Nature packages nutrients in whole foods such that we break them down and absorb them optimally. In isolation, and in excess over time, any fat, protein or carbohydrate has the potential to cause harm.
Extracted fats that are liquid at room temperature can be easily damaged when exposed to heat, oxygen and light. Damaged fats are not heart healthy. Flax seed oil, for example, should be refrigerated and has a very short shelf life. Coconut oil on the other hand, is solid at room temperature and not so easily denatured. It is the perfect fat to consume in the tropics, or in hotter summer weather. The polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in cold-water fish, are perfect food for those living in the Arctic and Antarctic, or in the cold of winter. They’re akin to anti-freeze, reducing stickiness of the blood and promoting brain and body health. Whereas monounsaturated fats like olive oil, a little more stable than the polyunsaturated fats, are optimal in a Mediterranean type climate. There's a lot to be said for eating what's in season.
Excessive amounts of poor quality saturated fat, as in highly processed hydrogenated vegetable oils (think shortening), and from confined, conventionally raised, grain fed animal fats are harmful to health. But the media has exaggerated and embellished the results of the recent American Heart Association saturated fat review with headlines like:
This is not new research. It’s a review of old studies. There is no new information. And this Australian blogger does a good job reassuring his readers that coconut oil is “fine”. He attributes the fear mongering partially to “health nut bashing” as in this meme.
Approximately 65% of coconut oil is composed of a type of fat (medium chain triglycerides MCTs) that is easy to digest and absorb, and is often used in hospitals to feed the malnourished.
Here is a blurb I found in a hospital publication:
Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fats with an unusual chemical structure that allows the body to digest them easily…MCTs are absorbed intact and taken to the liver, where they are used directly for energy…
MCTs are different enough from other fats that they can be used as fat substitutes by people (especially those with AIDS) who need calories but are unable to absorb or metabolize normal fats.
MCTs have also shown a bit of promise for improving body composition and enhancing athletic performance.
So fear not. This too shall pass. Minimally processed extra virgin coconut oil can be part of a healthy whole foods diet and is far better than highly processed, bleached, de-gummed, deodorized, hexane extracted vegetable oils, found in clear plastic bottles, at your local grocery store.
Originally published June 19th, 2017
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