic, lauric, palmitic, and stearic acid. They don’t react in the body the same way!! Its like saying that all carbs are equal when we clearly know that white flour is deadly and unprocessed millet is probably ok. Lumping all saturated fats together is done too carelessly.

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

          You cannot really be on the side that coconut oil is healthy. Coconut oil is 91% saturated fat. 23% of that type beiong the most harmful type. We have absolutely no dietary need for saturated fat. Coconut oil contains no omega 3 fats at all, which has no help keeping the omega6:omega3 4:1 ratio balancd when we need to keep this ratio 4:1 or under. Oil is not a food, it is the most calorie dense edible substance on the planet and is 100% fat. Where is the fiber, vitamins, or minerals? What about the antioxidants or phytonutrients? They are missing. You cannot reasonably argue the use of almost pure saturated fats in the diet as being healthful, this is an inherintly flawed argument.

          Here is the reputable and renowned Jeff Novick giving his position on coconut oil.

          • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

            I am aware of Jeff Novicks article already – nutrient density only goes so far. Assuming you get enough Novick defined nutrients per day who is to say that certain fats are bad for you. Is it really only the micronutrients in nuts that make them good for you and worthwhile? The same thing goes here, if you are eating cocunut butter, you are getting those as well but my point goes further than that. Certain aspects of fat metabolism have effects that go beyond a simple calculation of nutrient density. It has effects on metabolic rate, modified insulin responses, nutrient absorption, fat soluble vitamins, and the list can go further. Yes, I agree that nutrient density should be looked at but it can only be carried so far especially when you understand fat metabolisms effects on the body. As much as Novick and others discuss ideal fat percentages as total calories, the data just does not bear out especially if you take out poisons like white flour and oxidized fat. Traditional cultures who eat lots of coconut butter / flesh and oil assuming they don’t eat white flour and oxidized vegetable oils do just fine and don’t have heart disease. As far as N6:3 ratios, that is another topic altogether and plays no bearing on this topic. We are not dealing with EFA’s here, that subject is separate, we are dealing with how different SFA’s behave differently in the body. Cheers :)

          • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

            I might add that I think you will be perfectly healthy if you follow Jeff Novick’s advice, I have great respec for him.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/ethan/ Ethan

    What about the significance of medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drcarp/ DrCarp

      They are used as the body as an energy source and should not be considered as SFA’s that raise the risk of any disease.

    • Toxins

      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

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/chrysanthemum/ Chrysanthemum

    Coconut oil was very soothing on a bad sunburn I had two years ago, but it kind of grossed me out to consider eating it. Thanks for the info!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/R23GDOKBBN2LYDFDZHZLN7PXVE DanielM

    I heard coconut oil cures diabetes. any truth to this? any study to back this up? or is this snake coconut oil which cures diabetes? I am skeptical

    • Toxins

       Coconut oil is an extremely high saturated fat product, going for 12 grams per tablespoon. This can in no way be viewed as healthful since high saturated fat intake is viewed as a major problem in the current American diet. You can easy reverse type 2 diabetes with a whole foods plant based, low fat diet. I know of no evidence that say coconut oil can cure diabetes nor do I believe one exists.
      http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/how-to-treat-diabetes/

  • Jackie

    I’m so glad that I found your wonderful site – Thanks to Forks over Knives email. this information about forms of coconut is helpful. How do I lower my LDL ? I am a vegan, so am on a plant-based diet, but I do eat a little dark chocolate. Could that be the cause? If not, what else is? We attempt to avoid oils and use water for cooking.

    • Toxins

      Try to keep your total saturated fat intake below 5 grams per day, also be sure to get plenty of exercise and consume lots of beans, greens, fruits and other vegetables.  It is best to avoid all oils for an optimally healthful diet.

      • http://baghdadbythebaysf.com Eric Kauschen

        5 grams a day is unrealistic unless you’re a vegan that lives on a farm and never eats anything that comes out of a box. If the average person can keep below 20 grams of saturated fat per day they’re going pretty good.

        • Toxins

          5 grams a day is completely realistic if your eating whole unrefined plant foods. Eating processed high fat foods out of a box is not what is advocated by Dr. Greger.

          • http://baghdadbythebaysf.com Eric Kauschen

            You’re putting together an either or straw man debate. There are many vegetarians and vegans who eat veggie burgers and the like who are getting lots of fat and salt from their vegan healthy foods. If you’re going to eat unrefined plant foods you pretty much have to live on a farm as I stated.

          • Toxins

            I am not performing any argumentative tactics. Vegetarian and vegan does not equate to health. One can eat potato chips, white bread and peanut butter all day and still be considered vegan/vegetarian. I know of no commercially sold veggie burger that fits the standards advocated here. The primary message from Dr. Greger, and many health advocates of this type of diet is to consume a vegan diet comprising of whole, unrefined plant foods. One does not need to live on a farm to achieve this.

        • Occams_Razor

          Counting fat grams and eating box cereal and canned soups among other things, not eating vegan except when the food I chose was so, I used to keep my total fat (not saturated – total) under about 22 grams a day. I don’t count fat grams now, and eat lowfat vegan. This diet is not so lowfat when I eat nuts and avocados. People on a stricter diet can avoid those, of course; I just don’t. It would be pretty easy to do if I felt the the need to cut down.

  • Narrativeart

    Is it okay to drink Coconut-water?  I had high blood pressure, after removing all sodium from my diet I managed to get off of my B.P medications(I also went Vegan and lost a lot of weight).
     On a hot summer day I really crave a nice cool can of pure Coconut-water (No other Ingredients)although it says that it contains about 70mg of Sodium in 8OZ and there are 2 servings in a can. I am not sure if that is o.k? Since the Sodium is naturally occurring in the Coconut-water? I guess then my question is: Is it okay to consume foods that are naturally high in Sodium with a history of high blood pressure, and high Cholesterol?
    And then I also like to use Coconut meal as a substitute to flour since I am Gluten free due to Celiac?

    • Toxins

       Coconut water is just fine. We should strive to keep our sodium intake 1200-1500 mg or less. People at high risk for heart disease should strive for 500 mg or less.

      • Narrativeart

         I have been following Dr.Fuhrman’s Protocol, and he recommends about 600 mg of salt a week. I was never able to get off my Blood Pressure medicine until I completely removed table salt from my diet. My question is what about such a high salt level that occurs naturally in Coconut Water? Also my Cholesterol is very high so I need to be careful not to consume foods that might raise my Cholesterol, so can I have Coconut milk that is only 50 Calories, and Coconut flour since I am gluten free and I like to substitute that for flour?

        • Toxins

          The science currently shows that for a healthy adult without a medical condition, one can safely consume 1500-1200 mg of sodium a day and if one is at high risk for heart disease/hypertension then 500 mg is the maximum amount one should have per day. I do not follow Dr. Fuhrman’s plan, but I do use current nutritional science to guide my diet. Therefore my answer to you will not be based on his plan. I do not think that 140 mg of sodium is at all significant if one keeps sodium in other foods for the day low as well. Keep in mind, other foods have naturally occurring sodium in them as well.

          If your trying to avoid cholesterol raising foods, I would advise strongly against coconut milk or other coconut based products (except coconut water) as these foods are extremely high in saturated fat and can raise cholesterol levels.
          http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/is-coconut-milk-good-for-you/

          • Narrativeart

             Okay thank you so much for your advise.

          • Toxins

            You’re welcome. If other questions arise feel free to post them on this website and Dr. Greger, myself or other nutritionfacts.org volunteers will address them.

    • Steve

      Salt is essential for life! All those minerals act as electrolytes that allow cellular communication. Common table salt, however, is not healthful because it has been stripped of all those other trace minerals and it is processed with aluminum to make it flow. Even some sea salt products are over processed — those are the white ones; avoid them. Get a good pink Himalayan salt (Dr. Bob Marshall’s Quantum Nutrition Labs has a good one: http://www.qncstore.com/CGI-BIN/LANSAWEB?WEBEVENT+L279E643A5D111000FA0905S+M37+ENG and you can catch his shows at http://healthline.cc live or hear the archives). Celtic salt is another great choice; this book by Sam Biser details amazing health benefits and medical uses of Celtic salt, including LOWERING blood pressure: http://curezone.com/upload/PDF/Save_Your_Life_/How_to_Heal_Disease_With_Salt_The_Forgotten_Wisdom_of_th_Ancient_Marin.pdf

      • Toxins

        Salt is salt. Regardless of how it is processed or where its from. Do not perpetuate the diet fad craze.

        Many people assume because they are eating sea salt, they are eating healthier. In actuality, sodium chloride has the same effect on our body whether it be from the sea or from the land. We should strive to keep our sodium intake between 1200-1500 milligrams a day or less and we can get by without any added salt as salt occurs naturally in food. The estimated minimum required amount to maintain good health is said to be about 115 mgs per day by the National Academy of Sciences. Sea salt proponents claim that sea salt contains minerals in it. Lets look at the actual mineral content.

        1 tsp of Celtic Sea Salt contains

        12 mgs of calcium
        7 mgs of potassium
        27 mgs of magnesium

        The recommended daily values of these nutrients are

        600 mgs of calcium
        4700 mgs of potassium
        400 mgs of magnesium

        So to get just 25% of this daily value, we would need to eat

        Calcium, we would need to take in 24,600 mgs of sodium
        Potassium, we would need to take in 335,000 mgs of sodium
        Magnesium, we would need to take in 7,407 mgs of sodium

        Consuming sodium in these amounts is extremely unhealthy and most likely toxic.

  • cvtmd

    I agree with Dr Carp that this one study is severely flawed and it is always difficult to use one study to make these determinations BUT doesn’t this study conclude by saying that cholesterol synthesis is lower during diets rich in coconut fat and safflower oil compared to diets rich in butter!

  • wickedchicken

    Hold up. I went to the study on pubmed, and I am not sure where you got your conclusion of “as harmful as butter”. LDL and ApoB were lower on coconut diet compared with butter. Am I blind and misreading the study result and conclusion?? Don’t think so. Can you explain your interpretation?
    RESULTS:Plasma lathosterol concentration (P < 0.001), the ratio plasma lathosterol/cholesterol (P=0.04), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (P<0.001) and apoB (P<0.001) levels were significantly different among the diets and were significantly lower during coconut and safflower oil diets compared with butter diets. Plasma total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and apoA-levels were also significantly (P< or =0.001) different among the diets and were not significantly different between buffer and coconut diets.
    CONCLUSIONS:
    These data suggest that cholesterol synthesis is lower during diets rich in coconut fat and safflower oil compared with diets rich inbutter and might be associated with lower production rates of apoB-containing lipoproteins.

    • Thea

       wickedchicken:  I don’t understand this stuff enough to understand your post.  However, I wondered if this earlier reply from Dr. Greger addresses your question:
      “LDL levels weren’t lowered by coconut oil; they just weren’t raised as high as butter (but how much is that saying?)”

      Does this address you point?

      • David

        Thea, no it does not since the video claimed that it is as harmful as butter, without giving any scientific evidence research claim

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000079502489 Kelly Olsen

          Dr. Greger below says “Do you see the superscript a’s next to both butter and coconut oil in table 3? I put screenshots in the Supplementary Info above for people who don’t have access to the study. For those unfamiliar with reading scientific annotation, that means (as described at the bottom of the table) that there was no significant difference between the rise in cholesterol in the people eating butter and the rise in cholesterol in people eating coconut oil.”

          • BrainDr

            Dr Greger is misreading Table 3. It clearly shows a significant decrease in LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and no significant change in HDL (“good cholesterol”). His conclusion that coconut oil is “as harmful as butter” is contradicted by the very reference he provides in support of it. The supplementary info should be expanded to provide the entire table; reporting only total cholesterol is entirely misleading as it’s been long established that low levels of HDL are correlated with an increase in heart attacks.

          • http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.

            How is going from up from a baseline of 3.5 (men) or 3.6 (women) up to 3.8 on coconut oil a “decrease”?

          • BrainDr

            Your assertion was that coconut oil is “as harmful as butter”. However, when we look at table 3 we find LDL values of 4.08 for the butter group and 3.79 for the coconut oil group, a difference that is significant at the p=0.0001 level.

        • Steve

          Organic butter is actually good for you!

          • http://baghdadbythebaysf.com Eric Kauschen

            While I agree with you Steve, margarine was colored yellow after being forced to by the dairy board that didn’t like it cutting into their sales. The color has no effect on whether or not it’s bad for you.

          • Toxins

            I wonder how you are coming to the conclusion that something that is basically 100% fat, 65% of that being saturated animal fat (7.2 grams per tablespoon), that lacks every vitamin and mineral your body needs and contains only cholesterol is, somehow, healthy. This is by definition junk food, and it is far worse then simply empty calories.
            http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/133/2

          • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.blakeslee1 Thomas Blakeslee

            We eat to replenish energy and for nutrients necessary for repair. Coconut oil gives us energy and makes it possible to eat much less carbohydrates. That is why I effortlessly lost 13 pounds when I started using it to replace butter. Other foods can give us all of the vitamins and minerals we need but most health problems today are from eating too many carbs.

          • Toxins

            Replacing fat for fat is not exactly something that should be viewed as healthful, and I would doubt that replacing butter for coconut oil alone was the only variable in your weight loss unless you were consuming sticks of butter everyday. Personal anecdotes are not evidence.
            I know of no reliable evidence implicating “carbohydrates” as unhealthy, nor do I believe any exists. Simple carbohydrates and proccessed carbohydrates are indeed unhealthy. The leap in logic to assume all carbohydrates are unhealthy from whole grains, to sweet potatoes, to beans is simply untrue and dishonest.

          • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.blakeslee1 Thomas Blakeslee

            Our obesity epidemic started with the USDA’s food pyramid, which encouraged replacing fat with carbs. The energy from MCT fats made it easy for me to reduce my carb intake without effort.

          • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.blakeslee1 Thomas Blakeslee

            Its the amount of carbs that is the problem. The food pyramid resulted in an epidemic of type 2 diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. It’s a giant experiment using the entire population and the results are a disaster. Low fat foods leave people hungry for more carbs. They are a mistake and so are the liquid fats that were touted as healthy replacements. The problem is that the people involved in this disaster can’t admit their massive mistake and remain in denial.

          • Toxins

            There is no evidence to conclude that complex carbohydrates from whole plant foods are the cause of degenerative disease, the opposite is true. These foods help alleviate and prevent these diseases.

            http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1736602.

            http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-treat-diabetes/

            Please provide some evidence for your claims. It is not up to me to disprove your outlandish claims but for you to prove them with scientific evidence.

          • Lawler

            Partially true. The better way to put it is most health problems arise from eating too many dead calories. Your body needs a balance of vitamins and minerals an order to function properly. Eating too much processed and over cooked foods gives insufficient vitamins and minerals to properly assimulate the amino acids, carbs and fats through the body. So to be more approriate most health problems are caused by over consumption of food and defficiency in vitamins and minerals. Also the biggest cause of health problems are diets consisting of high amounts of sulfur and phosphurus. Which can come from eating too much meat, animal by products and beverages such as soda. These two minerals make the body too acidic and forces the body to leech minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium esc from bone and other parts of the body to buffer the bloods PH. Over time your body runs out of alkaline mineral stores and disease sets in. As far as I know coconut oil is fine as along as by the end of the day you havent consumed more then 30g of saturated fats. To be really healthy make sure to consume no more then 1/3rd of your fatty acids as saturated fats. You should aim for 1/3rd monounsaturated, 1/3rd polyunsaturated, 1/3rd saturated fats. I personally stay away from transfat as much as possible as it is a proccessed form of fat and is really useless in the body. Its just as hard in the body if not harder then saturated fats and can cause problems. And ensure you consume omega 3 sources of fat which are found in fat sources such as flaxseed which is also a polysatured fat. Overal you should consume 1/4th – 1/3rd of your overal calories in fats using the above balance of there sources. Stay away from fatty meats! And try and consume more plant based fats as they are the essentials.

  • Ak42

    I was reading and researching that coconut oil was great for memory and other issues. I am vegan and this wrong?

    Ann
    Annapolis

    • Steve

      Yes, coconut oil is extremely good for memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. The brain can no longer use glucose as fuel, but the coconut oil allows the body to produce ketones as an alternate brain fuel. Look up Dr. Mary Newport who restored her husband probably about 80% from severe Alzheimer’s. My brother in law is also doing quite well on it; better cognition and regained capability to converse. I am pretty healthy and consume about 2-3 tbsp. per day; my HDL rose from an anemic 38 to an off the chart 73 in about 1.5 years. Coconut oil is so good for you in so many ways! It is not “devoid of nutrients”; the lauric acid it contains is very beneficial as well. I get mine by the 5 gallon bucket from Tropical Traditions.

      • Toxins

        nonsense,

        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

    • Toxins

      Read my response to Steve below

  • Ak42

    I was reading and researching that coconut oil was great for memory and other issues. I am vegan. Is my info wrong?
    I used to think it was bad for you. But all this new info says lots of good things.

    Retyped for typos.

    AnnAnnapolis

    • Toxins

       The evidence for coconut oil is surprisingly barren. It is simply pure fat with no vitamins, mineral, or antioxidants present.

      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 half used soybean oil.
      After three months, both groups had lost the same amount of weight, about two pounds.
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058

      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.
      http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/6/1/31

      Only 1 old study done to “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 (“bad”)
      cholesterol was 8 percent higher and HDL (“good”) 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://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/10/26/ajcn.111.020107

      So
      there you have it, this is the “evidence” that the media and public is
      going for that shows coconut oil as “healthy” when it indeed is
      definitely not.

  • Cosmic_star7

    I think cooking without any oil all of the time is just unreasonable. For example, I like to have fried tofu once in a while. Eating vegan is difficult enough, and we need to make it easier for people who are in transition. Once you are comfortable with it, you can start to scale back on foods that don’t have the highest nutrition. Also, the stuff that comes off of nonstick plans (i.e. Teflon) isn’t exactly good for you either. Cooking in a cast iron pan is much healthier! Lastly, there is no reason to eat low fat if the fat comes from whole foods like nuts.

    • beccadoggie10

      Cooking in a cast iron pan is fine is your body needs iron. But, if it does not because of an increasing age, or past menopause, then eating from a stainless steel pan would be better. What is in your pan, alike you water pipes, can affect your brain because of blood carries contaminates throughout your body.

      [My source: Neal Barnard, M.D. on PBS 3-7-2013 and in his book, Power Foods for the Brain].

      There is still a reason to watch your fat intake even if the fat comes from fat dense whole foods like nuts. Nuts are good, but too many are bad.

    • Occams_Razor

      I cook without fat all the time. Lowfat vegan… what’s not to like? Mmm… So many good dishes that I don’t get to them all, and have a few favorites.

  • Cosmic_star7

    I think cooking without any oil all of the time is just unreasonable.  Eating vegan is difficult enough, and we need to make it easier for people who are in transition. Once you are comfortable with it, you can start to scale back on foods that don’t have the highest nutrition. Also, the stuff that comes off of nonstick plans (i.e. Teflon) isn’t exactly good for you either. Cooking in a cast iron pan is much healthier! Lastly, there is no reason to eat low fat if the fat comes from whole foods like nuts.

    • Toxins

      Cooking without oil is perfectly reasonable, and completely doable. Those eating vegan who are overweight and cook with oil will have a lot of trouble losing the excess weight. Eating nuts all day is something that should not be viewed as healthy either.

      Due to very effective marketing and advertising, we have become convinced that oil is not only a food, but a health food. This is crazy. To be a food, something must be able to support healthy life and be of some benefit.

      Oil is a highly refined processed and extracted food “product”. It has no protein or essential amino acids (which we need), it has no carbohydrates, or sugars (which we need), it has no fiber (which we need), it has no minerals (which we need) and has virtually no vitamins (which we need) except for a small amount of Vit E and some phytosterols.

      But, on the other hand, it is pure fat and the most calorie dense food on the planet. While all oils have a mixture of mono, poly and saturated fat, most oils are very low in the essential fat omega 3 (which some of us may need more of), very high in the omega 6 (which most of us need to lower) and most oils also have high ratios of omega 6 to omega 3 (which most all of us need to lower).

      So, basically you are getting lots of calories (oils has almost 2.5 x more calorie per TB than sugar). lots of omega 6s, some saturated fat (depending on the oil) and virtually no nutrients.

      The definition of a junk food is a food that is high in calories (and/or fat, sugar, salt) and has little if any nutrient value at all. Oil, is more of a junk food than sugar. And, I hope that in a few years, we will all come to understand it and see it, as such.
      I am not sure how you are coming to the conclusion that we should choose nutrient poor foods, which I would assume being oil and other processed foods. None of these recommendations are advised by Dr. Greger or other plant based health professionals in the nutritional field.

  • Ak42

    What about the people who say it fixes Alzheimer’s?

    • Toxins

      The evidence to prove its health benefits are scant.

       
      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 half used soybean oil.
      After three months, both groups had lost the same amount of weight, about two pounds.
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058

      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.
      http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/6/1/31

      Only 1 old study done to “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 (“bad”)
      cholesterol was 8 percent higher and HDL (“good”) 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://www.ajcn.org/content/early/2011/10/26/ajcn.111.020107

      • Tblakeslee

        Your first link concludes with “ It appears that dietetic supplementation with coconut oil does not cause dyslipidemia and seems to promote a reduction in abdominal obesity.” Also said “only group C exhibited a reduction in WC (P = 0.005)” WC stands for waist circumfrence. How can you read that as a negative result?
        Your last reference concluded “No significant differences were observed in the effects of the 3 diets on plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and the inflammatory markers ”You seem to be reading these papers with a bias against coconut.
        There are still many populations who make heavy use of coconut oil and they have much less heart disease than we do.
        Please read this lecture by the past President, Philippine Heart Association and Philippine College of Physicians and Past President, 
        National Academy of Science and Technology
        http://www.coconutoil.com/DayritCardiology.pdf

        • Toxins

          Did u not read how this study was done? Both groups lost weight after cutting out 200 calories a day and exercising 4 times a week, the coconut oil was not significant.

          And again, do u not realize that the last study i posted was  the only study done in the last 17 years on coconut oil that looked at the aspect of heart disease. These findings are insignificant and do not create a base of knowledge. The whole point of my post was to show the scant evidence for coconut oil and how the media has exploded it.

          The evidence the doctor presents represents populations that are not westernized and eat much healthier diets compared with America, they can get away with some coconut oil.

          I am not interested in consuming a product that is 91% saturated fat, 23% of that saturated fat being long chain fatty acids that contains no omega 3 of any kind and contains no vitamins or minerals.

          • tomblakeslee

            You are assuming that all saturated fat is bad.
            Please look at this 2012 paper:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10063298

            “all fats are not equal in their metabolic effects. For example, medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCTs), which typically contain fatty acids with chain lengths of ≤10 carbon atoms, are processed differently from long-chain triacylglycerols (LCTs) by the body (2). Because of their chain length, medium-chain fatty acids can be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and transported to the liver via the portal circulation without incorporation into chylomicrons. As a result, it is hypothesized that MCTs are oxidized to a greater extent than are LCTs and have less opportunity for deposition into adipose tissue”
            It concludes:
            “In conclusion, the results of this study show that a weight-loss diet that incorporates moderate amounts of MCT oil leads to greater losses of body weight and fat mass than does consumption of an equivalent amount of olive oil.”
            Also please read: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/132/3/329.long

          • Toxins

            A tablespoon of coconut oil is 12 grams of total saturated fat. About 3 grams of this 12 are long chain saturated fatty acids. The oil itself is void of nturients. I do not see your logic in assuming because medium chain fatty acids are not as bad, this food is still healthy. The definition of junk food is empty calories and all oils satisfy this criteria.

      • Steve

        My brother-in-law with AD is doing quite well on coconut oil. I increased my HDL from mid-30′s to 68 in about a year of using coconut oil generously. Also, don’t worry about reducing cholesterol; it is a basic building block that your body needs and is also a super antioxidant; you would die without it, or if it gets too low. The huge long-term Framingham study showed increased heart disease and strokes when cholesterol dropped below 160 and went above 260. I aim for at least 200, with a high HDL. The problem is chronic inflammation, which causes LDL to be dispatched to patch up the arteries. It does that job very well but then oxidizes. That is why doctors believe cholesterol is such an evil.

  • Ak42

    Where did you find your info on this? I heard some of the same things. I also think Micheal always nails it. But I don’t know what to think here. Info is very confusing. Can you clear this up DOC?

  • Ak42

    If you want to cook without oil, use the “Green Pans.”

  • Ak42

    I am really confused about coconut oil.

    • Wickedchicken

      Go to the coconut reaearch center. Go to pubmed. Do your own research. When I did (for my work I had to) we had different conclusions…. I find it confusing that dr g is so adamant on this 1. Lots of evidence positive for weight, waist, diabetes, on pubmed. I use (a moderate amount of) coconut oil coconut milk and avocado and my LDL is under 1.6, triglyceride under 0.69 (the lowest possible reccomedations for heart disease prevention). Power Of plants and a plant based diet! I am totally confused why people are against it (it’s an mct…very different to lct). Good luck. :)

  • Kirbonite

    I would like to hear this explained in more detail.   Butter has cholesterol but coconut oil does not..  Not skeptical.. just interested in hearing the explanation.

    • Toxins

       Your liver can release ldl cholesterol when certain conditions are satisfied as a response to what is consumed in ones diet. A high fat diet tends to cause the liver to release more cholesterol.

    • Toxins

      High saturated fat intake can cause an increase in LDL cholesterol. 1 tablespoon of coconut oil has 12 grams of saturated fat.

      • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.blakeslee1 Thomas Blakeslee

        Coconut oil Lowers LDL. Fat is much more complicated than your simplistic assumptions about saturated fat.

        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9756121
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21669587
        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058

        • Toxins

          These studies do not at all support your conclusions. Have you actually looked through them or was this just a copy and paste?

          The first link simply shows that one fat, butter, didn’t reduce cholesterol as much as another, coconut oil or safflower oil. The safflower oil was actually more effective in reducing LDL cholesterol then the coconut oil. So what does this prove? Not much considering the fact that their LDL levels were still quite high.

          http://missclasses.com/mp3s/Prize%20CD%202010/Previous%20years/Coconut%20oil/Coconut%20oil%20versus%20butter.pdf

          The second study shows an increase in both HDL and LDL. How does one conclude that this is protective if total cholesterol increases.

          The third study is also irrelevent.

          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.

          So again, where is your evience? You have not proven anything to me yet. These studies do not support your cvlaim.

  • Mdgoo10

    I’m a massage therapist and use unscented coconut oil during my sessions. Should I stop using it? How is the body handling it when the oil is absorbed through the skin vs. when ingested?

    • Toxins

       Using coconut oil on the skin is perfectly safe. Your body does not assimilate the oil into the blood stream.

    • http://baghdadbythebaysf.com Eric Kauschen

      Skin absorption is minute compared to oral consumption. Keep using coconut oil. If nothing else their skin will be soft and they’ll smell great.

  • http://www.facebook.com/judith.mcconnell.33 Judith McConnell

    Thanks-the hype gets a lot of people, but not me!

  • Jeffwendiohara

    Saw the video but how about oil to cure or stop or prevent Alzheimer’s

    • Toxins

      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..

      http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/6/1/31

  • Trailrunner

    I’ve been eating plant based, organic whole foods for the past 22 months. I consume 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil in my smoothies every day. My LDL is 29. Triglycerides are 59. I am going to start comsuming more healthy fats by eating more avocados and hemp seed because my HDL is a bit low at 51.

    • Toxins

      There is no dietary need to consume other fats, other then the essential omega 3 and 6 fats. Including other fats into your diet would hurt the 4:1 ratio of omega 6:3 which would result in inadequate conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA.

      http://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-cholesterol-be-too-low/

  • Danstallion

    Hi Doc.  I have read that because coconut oil is in form of MCT, that the body would burn it much more quickly and efficiently (upto 90% if I am correct), thus it wouldn’t have much negative effect on cholesterol.   The video doesn’t seem to go into how exactly coconut oil/butter contributes to more cholesterols or LDL.  Love to hear more on this.  thank you.

    • Toxins

      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

  • http://www.facebook.com/cesare.civetta Cesare Civetta

    so the 10 grams of fat in a 1/4 cup of canned coconut milk are a no no, ey?
    cesare civetta

  • http://www.facebook.com/bruce.swayze.3 Bruce Swayze

    I can’t believe what I just heard. I looked up the study cited at 1:15 on this video, and it does NOT say that coconut oil is as bad as butter! On the contrary, and I quote: “LDL cholesterol and apoB levels were significantly different among the diets and were significantly LOWER (emphasis mine) during coconut and safflower oil diets compared with butter diets.” That’s not all… again, I quote: “CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that cholesterol synthesis is lower during diets rich in coconut fat and safflower oil compared with diets rich in butter and might be associated with lower production rates of apoB-containing lipoproteins.” I have the utmost respect and admiration for Dr. Gregor, but he has been wrong about coconut oil for a long time. Why does he deliberately mislead us and misquote a study?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Did you look at the data ? Do you see the superscript a’s next to both butter and coconut oil in table 3? I’ll take a screenshot and put it in the Supplementary Info above for people who don’t have access to the study. For those unfamiliar with reading scientific annotation, that means (as described at the bottom of the table) that there was no significant difference between the rise in cholesterol in the people eating butter and the rise in cholesterol in people eating coconut oil, validating the statement I made in the video. There have been a bunch of studies published since this one that I’m going to review in another video coming up soon–stay tuned!

      • http://ClinicalPosters.com/ ClinicalPosters

        You just whetted our appetites with all those flickering lights. I was waiting for the 411 on coconut milk and flakes.

        • http://nutritionfacts.org/ Michael Greger M.D.

          Just click on “Next Video” and the story continues!

  • David

    I’m sorry but wickedchicken is right on. This video is irresponsible! What a vague statement that it’s as harmful as butter (and completely untrue)! it actually raises your HDL cholesterol & reduces oxidizing effects on LDL (and may raise it very slightly) which overall, if you read the literature plays a practically negligible risk in heart disease etc…

  • jim

    There are many studies on the web that have proven that organic,
    virgin coconut oil (not hydrogenated coconut oil) have positively impacted
    overall HDL cholesterol in the body. Here is a link to
    one of the many studies: http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/Volume20/vol20.2/Finished/6_1902_190-195.pdf

    Is your conclusion the same for organic virgin coconut oil?

    • Toxins

      table 2 shows an increase in LDL cholesterol with increasing coconut oil. I do not see how coconut oil is supported with this evidence. Just because both LDL and HDL went up does not mean that coconut oil is protective against heart disease.

  • Liz

    Dr. Greger coud you check out the studies by the above user?

    • Toxins

      I responded above

  • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.blakeslee1 Thomas Blakeslee

    Much of the research on Coconut oil and weight gain uses MCT oil which is about half of coconut oil. This 2012 survey of it’s effect on diet surveys 14 articles and concludes: “The use of MCT may become an important alternative in the treatment of obesity, if playing a role in a complete and balanced diet. The beneficial effects of MCT are associated with improvement in body composition and increased EE, without obvious effects on food intake. Therefore, more studies are needed to establish the adequate amounts of MCT consumption and possible long term side effects, contributing to new understandings on diminished weight gain and improved quality of life for the population.”

    http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0212-16112012000100011&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

  • Toxins

    Have you read through these studies?

    The first study you cite compares olive oil and coconut oil. Besides the fact that we are looking at 2 foods that are 100% fat, and are empty calories, the subjects cut their caloric intake. “As part of the weight-loss program, the subjects were counseled to reduce their caloric intakes to 1500 kcal/d for women and 1800 kcal/d for men”

    Of course they would lose weight eating this way. The only determinant was how fast they lost the weight. Yes it is true that coconut oil caused faster weight loss, but that isn’t saying much since the subjects were already overweight and significantly cut their calories. We cannot assume that those that are lean would benefit from adding coconut oil, nor should we assume that those trying to lose weight eating a plant based diet should add coconut oil, or any oil for that matter to lose weight. Fat does not trigger the same satiation mechanisms as carbohydrates do, and if one adds in an additional 3 tablespoons of coconut oil per day, that is about 360 empty calories. We must remember too that coconut oil is not all medium chain fatty acids, per tablespoon, 3.7 grams of this saturated fat is long chain saturated fat which we know, and fully understand to be harmful.

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/508/2
    the next study you cite is not any better.

    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

    Just looking at the abstract of the 3rd study, all its saying is that other oils tend to have bad omega 6:3 ratios, which is already understood to be harmful. They say coconut oil would be a substitute for these oils because of its low omega 6 content. Considering that coconut oil does not even contain omega 3, this is irrelevant and unhelpful information. Perhaps if one consumes lots of oil containing high levels of omega 6 this information would be beneficial to switch, but for those who have adequate omega 6:3 ratios, that being 4:1 on a low fat, whole foods, oil free plant based diet would find that their ratios would be in check so there would be no need for adding coconut oil.

    • Thea

      Toxins: As usual, awesome replies. So, so helpful.

    • http://www.facebook.com/thomas.blakeslee1 Thomas Blakeslee

      You Should really read Dr Mary Enig’s book “Eat Fat Lose Fat.” She is the Doctor that first recognized the dangers of transfats and fought the establishment for decades till they finally saw the light. Fats are much more than a way to get vitamins and ammino acids. Fats are necessary for nutrition and affect your body and it’s gut flora in many important ways. Food is much more than the few elements we currently understand. The Keys view of all saturated fats as an evil has been pretty much disproven. Coconut oil has been eaten for millions of years and resulted in virtually no heart disease till the Keys lies spread and caused people to replace the coconut oil with corn oil.

      http://www.coconutoil.com/DayritCardiology.pdf

      • Toxins

        I prefer to draw conclusions based on the latest available science from peer reviewed journals rather then the opinions of some doctor. People can misconstrue studies and data anyway they want in order support their point of view. It is best to view the studies themselves in their entirety and make an unbiased decision.

        Now in regards to what your saying. The only 2 fats we have any dietary need for are omega 3 and omega 6. These are why they are called essential fats. We have no dietary need for any other fat as our cells are capable of creating everything else they need. In the words of the national academy of science, one of the most respectable scientific bodies,

        “Saturated fatty acids are synthesized by the body to provide an adequate level needed for their physiological and structural functions; they have no known role in preventing chronic diseases. Therefore, neither an AI nor RDA is set for saturated fatty acids. There is a positive linear trend between total saturated fatty acid intake and total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentration and increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). A UL is not set for saturated fatty acids because any incremental increase in saturated fatty acid intake increases CHD risk”
        http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=422

        Your gut flora is most strongly affected by fiber, not fat. This is why those eating a plant based diet, and especially those who eat lots of beans which contain indigestible starches, release gas. It is because the gut flora is fermenting the soluble fiber.

        You are exactly right about food being more then just a few minerals. That is why we cannot have fortified cocoa puffs and classify it as a health food just because it contains all the vitamins and minerals. Food is a package deal and must contain an array of phytonutrients that promote health, be high in fiber, and help prevent chronic disease. What part of coconut oil on this nutrition label fits this criteria?

        http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/508/2

        I see no fiber whatsoever, and we can assume that the phytonutrients have also been stripped with the coconut flesh. So what we have here is a calorie dense, nutrient poor food that is 91% saturated fat, 3.7 grams per tablespoon of that being well understood long chain saturated fatty acids.

        No oil is a health food whether is be olive, corn oil, or coconut. This is a diet fad perpetuated by misconstrued science. Saturated fat has not been proven to be a health food, nor has it been proven to have no relation with heart disease. Regardless of where you may have read this on an internet article or in a book, this is simply untrue.

        Every study I have seen (there are not that many) that has been touted to support coconut oil is lacking in relevance and applicability. If you have some solid evidence, from a peer reviewed journal then please share. Otherwise, I see no point in believing the opinions of what a doctor wrote in an article or book because it sounds appealing. That’s how the raw foodists, atkins and paleo diet followers get into trouble.

  • Toxins

    It is irrelevant how coconut oil is processed. The issue is the saturated fat content, that being 12 grams per tablespoon.

  • Jon

    The study does not state what type of coconut oil was used. Organic Extra Virgin cold pressed coconut oil does not contain hydrogenated fats. Any type of fat or oil which is hydrogenated is going to be bad for you. From what I’ve researched the majority of studies on coconut oil used hydrogenated coconut oil rather than organic extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil. Is there any scientific evidence to prove that organic extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil is bad for you??? My bet would be no

    • Jon

      Also note, if you cook any healthy oil past a certain temperature, in most cases the oil’s smoke point, it will turn the oil into a trans fat. Any studies which do not take this into consideration would be flawed.

  • Ben

    Dr. Mike,

    Here’s a question I thought it’d be fun to pose: Have you come across any studies which attempt to answer the question, “Does the topical application of extracted plant oils (e.g., olive, coconut) contribute to obesity?”

    In other words, can oil molecules pass through the skin, enter the bloodstream, and be deposited within a person’s fat cells?

    p.s. Thanks for posting your 2012 Year-In-Review– fantastic video!

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