The Model Health Show TMHS 227: The Pros And Cons Of Coconut Oil + 20 Ways To Use Coconut Oil For Wellness
The next Watergate… the next Covfefe… the next New World Order is… coconut oil?
It’s remarkable how foods go in and out of fashion. A similar thing has happened with eggs. For centuries folks were eating whole eggs because, well, that’s how they come. Then saturated fat and cholesterol were villainized, and the egg yolks got the boot. Suddenly we were forced to endure the not-quite-right taste of egg white omelets. Then, years later, whole eggs are vindicated, and they are back on the menu again. Come to find out, cholesterol is an important part of building all of your sex hormones. It’s an important carrier molecule to ship critical nutrients from one place to another in your body. Plus, it helps the neurons in your brain to function properly and do things like form memories. So, yeah, it’s kind of important. Unless you don’t want to remember what you just read.
The reality is, it’s not cholesterol, but the oxidation of cholesterol that is the culprit behind increased risk of health problems. This study published in Biological Research is just one of the many sources that have been clear on this for years. The better question is, “How do we reduce the oxidation of the cholesterol and healthy, delicate fats in the eggs?”, not “How do we get rid of eggs?”. But, hey, the chicken crossed the road for lesser reasons, right?
One quick tip here is to simply not cook the yolk… have your eggs sunny side up or poached. If that’s not your cup of eggnog, you can opt for adding some potent antioxidants in along with your meal. As the study cites, antioxidants like rosemary oleoresin extract and the flavonoid quercetin efficiently inhibit the thermal-induced oxidation of cholesterol. Even something as simple as mixing the potent antioxidant/anti-inflammatory powerhouse turmeric in with your scrambled eggs can be helpful in preventing the oxidation bi-products from cooking. So, this simple example shows us something important that we need to carry with us always: It’s not just the food itself, it’s also how you use it.
After all is said and done, eggs go in and out of the secret spy, not-to-be-trusted list… and the overwhelmed public is tossed in a pool of conflicting information with no floaties, and no experience swimming through the actual clinical research.
But, this isn’t like the 1960s and 1970s where you had to just rely on the “experts” who look at the research and then tell you what to do. Today we have this interesting thing on our phones called the internet where you can go and look at the actual studies too. Information is not reserved for the few anymore, it’s available for everyone who’s interested in learning the whole story.
That brings us to the American Heart Association’s recent coconut-scented backslap. The internet was abuzz with news that coconut oil is not only unhealthy, but it was never healthy to begin with. Well, at least that’s what the hot, clickbait headline said. Everybody loves a good controversy, but at the end of the day we want the facts to speak for themselves.
On learning the whole story, you find out some pretty sketchy things about the AHA, who happens to be sponsored by pharmaceutical companies like Merck, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. I bring this up because drugs and today’s conventional diet are salsa dancing together, and it gets real hot and steamy between the two.
Obviously, and I mean obviously, the drug company’s goals are not to sell less drugs. They have to have sick people around who are uneducated about what creates wellness. It’s easy to just trust in the foods stamped with the AHA’s approval. The problem is that the AHA puts their heart-healthy stamp on foods like Honey Nut Cheerios and even Subway sandwiches. Yep, not kidding. Not that long ago, the almighty American Heart Association endorsed Subway’s sandwiches even though their bread contained toxic compounds like Azodicarbonamide, and despite the fact that this chemical is banned in several other countries. The World Health Organization has confirmed that it’s linked it to chronic respiratory issues and allergies. Other studies have found it to be a carcinogen, and the U.K. Health And Safety Executive has recognized azodicarbonamide to be a contributing factor to asthma, specifically. Heart healthy Subway used it as a bleaching agent and dough conditioner, which allowed them to produce bread faster and cheaper. Where else can you find your neighborhood friendly azodicarbonamide? Oh, it’s pretty cool… it’s used to make yoga mats and rubber for shoes. You know, just typical things we love to eat (said no one ever… accept maybe Oscar the Grouch).
This doesn’t even bring in the antibiotics used in their food sourcing, the high glycemic nature of the breads, and all other manner of things that definitely are not heart healthy. The stamp of the AHA lands on many addictive, low quality foods that are known to contribute to disease. And with sick people, you get to sell more drugs. Big Pharma and the unethical organizations like the AHA win, but the public’s health loses.
All of this sounds a little bit fishy, because it is. In fact, it’s full-on Little Mermaid fishy because the AHA also has members of the U.S. Canola Association on its nutrition advisory panel. Do you think they’re NOT going to recommend that you consume canola oil? With conventional canola oil you’re getting a frequently genetically modified rapeseed that’s proven to contribute to serious health problems. A study published in the journal Lipids found that rats bred to have high blood pressure died faster when fed canola oil as their source of fat. Maybe that would have made a better headline… but instead the AHA chose to go after a food that’s been around for centuries (whereas as the canola oil we are using today was basically invented in the 1970’s).
In the article bashing coconut oil that made its rounds on the internet, they are admittedly using old, flawed studies. And these studies are mostly focusing on saturated fat, and not coconut oil itself. And this is important… because all saturated fat is not the same! Plus, they essentially ignore more updated research that completely demolishes this silly fight against coconut oil. But hey, when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.
I actually went into the studio and recorded this episode on coconut oil just about a week before this big news story hit the interwebs. I had no idea the AHA and related entities had this up their sleeves, I just felt compelled to share this information so that we can all live healthier, happier, better informed lives.
I feel that this episode will clear up a lot of questions and help you to gain some clarity over the misinformation that’s out there. And remember this like you remember the lyrics from your favorite boy band song: Just because it’s on the internet, does not mean that it’s true. And if you want to dive in further on the real health benefits of fats, specifically saturated fat, and where all of this diet drama began a few decades ago, then be sure to head over and check out my conversations with Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Cate Shanahan and Dr. Joseph Mercola after you enjoy the coconut pants off this episode. Let’s go!
In this episode you'll discover:- The mysterious origins of the coconut tree.
- How coconut oil is actually made.
- Which health damaging practices some conventional coconut oil makers use during processing.
- Why dietary fat has a terrible marketing name.
- What clinical studies say about coconut oil and weight gain.
- How uncoupling protein influences fat burning.
- How coconut oil affects waist circumference.
- The impact that coconut oil has on cholesterol levels (you need to know this!).
- What potential problem you might run into eating coconut oil (if you really try).
- The 20 ways to use coconut oil for wellness.
- How to add coconut oil to your diet with several delicious methods.
- The best way to remove makeup (and even tar!).
- Whether or not coconut oil is ideal for facial skin.
- The surprising way that coconut oil impacts dental health.
- Crucial things to consider when buying personal lubricants.
- Dangerous chemicals that are found in typical toothpastes.
- Important tips for sunburn protection.
- How coconut oil can be used as an effective antibacterial.
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