Is Coconut Oil Healthy or Not?

I have been receiving a lot of emails regarding coconut oil ever since the American Heart Association (AHA) announced last month that coconut oil is a saturated fat (yes, we already know this) and is bad for our heart health. I want to state that this information from the AHA is completely misguided and professionally irresponsible. I have talked about the benefits of coconut oil for years and will continue to use unrefined coconut oil daily in my diet. Remember that in the 60s, the AHA is the organization that suggested we eat a low-fat diet and use margarine instead of butter. Rather than becoming healthier than ever, Americans have only gotten fatter and sicker. “Heart disease rates have not improved even though people have been eating what the AHA suggests is a heart-healthy diet. Common sense tells us if the AHA's advice hasn't worked in the last 65 years, it's not likely to start working now” (Mercola). 

So in response to your question: “Is coconut oil healthy?” The answer is YES!! Coconut oil provides you with high-quality fat that is important for optimal health. Coconut oil is great for your health in many ways. It supports thyroid function, normalizes insulin and leptin function, boosts metabolism, and provides excellent and readily available fuel for your body in lieu of carbohydrates (which you need to avoid if you want to lose weight).

​If this it true, why would the AHA be making such claims? 

"These anti-coconut oil AHA guidelines are an orchestrated PR campaign aimed at changing what we eat to match what is in the interests of the AHA's corporate sponsors, regardless of what recent research suggests. The AHA campaign is backfiring because of the millions of people who already know that adding undamaged saturated fats into their diets makes them feel better. They can feel the difference in their energy, see it in the mirror, and measure it in their blood work. As the U.S. population gets more educated about the benefits of saturated fats and the harm posed by processed seed and vegetable oils, processed food manufacturers are looking for ways to trick us into eating the cheap, high profit, damaging 'food' they create and sell. That appears to be why they sponsor the [AHA]. These new recommendations are from an industry special interest group that promotes low-fat, high-sugar diets that kill people and has the audacity to label them as 'heart healthy.' In fact, the AHA executive leading the charge against coconut oil is the same guy that used to run marketing for Kentucky Fried Chicken and other fast-food chains." (Dave Asprey)

Also, from Dr. Tania Dempsey's article: "First, let’s start with who funded the study. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Glaxo-Smith Kline, AstraZeneca, Amgen and many more are listed as providing research grants for the authors. It just so happens that these companies manufacture cholesterol-lowering medications, like statins and the new drug Repatha. Why would they want to know whether coconut oil is good or bad for patients? Or whether eating carbohydrates is better than eating saturated fat? Well, for one, they will be well positioned to market their drugs to the people who keep changing their diet based on the latest “research.” And it just so happens that the Canola Oil Council and the California Walnut Commission also helped fund the research—which apparently showed that canola oil and other mono and polyunsaturated fats lowered LDL. Never mind that canola oil is a genetically modified and high in erucic acid, a very long-chain fatty acid that can disrupt our cell membranes and has been found to cause heart disease in animals."

The best advice I can give you is to do your research. Below, I am listing several articles from the top wellness physicians and nutritionists. Please read these articles and learn the truth about the benefits of coconut oil. You will then be able to make a more informed choice about the foods you choose to put in your body.

Dr. Josh Axe
https://draxe.com/coconut-oil-healthy/

Dr. Tania Dempsey
http://observer.com/2017/06/new-study-coconut-oil-ldl-cholesterol-levels/

Dr. Mark Hyman
http://drhyman.com/blog/2017/06/26/coconut-oil/

JJ Virgin, Nutrition & Fitness Expert
http://jjvirgin.com/coconut-oil-is-still-healthy/
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Dr. Joseph Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/07/05/aha-avoid-saturated-fats.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20170705Z1_UCM&et_cid=DM149555&et_rid=2069012632