You probably read the recent headlines…
- “Coconut oil isn’t healthy. It’s never been healthy” ~ USA Today
- “Nutrition experts warn coconut oil is on par with beef fat, butter” ~ Chicago Tribune
- “This popular health food is worse for you than pork lard” ~ Daily Star
- “Coconut Oil Isn’t As Healthy As We Thought, According To Depressing New Study” ~ Elite Daily
And wondering to yourself “What the heck is going on?”… “I thought coconut oil was healthy”…”Crap, coconut oil is another fake health fad?”
Well you are not alone, it seems the entire Internet freaked out at this “news” and for good reason.
As you can probably imagine, my email and phone has been blowing up about all this – even my Mom sent me a text wondering if it was true. I know it’s frustrating when there is so much conflicting health information being fired at us from all directions. How can we know what to believe? How can we know we’re getting accurate advice? Who should we listen to? How can we expect to get healthy?
It’s no secret that coconut oil is a regular part of my diet and I consider it one of the best oils to consume period. (I even partnered with the top organic coconut oil on the market as a result). Not everyone agrees with me, and that’s fine. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you to all be very careful about health advice reported in the media – because some well-meaning reporters fall for basic industry tricks like this one that has just happened.
When it comes to health information, we must ALWAYS consider the source (and examine it well!)
Even if advice seems to come from a perfectly respectable organization on the surface (like the American Heart Association) – research who they are, who funds their work, and what types of health claims they’ve made in the past. This is something I do when reading health-related articles – and in today’s age of political and industry propaganda and manipulations, it is imperative that you take this step to be your own health advocate.
Who was behind the headlines?
The American Heart Association released a new Presidential Advisory recommending that everyone AVOID coconut oil, stating that it is high in saturated fat and raises “bad” cholesterol levels – which they believe leads to heart disease. In their press release, the lead author of the report recommends that we all stop using coconut oil and cook with “canola, or corn oil or soybean oil, or extra virgin olive oil.” And, he thinks it’s perfectly healthy to deep fry your food… ummm, what?!…
“There’s nothing wrong with deep frying as long as you deep fry in a nice unsaturated vegetable oil” ~ Frank M. Sacks, lead author of American Heart Association’s Presidential Advisory.
Can you trust the American Heart Association with health information?
The American Heart Association (AHA) is the same organization who told us for years to eat margarine (which was notoriously high in trans fat) calling it “more heart-healthy” than butter because it contains “no dietary cholesterol”. They started this recommendation back in the 1960’s and continued it for decades while the primary ingredient in margarine was partially hydrogenated oil full of trans fat. Well, we now know that the trans fat in partially hydrogenated oils are responsible for upwards of 20,000 heart attacks every year – which spurred the FDA to finally ban it from our food (effective in 2018). It’s rare for the FDA to ban anything! Boy, I’d say the AHA was way off on that recommendation, wouldn’t you?
“Of the half million Americans who die prematurely each year from heart disease—the leading cause of death in this country—at least 30,000 are killed by trans fats.” ~ Harvard epidemiologist Walter Willett
AHA certifies food loaded with sugar as heart healthy!
Cans of Bruce’s Yams In Syrup with 18 grams of added sugar per serving, Prego “Heart Smart” Sauces made with added sugar and canola oil, Starkist Ranch Tuna Creations with added sugar and MSG, and Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Honey Wheat Bread with added sugar, soybean oil, and two additives that contain trans fats (DATEM and monoglycerides) all get their official seal of approval. In the past, they’ve certified Fat-Free Chocolate Milk, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, and Trix cereal… yikes.
Processed deli meats full of sugar, salt and preservatives (like heavily processed Boar’s Head!) get a big thumbs up from them as well. All of these products and dozens more insanely processed foods with the “American Heart Association Heart Check” Seal of Approval have each paid thousands of dollars in fees (up to $7,500 + annual renewal fees per product) to use the certified seal.
Processed deli meats and sugar are associated with dramatically increasing the risk of heart disease…but the AHA doesn’t call those foods out?
“Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that eating processed meat, such as bacon, sausage or processed deli meats, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease” – Harvard School of Public Health, May 2010
“Over the course of the 15-year study on added sugar and heart disease, participants who took in 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10% added sugar.” – Harvard Medical School, Feb. 2014
They’ve even partnered up with “Healthy Dining Finder” which directs you to eat at Denny’s, Sizzler, and Red Robin… do they really believe these restaurants serve healthy food?
Think of all the people who relied on the AHA’s endorsements and ate foods full of sugar, nitrates, and trans fat for years – and ended up sick as a result. How many people are still being misled? It. Is. Sickening.
AHA and Big Food are longtime best friends!
This is not where the AHA’s ties to industry end. Over the years, their sponsors have included a who’s who list of the worst Big Food brands out there, who fill their foods up with soybean oil, canola oil, processed meats, and sugar:
- Kellogg’s
- Pepsico
- General Mills
- Nestle
- Mars
- Domino’s Pizza
- Kraft
- Subway
- Quaker
The AHA is also raking in upwards of $15 million dollars per year from drug and healthcare companies – including over $3 million from Pfizer (the maker of the statin drug Lipitor that reduces cholesterol). Could this be why the AHA recommends that millions more Americans be prescribed statins, even healthy older people with no history of heart disease? The members of their research committee are raking in industry dollars too… receiving tens of thousands from drug companies to fund research, make trial appearances, and serve as consultants – which is a blatant conflict of interest.
The authors of this new AHA Presidential Advisory that condemns coconut oil are riddled with conflicts of interest as well…
One author, Penny M. Kris-Etherton, discloses significant funding from Ag Canada, Canola Oil Council, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Could this be why she recommends “lean beef” as “heart healthy” and canola oil as a way to cut belly fat? In the past, she also served on the advisory board at Unilever (maker of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Country Crock, Brummel & Brown, and Imperial Margarine).
Another author, Jennifer G. Robinson, disclosed research funding from numerous drug companies, many of whom make cholesterol pills… Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca (maker of the statin Crestor), Eli Lilly, Glaxo-Smith Kline, Merck, Pfizer, Regeneron/Sanofi, and Takeda.
Various conflict of interest disclosures reveal that Frank M. Sacks (lead author) has been paid by the industry to testify in court cases involving POM Wonderful, Hershey, Unilever, and Keebler. He also testified for or has received consulting fees from several drug companies including Abbott, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Merck, Roche, Sanofi and has received lecture fees from AstraZeneca. These previous associations were not disclosed as conflicts in the AHA’s report, but I consider this significant, don’t you?
The AHA’s ties to the industry shouldn’t be ignored.
It’s important to recognize squarely where the AHA’s loyalty lies. They are protecting industries from which they receive millions of dollars. When their primary sources of revenue come from Big Food and Pharmaceutical companies, you’ve got to question the veracity of their opinions on what constitutes healthy food.
Is saturated fat really the enemy?
The AHA’s recent statement on the saturated fat in coconut oil is NOTHING NEW coming from them. They have long held the position that processed vegetable oils (like canola, corn, soybean oils) are healthy and discredit any information to the contrary, while demonizing all saturated fats as detrimental to our health.
This belief has persisted thanks to intense influence and lobbying by the Institute for Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO), an industry trade group that protects the interests of vegetable oil manufacturers like Cargill, Bunge, and ConAgra.
“As far back as 1968, the ISEO was mentioned in an internal memo written by the medical director of the American Heart Association: According to the memo, the ISEO objected to the AHA’s intention to include a warning about trans fats in its dietary guidelines; subsequently, the AHA took it out.” ~ Mother Jones, August 2012
Furthering this belief, in the 1960’s the sugar industry funded research that would hide the link between sugar consumption and heart disease, while promoting the idea that fat is the real culprit. The public didn’t find out the truth until internal sugar industry documents were released in 2016.
Many health experts believe saturated fats DO NOT cause heart disease and may even be GOOD for you.
There is well documented evidence that saturated fats do not increase your risk of heart disease. A recent meta-analysis in the British Journal of Medicine came to this conclusion. Another meta-analysis of 21 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has also come to this conclusion. Another meta-analysis published in 2017 found that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (like corn oil) is not likely to reduce risk of heart disease. I could go on and on and on and on.
A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that saturated fats may increase risk of heart disease, but NOT if they come from fish, dairy, or plants – such as coconuts! If you look at the countries that consume the most coconut oil, they’ve also got the some of the lowest rates of heart disease… what does that tell you?
“For many years we have been told that to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), we must lower our intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and instead eat more carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Backed up by the National Cholesterol Education Program, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Heart Association, the medical profession has promoted this idea eagerly, although the number of contradictory scientific reports is almost endless. There is in fact much evidence that doing the opposite is more relevant… There is no evidence that a lower intake of SFA can prevent CVD and a high intake of PUFAs without specification may result in a high intake of omega-6, which is associated with many adverse health effects. Because there is much evidence that saturated fat may even be beneficial, we urge the American Heart Association…to consider the aforementioned evidence when updating their future guidelines”. ~ The Questionable Benefits of Exchanging Saturated Fat With Polyunsaturated Fat, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, April 2014
If the AHA truly believes saturated fat is so bad, why do they have “heart healthy” recipes for beef and pork on their website, given these are the biggest sources of saturated fat in the American diet? Could it be because the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Pork Board, Tyson, Hormel, and Smithfield have all paid money to have their meats and recipes “heart check” certified? This sure raises my eyebrows.
Cholesterol has been demonized, but wrongly so.
We now know that cholesterol does some amazing things for your body and isn’t all bad as once believed – but it’s highly complex. Even if coconut oil raises cholesterol levels, this doesn’t tell you the whole story. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, what you want to watch out for is the type of cholesterol that is getting raised and particle size, along with high triglycerides:
“As a doctor, I tell patients that abnormal cholesterol can become a problem when it is the small dense LDL particles, accompanied by high triglycerides. In fact small LDL particles actually triple your risk of heart disease. This is caused by high-carb, low-fat diets and is improved when you add fat back to the diet, including saturated fat.” ~ Is Coconut Oil Bad for Your Cholesterol? Mark Hyman, M.D.
It’s also been shown that saturated fat in coconut oil increases “good” HDL cholesterol and increases the size of LDL particles (making them less likely to promote heart disease). On the other hand, low cholesterol can be harmful, linked to increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and morbid depression.
What you really should be avoiding are refined “vegetable oils” like corn, soybean, and canola oil…
These oils go through an insane amount of processing with chemical solvents, steamers, neutralizers, de-waxers, bleach and deodorizers before they end up in the bottle. Corn and soybean oil are very high in omega-6 fatty acids which are known to promote inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is a real killer, increasing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. These oils are also strongly linked to cancer and are typically derived from GMO crops contaminated with Roundup herbicide.
Despite all the evidence against it, the American Heart Association continues to tell people to eat these highly processed, inflammatory oils. Why is this?
It could be that the AHA is just stuck in the 50’s and can’t come to grips with all the new research out there. But I have another theory which seems more plausible – the AHA is protecting the profits of the drug industry (their sponsors) who rely on us being unhealthy enough to need a prescription and the food industry who prefers to use cheap oils in their food and doesn’t want to spend more money for healthy ingredients. It’s all about the bottom line.
It’s really no surprise that the AHA is trying to vilify coconut oil.
Now that the general public is learning the truth about saturated fats and sugar, the industry is freaking out. They needed to find a new angle. They need to win their way back into the public’s hearts… and what better way to do it than to scare us… “Hey, you know that coconut oil in your cabinet that you thought was healthy? Well, it’s going to give you a heart attack”.
It’s so outrageous for them to make this claim when you look at where we are today with our health.
For someone to die from a heart attack was virtually unheard of 100 years ago, it was extremely rare! In just a few short decades it became the leading cause of death in the ‘50’s and now heart disease remains as the #1 killer of Americans. The drugs pumped out by pharmaceutical companies and all those new “trans fat free” foods are doing nothing to stop this. What changed so dramatically during the last hundred years?
One of the most significant changes to our diets was the switch from natural fats to processed and refined vegetable oils. Americans moved away from eating real butter and fresh foods, while increasing consumption of sugary processed foods made with vegetable oils. Data shows that in the last several decades Americans cut the fat from their diets by 25% while increasing intake of carbohydrates by more than 30%. The majority of these carbohydrates aren’t healthy fruits and vegetables either – but mostly refined breads, crackers, cereals, pastas, and other low-fat processed foods packed with added sugar.
Where has cutting out the fat and gorging on refined grains and sugar gotten us? If you ask me, the health of our nation has tanked. It makes me incredibly sad, because I know most people are trying to eat right and do what their doctors and experts from organizations like the AHA tell them to do. No one wants to be overweight and sick, yet that is the reality for most Americans.
I personally love coconut oil and all of the health benefits it provides.
The tropical saturated fat in coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which have been shown to increase your metabolism and to REDUCE body fat (sources: 1, 2, 3, 4), while retaining muscle mass. It works to bring down chronic inflammation in the body and is an amazing source of energy. As a bonus, it’s also associated with increased antioxidant levels in the body that can slow aging!
I use a variety of cooking oils in my kitchen. Read my investigation with a list of which oils I personally like to use here. If you know anyone who is wondering if coconut oil is dangerous (or is trusting the American Heart Association for health information), please share this post with them and keep spreading the truth!
The debate continues…
Even two members of my Advisory Council, who are both physicians that I greatly respect, are on opposite sides of this issue and do not agree. Dr. Joel Kahn agrees with the American Heart Association’s conclusions (because he is generally against all oils) and Dr. Mark Hyman does not…
“My advice is to not get lost in the jungle of discussion over coconut and its oil. Without a doubt the AHA Advisors were responsible in highlighting the lack of data for a health benefit to adding coconut oil to the diet and the likely risks”. ~ Joel Kahn, M.D.
“First, there is not a single study showing that coconut oil causes heart disease. Not one. Second, the whole case against coconut oil is founded on a hypothesis that has been proven wrong”. ~ Mark Hyman, M.D.
I greatly appreciate this difference of opinion, and of course, I have my own.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments and please share this post with your coconut oil loving friends!
Xo,
Vani
Once again Vani, you are the voice of intelligent reason. I shudder to think of all of the people who will freak out after reading the “studies” about coconut oil and make poor choices based upon
paid-for research. If there was a way to get people to use reason instead of relying on big (food) business recommendations we would be so much better off!
Since using coconut oil instead of the other garbage my cholesterol is still high (heredity), but my ratio is great. I haven’t changed anything else, so it is obvious what elicited the change.
Thank you for all that you do to keep the monsters at bay; I admire your courage and commitment!
Once again, people are being duped into believing that Coconut Oil is HEALTHY when it IS NOT!!!
OIL, period, paralyzes and damages the incredibly important Endothilium. It also increases LDL cholesterol. So between those two serious, deleterious effects, you’re causing so much more harm than good. This has been shown in trials over and over for decades.
Just because Vani and some others like Mercola and Hyman say it’s healthy (and completely ignore science) doesn’t make it so!
Please people, avoid ALL oils as much as possible. If you MUST fry or sauté, try to use veggie stock or (very little) avocado or safflower oils since they’re the highest-smoke point oils.
Coconut oil is the WORST oil to fry with.
There’s no reason to add “unrefined oils” to your food. This is silly nonsense that is contributing to heart disease. The only people that can maybe get away with a little oil are those whose LDL levels are around 60-70. And believe me, we didn’t get there by using coconut oil.
Most of the studies that show “improvements” in trials are when comparing coconut oil to “butter” or other bad oils that are worse. It’s like comparing Chicken breast to Red Meat and saying that since Chicken Breast results in less Colorectal Cancers, then Chicken must be good for you. This is silly.
So don’t get duped. Stick to as much of a Whole Plant-Based diet as possible, and you’ll reverse your health issues like Type2 Diabetes in just a few weeks or months.
Well said! Thanks.
If you have type 2 diabetes, you cannot live off of the high carbohydrates in an all plant/carb diet. Diabetics need balanced protein with mostly veggies and very little carb- from whole grains to keep the blood sugar from spiking. Even whole grain oatmeal will spike the blood sugar in a diabetic. This can be eaten in small portion if accompanied with cottage cheese or any type of protein. Too much soy will mess with your hormones. It’s all about the balance. A little Fat, protein and lots of veggies is the vehicle for stable blood sugar. Also, You can’t “get rid” of diabetes. You can balance your intake of food so that your blood sugar doesn’t rise hence keeping your A1C levels in check.
One of the leading researchers in fat metabolism in humans is Mary Ening, Phd. Her book “Know Your Fats” disagrees with you.
Not only did the use of coconut oil help me to lose 80 lbs., but applying it topically is helping me to heal from a skin infection. Furthermore, the medium chain triglycerides are known to nourish the brain and help to prevent Alzheimer’s. Studies on it abound. Green Med Info’s web site contains a lot on it but a simple google search on “health benefits of coconut oil” will bring up to educate the most doubtful of what God packed into nature for us through the humble coconut…and zero adverse side effects, to the obvious consternation of big pharma.
Of course the study this was based on was funded by a canola oil company! LOL I just hope people are smart enough to look at the source and not just jump on any bandwagon.
I don’t use much oil but when I do it is unrefined coconut oil, real olive oil or grass fed organic full day butter..
What is “full day” butter?
I never believed it, not for one second. They are now conspiring to push their GMOs so they can have more sick people and poison them with their drugs and. We have learned from the past, but they can’t fool us anymore. It’s all politics, the beast has been hurt!
Thank you Vani for your research and common sense!
You are so right about the fake info we get because someone in the food industry wants to make money at our expense. Its hard to stay in this fight but it is so worth it. I have been using coconut oil for sometime now and have seen the benefits and would never go back to those other oils. I have some dear friends that believe all that news and won’t try anything I recommend so sad to see them loose their health, they are on so many meds. Keep up the good fight I’m right behind you. Judy
Another reason to believe Big Ag is related to Big Pharma. Make us sick, put us on overpriced drugs. Corporate America, making America not so great again.
I am glad that you are keeping us abreast of these important issues but the bottom line is, we do not know for sure what the impact of ingesting raw coconut oil is. We definitely have to dismiss any of the aforementioned research – that is a certainty. Dr. Michael Greger says that coconut milk is neutral, coconut itself is okay but coconut oil is deadly. Dr. Mark Hyman, in past statements, has grossly miststated the MCT content – much too low. He is now a big fan of it. People are going to have to do their own personal research as it applies to their individual bodies. Epidemiological nutritional studies are very difficult to do but we can look to the populations that rely on coconut in all its forms and from that info, we can see that it should be looked at in a postitive light. In addition, we are talking about very small amounts. Coconut oil is most likely the least of their problems.
Never doubted coconut oil!!! Thanks for this response full of valuable information!
You should, Traci.
“There’s nothing wrong with deep frying as long as you deep fry in a nice unsaturated vegetable oil” ~ Frank M. Sacks, lead author of American Heart Association’s Presidential Advisory. I wonder how much Frank was paid to spout this Bold Face Lie! I wonder how many people this advice has killed!
Frying is fine for them…because it’s the method that uses the most of their product, by far.
I will never stop consuming Organic coconut oil. For me. it’s better than any other oil, besides it’s from a plant, not an animal. And it’s Alkaline, not acid forming in the body like animal products.
The so called AHA study didn’t even study coconut oil so the whole thing is a hoax. lauric acid was NEVER considered. I agree with FB, follow the cash, and beware of the capitalists who will poison you to make a buck.
Love this post and the reminder to note where our information is coming from. Great job and thank you.
Every comment that comes from any government organization, MSM media, food processors, I take it with a grain of salt. I do not believe what they say. More fake news, like in the political segment of society. I know about the good things in saturated fats like I know the bad things in trans fats. I have Vani to thank for that plus other means of information that know what the gov’t and food industries are up to. NO GOOD THAT IS! Keep it going Vani. Lot of people depend on your intelligent information to dish out.
Thank you for your always helpful information . In 2004 I was diagnosed with CLL lymphOma of the bone marrow . In 2016 with melanoma . I don’t trust the FDA , the cancer association and I don’t trust chemotherapy and or radiation .
I do trust you so thank you again .
Thank you Vani, for your diligent research and shining light on the darker side of so called “food”.
The corruption in politics stems from the very corrupt industries that support and fund them. This BS about coconut oil and saturated fats being evil is just old news and justifies why our country is overweight and sick. Bravo to Big Pharma for paying off some of so-called health experts to demonize the very foods that have the nutrition to heal so you can continue to toxify with drugs. I just hope people will continue to take control of your own health and listen to the experts that know better. Keto on everyone and stay healthy!!
John, you’re simply ignoring the preponderance of scientific evidence that has shown us for a century that Saturated Fat is perhaps the most serious issue the world faces. It’s Saturated Fat that is at the root of T2DM and Heart Disease.
What are you even takin about man? Don’t be one of these people who believe Sugar is the root of all evil. Sugar doesn’t cause plaque formation. Sat Fat and Cholesterol does. Low fat diets have proven for almost a century to reverse kidney issues, heart disease, and diabetes T2.
We know who pays your bills.
Casper is a little too obsessed with this blog to not be employed by Big Problems. (Pharma, foods,etc.)
I agree with you, John. I think you need to do more research, Casper. You will see that Sugar has become much more deadly than fats because for years the sugar industry was on the inside and covering up the true affects of sugar and was blaming fats for the decreasing health of the nation. Sugar is at the basis of the major world health issues now because people just simply ingest too much of it. If you notice, and this was due to the success of the sugar council, food labels do not have a % daily requirement for sugar on them. NONE! Groups have tried in the past to get a recommended daily allowance for sugar but the sugar lobby has always beat it down. They don’t want people to know how little sugar they should be ingesting. Most people have their RDA of sugar at breakfast – or even halfway through breakfast. Too many people are eating low fat, high sugar foods thanks to the sugar lobby. They have scientific studies that show higher healthy fat, lower sugar is actually healthier.
Well said Vani!! I appreciate the innumerable revelations that I have uncovered since reading your valuably researched articles. My husband and I are now gmo free and loving it, we automatically both lost weight just getting the obesogens out our system. The truth hurts but lies shatter or when the light goes on the darkness flees. Wake up america the people behind all these lies are greedy evil people who dont give a rip about you and want to make you sick so you trust their recommendations on food and drugs please, how can you trust proven liars the truth is not in them.
Keep up the excellent work!!!
I will stick with my organic coconut oil, clean evoo, and butter in moderation. This new ‘research’ is so ridiculous, it’s hysterical. It is clearly skewed to benefit Big Pharma and food manufacturers. Sad though that people buy into this all too easily! Glad we have you Vani to help provide a more balanced perspective and dispel the lies. Keep up the awesome work!
GREAT article! I actually put MCT Coconut Oil powder in my morning smoothies. We do cook with olive oil though. What are your thoughts on it? I may switch that over to coconut oil as well even if its more pricey.
Thanks Vani for coming out with an article that sets things straight! Great job, look forward to more great articles from you. Your the BEST.
As usual, it’s all about the money. This is absolute garbage. I have never in my life felt better then when I stopped with the high carb, low fat. I use 1 tablespoon of Coconut oil High in MCT’s every morning and eat fresh veggies and meat every day. For the first time, my hormones have balanced out and I have more energy then I know what to do with. Before, I could not get off the couch. My moods are balanced and after researching I realized that without Cholesterol your body can not make hormones. So, I guess our ancestors must have all died from heart disease, according to these idiots because they did not have pizza hut, taco, bell and processed food. They ate meats, veggies and coconuts. Hmmmmmmm, Use common sense people. This crap is all a multi-million dollar industry and they what to keep us sick. They had us eat margarine for years telling us how great it was and it turns out butter, in moderation, was great all along. Moderation and balance is the key. A well rounded healthy diet, void of processed food. If it was not around 100 years ago, don’t eat it. Thanks Vania for standing up to these money grubbing *#@$%$*#.
Great comment!
Keep telling the truth, Vani! I learned a long time ago that if the AHA recommends (or condemns) something, the opposite is likely to be the truth. I never change a thing in my eating habits without first researching it. Thus, I cook ONLY with coconut oil (organic), have NEVER eaten margarine (knowingly), and have, generally, followed healthy eating habits simply because I never liked the unhealthy foods! I have always loathed soda. Even if I drank one occasionally, I NEVER drank the diet stuff. Hated it from the get-go. I do like dairy, (ice cream, in particular); I drink coffee (black); I enjoy organic teas. I eat chicken every day; rarely will I eat red meat (I just prefer my home-cooked chicken wings). I also exercise daily. The best part? I’m 73, weigh 130 lbs., and my BP this morning was 115/58. My cardiologist is, by his own admission, flummoxed. Which is fine with me. Please, keep getting the truth out there where more and more people can see it!
You go, Girl! The proof is in the puddin’ (no pun intended!)
“Follow the money”. There is NO MONEY in GOOD HEALTH. Canola oil is not only a frankenfood, it becomes more toxic when heated – Coconut Oil, on the other hand has a much higher viscosity and is a REAL FOOD and can handle the heat without becoming toxic. You have to use care not to burn the oil, but it can take higher heat than olive oil.
BTW, canola oil is banned in other countries because of it’s ill-health properties.
Whole, non-GMO foods are the way to go. You just have to look at our population today and can see that.
Thank you for clearing up the controversy. I will still continue to use coconut oil for cooking and for my skin. Nutiva buttery coconut oil is absolutely better than butter. Other fats are unrefined olive oil and grass fed butter; sometimes avocado oil. I will never use and always avoid refined plant oils. The AHA has got to get with the health news!
I think it’s highly irresponsible and unethical for the AHA to be stating as a fact that coconut oil is unhealthy. This is a think-for-yourself kind of world — especially with all the unethical and shady practices going on. I hope this is a lightbulb moment for people to really understand that you can’t put your health in someone else’s hands. And to that AHA exec who let that coconut oil message fly, go jump off a cliff! Have a nice day!!
One thing that is always left out of these official studies is people’s personal experiences. Health conscious people like coconut oil because they’ve had good results with it! But something like that is dismissed as “anecdotal evidence”. Thanks, Food Babe, for your in depth investigation. Amazing how every aspect of our lives seems to have been taken over by people who’ve figured out how to make a profit at the expense of everything else. I’m glad the health movement has people on top of these things!
American Heart Assn is no more to be trusted than American Cancer Society, but I’m not comfortable with “anecdotal” reports either. Can we count on Mercola, Hyman, Fife, and many others to issue a rebuttal with scientific grounding?
The AHA announcement sounds suspiciously like an attempt to present GM crops (canola, corn, soy) in a positive light. Au contraire — they are dangerous.
I love the taste of coconut oil. I’m so glad you exposed the “health care” imposters. Thank you!
I guess it so health and good for us that its cutting into the profits of the pharmaceutical companies, doctors ,supermarkets, etc …….I think I will boost my LDL to 500 to piss my Doctor off……lol…….you just can’t make this stuff up anymore …….
The first thing I did was look at the source when the ads started stating coconut oil was unhealthy for you. Unbelievable that at the expense of our health, manufacturers are still only concerned with making money. I’ll share this post so people know the truth, but most will continue eating unhealthy, versus taking the time to read this.
Thank you . My instincts and body say coconut oil has been good to and for me. Now i have an intelligent explanation to back it up.
Thanks for the insightful post once again, Vani. Our house swapped to coconut oils from the others a couple of years ago and feel much better and healthier because of it! We have no plans to stop using it!
Unfortunately money is always the bottom line in these types of controversies. Just as the cereal industry said eggs raise cholesterol and cause heart disease so many years ago the ones funding the study have something to gain – and care nothing for our health. I use coconut oil and MCT oil daily as well as pasture butter and would not stop. My cholesterol is excellent and I feel great. Keep sharing the truth!
Organic Coconut Oil in a glass jar (for cooking) and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a metal container (for raw use) are the only two oils I use in my kitchen. I don’t need or want government validation since my body tells me those two oils help me feel my best and healthiest every day.
I’m so glad you wrote about this as I have seen many other articles on this debate, that concur with you, and as a long time follower, I am a professional BOYCOTTER ! BOYCOTT THESE BRANDS ! Who in the world wants to consume Canola Oil anymore anyway? Stay away from these GMO pushers and enjoy your coconut oil !
Kellogg’s
•Pepsico
•General MillsNestle
•Mars
•Domino’s Pizza
•Kraft
Thank you, Vani.
Have never trusted the AHA’s “advice”, especially after their endorsement of margarine. Arrrgh!
My wife and I use a variety of fats and oils…a good amount of organic coconut oil for cooking, in addition to organic ghee. We generally use organic olive oil for non-cooking applications (or a very light sautee), as well as organic pasture butter at the table. We’re both in good health and take fish oil and flax oil as supplements.
But we love coconut oil and would sorely miss it as part of our, what we consider, healthy diet.
well a good test is to put Lard on your wrist,it will not melt ,,,Put coconut oil on your wrist and watch it melt into a liquid state…Thats what happens in your body…coconut,olive,avocado and all the good nut oils are incredibly good for us….
Thank you so much for this! The first thing I did when I saw this report was find out the source because that will tell you everything you need to know. The AHA is funded by pharma and corporations who make money off sickness. So of course they are going to throw shade on coconut oil. My co worker/friend is from Fiji and she grew up eating coconut oil for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And as far as I know the Pacific Islanders don’t have a high rate of heart disease. People are finally looking to take charge of their own health which is not profitable for the AHA, Big Pharma, and the like.
Any time a governmental body recommends we do something health wise….we should do the exact opposite. Huge conflict$ of intere$t and VERY corrupt. FDA stands for Federal Drug Advancement the$e day$, AHA – American heartLESS Association, etc, etc.
It’s funny… all the big Oil and Butter supporters out there…. I guarantee your Blood Tests show LDL levels around 130-150 and TBC over 200. And you’re happy with that.
You only escape heart attacks when LDL is around less than 80 with TBC less than 150. The Framingham study and others shows us this simple, neglected fact.
Stop letting people like Vani and Hyman tell you good thing about about your bad habits! They’re killing you slowly!! That’s why you have known so many people over the years with heart disease who are eating just like you.
I guess that’s why my DR is so happy with all my bloodwork and cholesterol levels. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Who do you work for?
Who is this Casper Gomez person anyway? Probably an industry paid blogger out there working to keep pushing the corporate line. We’re on to you buddy!
You’ve got that right!
Thank you so much for what you do and God Bless you. Have been using coconut oil for quite sometime now and do not intend to change. It’s all about big corporate greed on the American people. When you walk into a store they have all this GMO food on display but no organic so you have to go searching for it only if they have it. Some big corporate are putting out coconut oil but I wonder if it is really real.
Thank you for such a well-written and well-researched article. What a light you are to help navigate the dark, swampy waters of “healthy” information. I am so tired of being duped, but not this time. When I first saw the articles shouting that coconut oil is dangerous, I considered the source and IGNORED it immediately.
Remember years ago, the issue was with eggs. Now it’s coconut oil and the wine industry. Personally I’m using 100% Certified Organic Extra Virgin Oil. It’s all about the money and will always be about the money. There will never be a complete cure for cancer, reason: Again it’s all about the money. Use your common sense, following your gut feelings and follow the extensive research of The Food Babe. Stay Healthy
I don’t trust anything that the media or major corporations say… They are out for money and money only… keeping us sick makes them more money. Thank you for your investigations!
Caprylic acid, which is found in coconut oil, has so much information out there showing how beneficial it is! MCT are so good for u, they are even good at battling Candida infections. Thank u vani for continuing the good fight!
Why would I believe the media? They can’t get their facts straight about government. They lied about butter and other foods good for you and made them bad ….then years later resurrect. But I do believe that with all this knowledge about food that why is everyone not looking to the causes of diseases ……Like Heavy Metal Toxicity that many are suffering the symptoms of and being told they have heart disease, autoimmune, diabetes, MS, ADDH, Autism….Truth about Vaccines gives a big part but aluminium, dental material etc….Cause I was and still living healthy but was dying from aluminium and lead from a metal inlay of a crown.
Thank you so much for your work and effort! I wasn’t using coconut oil much and haven’t heard of the new reports on it, but after reading your article I will be using it more and reviewing the labels of other foods more carefully. This is completely outrageous how health associations can be so unregulated, corrupt and utterly dangerous to its people.
On the positive side, maybe the price of coconut oil will go down! I plan on sticking with it.
I don’t understand why doctors don’t request blood tests that identify the number of small particle versus large particle LDL instead of just the composite LDL. It seems that would be an excellent piece of information to have for research purposes, and might put an end to this ongoing controversy. I guess they don’t want to know!
Actually it is because insurance won’t cover it and most patients don’t want to pay for it. Most patients are entitled and freak out over a $10 copay.
Don’t always blame the doctor. Blame the insurance company and the entitled patients.
I am all for using good oils in my diet just I can’t add coconut oil into my cooking on a daily basis as much as I do a good certified Olive oil and Avocado Oil. I do use coconut oil for my baking in cakes and cookies but I don’t need much of it over the year. It is a great addition to make coconut shrimp but I don’t eat shrimp often because of not having access to wild shrimp.
Like everything else, too much of anything is not good for the body. As long as I get a good sourced coconut oil, just like the other oils I use, I see no problem. I was glad to see the article, because it made me aware that like everything I use, I have to watch shelf life to use product.
I was expecting this article to come out by Food Babe addressing this issue. Thanks for the correct information.
Dr. Bruce Moselle, Dr. ENIG was in favor of coconut oil… she didn’t approve of HYDROGENATED coconut oil, and we all hopefully know that no hydrogenated oil is good for us.