COCONUT OIL

QUESTION

Everyone in the ward is using coconut oil. It sounds like it cures everything. What are your thoughts on the health benefits of coconut oil?

CLAIMS•Lowers cholesterol

•Improves insulin sensitivity

•Cures Alzheimer's

•Protects against cancer

•Dissolves kidney stones

•Decreases waist size

•Burns fat

•Antioxidant

•Suppresses appetite

•Islanders eat it and have no evidence of heart disease

•Antibacterial

•Protects against yeast infection

•Prevents allergies

•Boosts metabolism

•Good for skin

•Reduces Seizures

USES – WELLNESSMAMA.COM

•Cooking

•Lotion

•Smoothies

•Homemade mayo

•Eye makeup remover

•Dandruff remedy

•Shaving cream

•Massage oil

•Diaper rash cream

•Wound ointment

•Sunscreen

•Tanning oil

•Prevents stretch marks

•Reverses Alzheimer's

•Lice treatment

•Allergy medication

•Gets rid of cellulite

•Helps with arthritis

•Acne cream

•Helps with depression

•Anti-anxiety properties

•Energy pick-me up

•Sleep aid

•Hair regrowth tx

•Teeth whitener

•Deodorant

•Boosts hormones

QUOTES

“Superpowers” – Dr. Oz

“Near miraculous” – Joseph Mercola Osteopath

“Drugstore in a bottle” – People of the Philippines

WHAT THE PROFESSIONALS SAY•FDA – “ None of the available biological information indicates that these substances are hazardous to man or animals even when consumed at levels that are orders of magnitude greater than could result form their use for the purposes covered in this report. ”

•AHA – “We advise people to reduce the amount of saturated fat in their diet and limit saturated fat consumption to less than 7 percent of total daily calories.  One way to do this is to limit your consumption of foods containing tropical oils.  A diet high in saturated fat tends to raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease.”

•WHO – “Unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, sunflower, canola and olive oils) are preferable to saturated fats (e.g. found in fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard) ”

PRICE

$8-$10 for 16 oz bottle

$49-$65 for 1 gallon

WHAT IS IT?

•USDA National Nutrient Database

1 Tb = 117 kcal, 0 g pro, 13.6 g fat: 11.8 g saturated, 0 g CHO, 0 g Fiber

•Search on AND’s homepage

“ Coconut oil is extracted from the fruit of mature coconuts. It is a saturated fat, and consumers are cautioned against a diet high in saturated fat. Virgin coconut oil is high in Lauric acid, a medium- chain fatty acid that raises both good and bad cholesterol levels.

Coconut oil has a sweet, nutty taste, and is often used as a substitute for shortening or butter in a vegan diet. It also imparts a tropical flavor to vegetables, curry dishes and fish. Because it is a saturated fat, use coconut oil in moderation, and buy the kind labeled ‘virgin.’”

MIRACLE COMPONENTS1. Medium Chain Fatty Acids – MCFA• 85% MCFA • Rapidly absorbed in intestine without lipase enzyme• Carried through portal vein to be oxidized for energy quickly• Produces ketones

2. Lauric Acid –medium chain saturated fatty acid• Found in breast milk (twice the amount found in cow’s milk)• Increases HDL cholesterol & LDL cholesterol

3. Antioxidants – phenolic compounds

TYPES

•Hydrogenated – chemically altered fat. Increases melting point.

•Refined- extracted from chemically bleached and deodorized coconut meat.

•Virgin – extracted from fresh mature fruit without using high temperatures or chemicals.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS

•Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

•Diabetes

•Neurological Diseases

•Weight Loss

CVD

•Claim: Coconut oil improves cholesterol ratios and lowers risk for CVD.

•Research:• Numerous studies show an increase in HDL cholesterol AND increase in LDL cholesterol• Lit Review in Am J Clin Nutr 2010 – Saturated fat not as bad as we thought• Phenolic compounds found in Virgin Coconut Oil are antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties

•Conclusion: “ Research is limited. We still don’t know the effect of coconut oil on heart disease. It’s ability to boost HDL makes it less bad yet it’s not the best choice of fat overall for heart health.”

– Walter Willett MD, DrPH Harvard School of Public Health

DIABETES

•Claim: Coconut Oil cures diabetes

•Research:• Rats fed a diet high in fat (40%) MCFA vs LCFA showed an increase in insulin sensitivity in rats fed a diet high in MCFA.

•Conclusion:• Research is limited in regards to the effects of coconut oil and insulin sensitivity in humans. Study was limited in number of subjects and lack of randomization.

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

•Claim: Coconut Oil helps cure neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, Epileptic seizures etc. Came from online video from Christian Broadcasting Network by Dr. Mary T. Newport.

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Research: Above mentioned diseases all have mitochondrial dysfunction in common. This results in an impaired function of energy production and essentially glucose utilization. The consumption of a ketogenic diet has provided evidence in improving mitochondrial activity in the brain.

Animal studies (2) showing rats on ketogenic diets had increased ketones, better preserved weight, increased post mortem spinal chord motor neuron activity, decrease expression of biochemical markers of de-nervation, and increased survival.

Only human evidence found in a ALS support group called “Patients Like Me Community” 5 using coconut oil completed detailed treatment report. Consuming 1-4 Tb of coconut oil/ day ranging from 1 wk – 1 year with adherance stated as “usually

to always’” 4 of the 5 stated “they couldn’t tell a change”

Limited evidence showing that MCFA oil improves test score for Alzheimer patients

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER

•Conclusion: • Lack of significant evidence in humans to support the theory that coconut oil improves symptoms of neurological disorders that affect mitochondrial function. Limitation of human studies were small subject number, lack of randomization, lack of blinding, and the difference between MCFA oil vs coconut oil.

WEIGHT

• Claim: Coconut oil helps with weight maintenance and slims waist lines.

•Research: •MCFA are oxidized for energy quickly. Not deposited as fat. •Modest weight loss in subjects consuming MCFA oil vs olive oil• Significant reduction in waist circumference but not weight in individuals consuming 30 ml of coconut oil for a six week trial. • Coconut oil vs soybean oil – no differences in weight loss but coconut oil subjects lost more inches

•Conclusion:• Lacking in significant evidence to support the claim.

CONCLUSION

Coconut oil can be included in a healthy diet but must be consumed in moderation. It shows potential for some health benefits but more research is needed to validate these claims. Consuming large amounts of coconut oil is not recommended due to its high saturated fat contact.

REFERENCES

1. ALSUntangled 15: Coconut oil. Amyotrophic Lat Scler. 2012;13(3):328-330. 

2. Aglaee J. Coconut oil – Learn more about this superfood that contains healthful saturated fats. Today’s Dietitian. 2013;15(10):56.  

3. Cullum-Dugan D. Get the facts on coconut oil. Environmental Nutrition. 2014;37(1):6-6.

4. Gao M, Singh A, Macri K, Reynolds C, Singhal V, Biswal S, Spannhake EW. Antioxidant components of naturally-occurring oils exhibit marked anti-inflammatory activity in epithelial cells of the human upper respiratory system. Respiratory Research. 2011;12(7):1-15.

5. Henderson ST, Vogel JL, Barr LJ, Garvin F, Jones JJ, Costantini LC. Study of the ketogenic agent AC 1202 in milk to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Nutr Metab. 2006; 6:31.

6. Kai ML, Yeong YL, Chee KC, Rasool AHG. An open-label pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of virgin coconut oil in reducing visceral adiposity. ISRN Pharmacology. 2011:1-7.

7. Marina AM, Che Man YB, Nazimah SAH, Amin I. Antioxidant capacity and phenolic acids of virgin coconut oil. International Journal of Food Sciences & Nutrition. 2009;60:114-123.

8. Nagao K, Yanagita T. Medium-chain fatty acids: Functional lipids for the prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Laboratory of Nutrition Biochemistry, Department of Applied Biochemistry and Food Science, Saga University, Honjo-1. Saga 840-8502, Japan, accessed 8 April 2015.

9. Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010; 91(2): 535-546.

10. St-Onge MP, Bosarge A, Goree LLT, Darnell B. Medium chain triglyceride oil consumption as part of a weight loss diet does not lead to an adverse metabolic profile when compared to olive oil. J Am Coll Nutr. 2008; 27(5): 547-552.

QUESTIONS