Coconut Information
A comprehensive summary of the many benefits of coconut oil may be found at: Health Benefits of Coconut Oil.
Our friends at Coconut-Connections in England have some well written pages everyone will enjoy reading:
Coconut Oil: The Healthy Side of Natural Fats
The Coconut Palm: From Island Myth to Deadly Diet or Healing Miracle?
Confused???
Do you want to know the difference between refined coconut oil, expeller pressed coconut oil and virgin coconut oil?
Sally Fallon and Dr. Mary Enig have written a wonderful article on The Oiling of America, which we highly recommend reading.
Research on Coconut Oil
There is a significant body of information available on the internet that pertains to research regarding coconut oil… research confirming that one of the best oils you can use is coconut oil! As a cooking oil, its chemical structure is kept intact and therefore is resistant to mutations of fatty acid chains – even when used at higher cooking temperatures: It is the safest oil to use at high temperatures. On the other hand, seed oils – when used for cooking – produce trans fatty acids which have been indicated in cancer, and fatty build-up in the arteries and liver.
Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid. Lauric acid in the stomach, transforms into 2-Monolaurin… a substance which has anti-microbial properties. For more information, please read the abstract by Dr. Jon Kabara, Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University) entitled Health Oils From the Tree Of Life , (Nutritional and Health Aspects of Coconut Oil), which also references several relevant studies.
Lauric acid is found in human mother’s milk. It is lauric acid in human milk that helps nursing infants to have healthy immune systems.
Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. – who believes that the average adult should include about 3.5 Tbsp. of coconut oil or 10 oz. of pure coconut milk, or 7oz. of raw coconut per day in their diet, has written some very informative articles, among them:
A New Look At Coconut Oil
Coconut: In Support Of Good Good Health in the 21st Century
Low Fat Diets (for all the “surfers” who believe in low fat diets)
two articles co-authored with Sally Fallon – one entitled The Great Con-Ola, and the other – an examination of the Asian traditional diet published as Thailand: Land of the Coconut.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease: A Phony Issue
The Skinny on Fats (co-authored),which challenges the current “politically-correct” beliefs about fats and cholesterol.
*For further information on lauric acid, the nutraceutical monolaurin, and it’s deritive lauricidin, or to learn more about the anti-microbial benefits of Coconut Oil, you may wish to visit and review:
lauricidin.com
the promise coconut oil holds for immune-supressed people.
research articles from Pub Med
research articles from the Nation Library of Medicine
Lauric.org
On a similar note, if you are wondering about the comparative benefits of soy, Soy Online Service is perhaps the best site we know of that links to information about the health concerns of using soy in our food supply… supported by the Weston A. Price Foundation’s compilation entitled Soy Alert!, an excellent collection of interesting and informative articles.
Dr. Conrado S. Dayrit, MD, FACC, FPCC, FPCP (who’s son is the Secretary of Health in the Philippines) is a Filipino national has compiled a great deal of research on Coconut Oil’s effects and potential benefit implications regarding HIV and SARS, findings which received widespread media coverage.
Others who herald the health benefits of coconut include Dr. Stephen Byrnes, Ph.D., (who’s article I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts: Coconut Holds Promise for Immune Suppressed People supports the findings of Dr. Dayrit), and Dr. Raymond Peat, Ph.D. – a reknown endocrinologist – who has compiled a treatise on the historical research on the benefits of coconut products… a “must-read” on everyone’s short list!
In the spring of 2004, American naturopathic physician Dr. Bruce Fife flew to the Philippines for an IFEX trade show, where he presented several lectures with Dr. Dayrit, extolling the many healing properties of virgin coconut oil.
Coconut oil will raise HDL and creates a more favorable HDL/LDL ratio. People who replace other oils in their diet with this virgin coconut oil usually see their lipid profiles become very favorable. For an excellent article on coconut oil implications on cholesterol, lipids and coconut oil, we suggest the writings of Dr. Uffe Ravinskov: His book – entitled “The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy That Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease” – is available for purchase through Wilderness Family Naturals website.
For our readers concerned about cholesterol levels, Dr. Barry Groves has authored an article entitled The Cholesterol Myth … an interesting and informative read.
Additional Links of Interest:
Why use Coconut Oil when making creams or soaps for skincare?
Food recipe ideas using Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin Coconut Oil and Metabolism
We recommend Wilderness Family Naturals products because of their integrity and quality. However, other online retailers and natural food stores may also carry similar goods. Whenever, possible we have tried to give you information on how to recognize superior products. Wilderness Family Naturals products can be found at: www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com or by calling (800) 945-3801.