COCONUT OIL ; The facts
July 20th, 2012 → 9:55 am @ Shanti
Some facts gathered by my brother, Hans Linsen:
COCONUT OIL
INGREDIENTS: 100% raw organically grown extra virgin coconut oil; Cold pressed. No trans or hydrogenated fat; no cholesterol or hexane. No refrigeration required.
What coconut oil does:
Reduces risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease
Reduces risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions
Helps prevent bacterial, viral and fungal/yeast infections
Supports immune system
Helps control diabetes
Provides an immediate source of energy
Supports healthy metabolic function
Improves digestion and nutrient absorption
Supplies important nutrients necessary for good health
Supplies fewer calories than other fats
Promotes weight loss
Helps prevent osteoporosis
Has a mild, delicate flavour
Is highly resistant to spoilage; has a long shelf life
Helps keep skin soft and smooth
Helps prevent premature ageing and wrinkling of the skin
Helps protect against skin cancer and other blemishes
Functions as a protective antioxidant
Does NOT increase blood cholesterol level
Does NOT promote platelet stickiness
Does Prevent and Cure Altzheimer’s Disease*see below
Query: I went to the health food store to buy coconut oil, but all the brands they carry were solid. None were liquefied. Is this how it is always sold? Can you eat it solid? Does it matter?
Answer: One of the characteristics of coconut oil is its high melting point. At temperatures above 24C coconut oil is a liquid. At temperatures below this it becomes a solid. So, the oil will be either liquid or solid depending on the temperature of the room. There is nothing wrong or unusual about this. Butter, for instance, does the same thing. In the refrigerator it is solid, but take it out on a hot day and let it sit on the counter, and it melts. If you refrigerate olive oil it becomes solid as well, but out of the refrigerator it is liquid.
Sometimes you will see two bottles of coconut oil side by side and one will be solid, while the other is liquid. The reason for this is that it takes several hours for the oil to adjust to the room temperature. If the room is below 24C then the liquid bottle came from a warmer environment before it was placed next to the solid bottle. Oil can hold on to heat for a long time, so it may take several hours for the oil in the bottle to solidify. If the room temperature is in the mid or low 20’s, it may take 24 hours or more for the oil to solidify.
Critics who try to discredit coconut oil claiming it to be an “artery clogging” saturated fat, will often justify their position by pointing out the fact that coconut is solid at room temperature. They say when you eat the oil it will solidify in your arteries and cause a heart attack. This idea is totally preposterous. For one thing, our body temperature is 37C. Coconut oil is a complete liquid at that temperature. And, coconut oil does not circulate inside the arteries after you eat it. Coconut oil, like any other fat or oil, is digested and broken down into individual fatty acids in the digestive tract. The fatty acids from coconut oil are used by the cells in the body as food to produce energy. There is no way they could clog the arteries.
Like butter, you can eat coconut oil whether it is liquid or solid. There is no difference in nutritional value or chemical make up. You don’t need to liquefy the oil before you use it. Solid coconut oil melts very quickly when put in a hot pan.
If your kitchen is kept under 24C coconut oil will always be solid. On a hot day it may melt. You can keep it in the refrigerator if you like. However, it isn’t necessary. Coconut oil does not need to be refrigerated. It is very stable and has a long shelf life so it can be kept on the kitchen counter or in a cupboard.
*
Your Local Food Store May Have the Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s affects 5.2 million people in the U.S. and doctors are stymied over finding a cure. But one doctor may have stumbled on a simple and safe solution that seems to reverse the memory loss and mental “fog” associated with this dreaded disease.
As we reported earlier this week, Dr. Mary Newport has made a startling discovery. And she’s now reported her findings to the medical community. A daily intake of one widely-available oil halted the symptoms of her husband’s early onset Alzheimer’s. In fact, it reversed much of the damage done by the disease.
At just 53, her husband began to lose his mental functions. As an accountant, he found he had trouble completing tax returns and basic accounting tasks. Later, he had trouble keeping his shoes and socks together or finding a spoon in his kitchen.
He was put on one big name Alzheimer’s drug after another but he steadily declined. Desperate, his wife researched the “why and how” of Alzheimer’s until she made an important discovery. Her findings showed that Alzheimer’s patients had brain cells that were unable to process glucose. That’s the brain’s principal energy source.
In fact, without glucose, the neurons in the brain began to die. But Dr. Newport discovered another energy source that can “refuel” the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
The Importance of Ketones
This other energy source is called “ketones.” Ketones are a fat that’s easily digested and used by your body. Your liver converts them into an alternate energy source for your brain.
Athletes, soldiers, and body builders use them to power their bodies through tough conditions. They do this by drinking a type of oil made of medium chain triglycerides (MCT).
Coconut Oil Is Full of These Ketones
Coconut oil is made up of 60 percent of MCTs. Big Pharma has already seized on this. in fact, there’s a new Alzheimer’s drug in the works that uses MCT oil as a key component.
But Dr. Newport says that the coconut oil alone may reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Her husband began taking coconut oil twice a day. After two weeks he could draw a simple clock – which he couldn’t do prior to the coconut oil. (Drawing a clock is a typical test for Alzheimer’s.) After two months, he was more himself, joking and alert. His focus had increased. His memory improved. And he was more active.
Fast forward two years: He’s now running again and doing yard work. His short-term memory is so improved that he remembers all recent events and conversations with accuracy. Here’s the best part: his MRIs show that his brain atrophy has ceased. And actually improved past his original MRIs from years earlier.
How Fat Factors into Alzheimer’s
Your brain is made up of fats. The right kind of fat is beneficial to your thought process. The wrong kind may actually promote diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Studies show that trans fats get absorbed into your brain cells and change them.
Renowned nutritional counselor Dr. Raymond Peat points to a 1980 study. This study found rats who were fed milk-with-soy-oil absorbed the oil into their brain cells. This changed their cells on a fundamental level. It made those cells become abnormal. Studies show that trans fats do the same.
On the other hand, Dr. Peat says your brain needs healthy fats to function at an optimum level. Coconut oil is such a fat.
How to Use Coconut Oil
You can start taking coconut oil to promote your brain health even if you have no symptoms of Alzheimer’s. It’s used in cooking throughout the Philippines and parts of India and Thailand. These countries have some of the lowest levels of Alzheimer’s in the world.
Coconut oil is versatile. You can use it in place of other vegetable oils in cooking. You can also use coconut milk in place of regular milk in many recipes.
But the easiest option is to just take it by the spoonful. Dr. Newport gave her husband eight teaspoons of coconut oil throughout the day. She started to see improvements after about two weeks. Two months into the coconut regimen, he was acting more like himself.
You can find coconut oil in most natural foods stores and some supermarkets. But be sure you’re getting the pure virgin coconut oil to reduce your exposure to the chemical extraction process.
