[liamona]

Originally Posted by beautyscientist

The only thing that bothers me is why this isn't better known?

According to naturopathic doctor Bruce Fife, author of The Coconut Oil Miracle (which I'm reading right now), this information was well-known among lipid researchers since the 50s.

Up until the 80s, tropical oils were used in a lot of manufactured foods. Then the American Soybean Association (ASA), along with "health" groups like Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) started a campaign to demonize these oils:

"In 1986 the ASA sent a "Fat Fighter Kit" to soybean farmers encouraging them to write government officials, food companies, and so on, protesting the encroachment of "highly saturated tropical fats like palm and coconut oils." The wives and families of some 400,000 soybean growers were encouraged to fan out across the country in a lobbying effort touting the health benefits of soybean oil. Well-meaning but misguided health groups such as Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) joined in the battle, issuing news releases referring to palm, coconut, and palm kern oils as "artery-clogging fats." (from page 10.)

And coconut oil isn't the only lauric acid rich vegetable oil. Have any of the others shown similar effects?

"Coconut and palm kernel oils are by far the richest natural sources of this supernutrient, which makes up about 50 percent of their fat content. Milk fat and butter are a distant second, having about 3 percent. These are the only food sources we have that contain significant amounts of lauric acid. Unlike the tropical oils, all vegetable oils are completely deficient in this and other MCFAs [medium chain fatty acids]." (page 67.)

As some others have asked, are there any actual studies from proper journals with numbers on this?

Fife lists all kinds of studies for each chapter of the book.

Lately I finished what was left of my gallon of CO from Mountain Rose, and started using Nutiva's. Their oil has a better smell.

Yesterday I was out all afternoon, and forgot to re-apply sunscreen on my chest, shoulders and arms. When I got home, they were red and a bit painful. I started applying CO, and now most of the redness has turned to brown. I think I will start using this on my skin and hair, and see how it goes. I've used other brands with little effect.

I recently found that the Wild Oats brand of organic coconut milk is extremely rich. On the label it says to shake the can before opening, but when I did, there was no liquid-y swishing sound at all.

The reason was because the contents were almost completely solid fat! The label says it contains 12 grams, with six servings so it has 72 grams total.

I heated the whole contents in a pan, added some powdered cocoa, vanilla extract, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and stevia. It made a wonderfully rich, satisfying dessert.