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Marianita’s Story
I grew up in the
Philippines during the 1960s and
1970s. My family lived in a small
rural community of about 100
families. We lived on the side of a
mountain, and everybody in our
community earned their living from
agriculture, primarily coconuts.
My father was a
farmer, and his main crop was
coconuts. He had some rice
plantations and grew some other
crops, and he was also the principal
of our local government elementary
school. But his main source of
income in the 1960s and early 1970s
was from coconuts. He made more
money from the sale of his coconuts
than he did as a school principal,
for example. In the Philippines, the
government provides education
through 6th grade only in many
places. High school and college are
usually privately run and beyond the
cost of most of the poor. My father
sent all eight of his children to
high school and college through the
profits of the coconut industry,
producing 3 school teachers, 1
nurse, 1 medical doctor, and myself,
a nutritionist/dietician.
The people in our
farming community while I was
growing up primarily ate food that
they had grown or raised themselves.
Our diet consisted mainly of rice,
coconuts, vegetables and root crops,
herbs (especially garlic and
ginger), and some meat that was
raised locally. Trips to the market
were made once a week to buy
primarily fresh fish caught in the
ports nearby. While my parents’
generation would have grinded their
own rice by hand, leaving in tact
most of the bran and nutrients,
after World War II during my time
rice mills starting popping up
making it easier to mill rice. The
first mills used in my day were
“crude,” and did not polish the
rice, so we basically still ate
healthy grains which today would be
considered low-carb. Later, the
mills became more sophisticated and
began to polish the rice making it
bright white. All of our food back
then would be considered “organic”
by today’s standards, as we had no
access to chemical fertilizers or
pesticides. Living in a tropical
climate, our animals, such as
chickens, cows, goats, etc., all
grazed on natural green vegetation.
Coconut and coconut
oil was used daily. My parents’
generation made coconut oil by hand
using either the boiling or
fermentation method. After World War
II desiccated coconut plants and
coconut oil mills were established
for the booming baking industry in
the US. Refined coconut oil started
to make its way into the local
economy as well, but at that time
even the refined coconut oil made
from copra (dried coconut meat) was
done through a mechanical pressing
that did not use solvent extracts.
While some people still made coconut
oil the “old fashioned” way, many
began buying the cheaper, odorless
coconut oil in the markets. Our
natural diet was definitely a
high-fat diet, a diet high in the
saturated fat of coconut oil.
So what was the
health of the people like in our
community, where everyone ate a diet
high in the saturated fat of coconut
oil? Our community was part of a
larger community of some 50,000
people that was served by a single
government doctor in those days.
While pharmaceuticals began to be
manufactured in the Philippines
after World War II, people in
communities like ours could not
afford them. We had our own
traditions of dealing with simple
sicknesses using local herbs and
coconut oil. When people did go to
town to visit the local government
doctor, it was usually not for the
kind of ailments that westerners go
to the doctor today, such as
diabetes, cancer, heart disease,
thyroid problems, etc. These
illnesses were virtually unknown in
my younger days. People went to see
the doctor to treat wounds, or from
sicknesses common in the tropics,
such as malaria, diarrhea, dengue,
etc. My father was well into his 60s
before he made his first visit to
the doctor, and that was for a head
wound. He died in the late 1980s in
a car accident in the U.S. He was in
his 70s and in perfect health. Two
of his older sisters still survive
him to this day and are in great
health. One is in her 90s. One of
his sisters, my aunt, was in her
late 80s and still lived in the
remote area of the Philippines where
I grew up, eating a traditional
diet, when my family moved back to
the Philippines in 1998. She taught
us how her generation made coconut
oil by hand, which is the basis for
the Tropical Traditions Gold Label
Virgin Coconut Oil, the most popular
Virgin Coconut Oil sold in the U.S.
Her first visit to a doctor was when
she was in her early 80s. I myself
have no memory of being sick growing
up. I suffered my first “cold” when
I was in my 30s, after I married my
American husband and spent a year in
the U.S. eating typical U.S. food
found in grocery stores.
This picture of life
in the rural Philippines is typical
of those who grew up in my
generation or my parents’
generation, eating traditional foods
with an abundance of saturated fat
found in coconut oil. Sadly, it is
no longer true today. Since the
mid-1970s demand for coconut oil
fell so low that coconut farmers
could no longer afford to support
their family on the income of
coconut harvests. Many people left
the farms and went to the cities to
find better employment, and soon
adopted new dietary trends similar
to western diets. Cheaper
mass-produced industrial foods,
particularly meats, now replace most
of the local traditional foods we
used to grow or raise ourselves.
Snack foods and other fast foods are
now made with hydrogenated coconut
oil to keep it solid at the high air
temperatures experienced in our
tropical climate. The rice is now
polished and grown with chemical
fertilizers, and soft drinks loaded
with refined sugars are found on
every street corner, replacing the
natural “buko juice”, the water from
the inside of the coconuts, that my
generation grew up drinking. Even
the coconut water drinks still sold
are usually loaded with refined
sugars. Our traditional, high-fat
low-carb diet has been replaced with
many refined high-carb substitutes.
Growing up it was very rare to see
anyone considered overweight, and
almost never considered “obese”, but
even that is changing now as the
diet has changed also.
Marianita Jader Shilhavy |
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Population Studies
There are quite a few studies that have been
done on traditional diets in tropical areas that are high in
coconut oil consumption. These studies back up the fact that
Marianita’s experience growing up in
the Philippines is common in cultures that derive much of
their caloric intake from the saturated fats of coconut oil.
In a study published in 1981, the populations of two South
Pacific islands (Pukapuka and Tokelau) were examined over a
period of time starting in the 1960s, before western foods
were prevalent in the diets of either culture. The study was
designed to investigate the relative effects of saturated fat
and dietary cholesterol in determining serum cholesterol
levels. Coconuts were practically a staple in the diets, with
up to 60% of their caloric intake coming from the saturated
fat of coconut oil. The study found very lean and healthy
people who were relatively free from the modern diseases of
western cultures, including obesity. Their conclusion:
"Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is
no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful
effect in these populations."1
My friend Nida's
grandmother has continued to prepare coconut oil in the
[traditional] manner... She is also a manghihilot. The herbs
she adds are, among others, garlic and ginger. She rubs it on
herself and her husband every night. They are still healthy.
Nida tells of her cousins who were very poor. So poor, in
fact, that they ate mostly coconut. Other kids teased them
because they ate fresh coconut for breakfast instead of rice
and fish, and munched it whenever they were hungry, picking it
up from the copra being laid out to dry. These kids ended up
being the healthiest in the neighborhood, fat, with smooth,
shiny skin and good teeth! As teenagers, they never had skin
eruptions. Luanne,
Mindanao, Philippines
Other studies done among the
Pacific islands were conducted back in the 1930s by Dr. Weston
Price, a dentist. Dr. Price spent significant time traveling
and examining traditional cultures, their diet, and dental and
overall health, as compared to those eating more modern diets
consisting of refined foods. His work is documented in the
book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration (1939 Keats
Publishing). As he traveled to islands throughout the South
Pacific, he found the same thing wherever he went. Those
eating a traditional diet consisting of high concentrations of
coconut were in very good health, and were not obese even
though they had such a high fat content in their diet. Those
who through commercial trade with western countries were
starting to eat more refined foods high in carbohydrates were
starting to suffer common western diseases, including dental
decay.
In India a study was done
comparing traditional cooking oils, like coconut oil and ghee
which are rich in saturated fats, with modern oils like
sunflower or safflower oils which are mostly polyunsaturated,
in relation to prevalence of heart disease and Type-II
diabetes. The study was done by the Department of Medicine, at
Safdarjang Hospital in New Delhi. The study was titled “Choice
of cooking oils--myths and realities”, and was published in
the Journal of the Indian Medical Association in 1998. They
found that while saturated fats were portrayed as unhealthy in
favor of newer polyunsaturated vegetable oils, that heart
disease and diabetes had actually increased after consumption
of the traditional oils like coconut oil and ghee decreased.2
Weight gain typically is associated with heart disease and
diabetes. They concluded that these newer "heart-friendly"
oils like sunflower or safflower oils possess an undesirable
Omega 6 fatty acid ratio to Omega 3 fatty acids, and that
there are numerous research data now available to indicate
that the sole use or excess intake of these newer vegetable
oils are actually detrimental to the health of Indians.
My wife and I have
been using the Virgin Coconut Oil for about 3 months now (a
teaspoon in the morning and at night). We have noticed
increased energy along with a decrease in the amount of time
it takes to overcome viruses. We attribute this to the
anti-viral properties of the virgin coconut oil. Also, we use
the oil as a moisturizer and have noticed less dryness of our
skin in our dry winter climate.
Tom Rutland, Vermont
P.K. Thampan, the former Chief Coconut
Development officer of Coconut Development Board in India, has
found the same thing true in his studies of traditional
cultures consuming large amounts of coconut. In his book
“'Facts and Fallacies about Coconut Oil” Thampan shows that
population studies conducted in countries where coconut oil is
a part of the normal diet of the people have revealed that
coconut oil consumption is unrelated to coronary heart disease
mortality and morbidity, which is contrary to what is being
taught in many of these countries. Observations recorded in
these countries, where coconut kernel and coconut oil form
major dietary components, have shown a longer life expectancy
at birth than in countries with negligible intake of coconut
products. There are also instances of longer life expectancy
in predominantly coconut-consuming areas than in other places
within the same country that eat less coconut.3
Dr. P. Rethinam and Muhartoyo wrote in the
Jakarta Post, on June 18, 2003, that before 1950, heart
attacks were not common in Sri Lanka. However, hospital
admission rates for heart attacks grew dramatically from 1970
to 1992. On the other hand, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had
determined that the coconut consumption has gone down from 132
nuts per person per year in 1952 to 90 per person per year in
1991. Because of the saturated fat scare of recent years
condemning coconut oil, people ate fewer coconuts and heart
disease and the associated weight gain actually increased! H.
Kaunitz wrote in 1986 that the 1978 edition of the Demographic
Yearbook of the United Nations reported that Sri Lanka had the
lowest death rate from ischemic heart disease, while coconut
oil was their main dietary fat.4
The
Research
So how do people in the tropics
do it? How can people on traditional diets consume so much
saturated fat and remain slim and healthy?
Researchers have known for quite
some time that the secret to health and weight loss associated
with coconut oil is related to the length of the fatty acid
chains contained in coconut oil. Coconut oil contains what are
called medium chain fatty acids, or medium chain triglycerides
(MCTs for short). These medium chain fatty acids are different
from the common longer chain fatty acids found in other
plant-based oils. Most vegetable oils are composed of longer
chain fatty acids, or triglycerides (LCTs). LCTs are typically
stored in the body as fat, while MCTs are burned for energy.
MCTs burn up quickly in the body. They are a lot like adding
kindling to a fireplace, rather than a big damp log.
Coconut oil is nature’s richest
source of MCTs. Not only do MCTs raise the body’s metabolism
leading to weight loss, but they have special health-giving
properties as well. The most predominant MCT in coconut oil,
for example, is lauric acid. Lipid researcher Dr. Jon Kabara
states “Never before in the history of man is it so important
to emphasize the value of Lauric Oils. The medium-chain fats
in coconut oil are similar to fats in mother’s milk and have
similar nutriceutical effects. These health effects were
recognized centuries ago in Ayurvedic medicine. Modern
research has now found a common link between these two natural
health products----their fat or lipid content. The medium
chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found primarily in
coconut oil and mother’s milk have miraculous healing power.”5
Outside of a human mother’s breast milk, coconut oil is
nature’s most abundant source of lauric acid and medium chain
fatty acids.
I have personal
experience with using Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) to richen my
milk supply :-) In fact, this is why I started taking VCO in
the first place. My baby was very low weight and I just knew
that something wasn't right. Our pediatrician was no help~ he
said because she hadn't lost weight, she was fine. I finally
went to a naturopathic doctor, and explained my situation
(besides the baby gaining only a few ounces, I had PPD). Since
my baby was my 9th and I'd nursed the last 6... He said that I
probably didn't have enough good fats in my system. That would
account for my milk not being rich enough/full of fat to help
her grow, and it also probably had a great deal to do with my
hormones being out of whack and me struggling with PPD. I
started taking VCO when the baby was 5 months old. By the time
she was 7 months old, she'd gained 3 whole pounds! My PPD had
disappeared also :)
We went back for a weight check when the baby was 9 months
old, and she had gained another 2 pounds and was not only back
on the weight chart, but on the correct curve for her age,
etc. I had also noticed that she was developing new skills all
at once, that maybe she'd not been able to before. My
pediatrician was so impressed he asked me what I'd done... I
was a little nervous about telling him, but truthfully, the
only thing I'd done differently was to take the VCO! So I told
him and he never rolled his eyes or treated me like I'd lost
my mind ;-) He even wrote it in her chart! Jan
El Paso, TX
Much of the recent research done on coconut oil
and lauric acid, the most predominant fatty acid chain found
in coconut oil, has centered around the anti-microbial and
anti-viral properties of this unique fatty acid. Today, many
strains of bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, and
antibiotics are generally ineffective in treating virus
infections. When lauric acid is consumed in the diet, either
in human breast milk or in coconut oil, lauric acid forms a
monoglyceride called monolaurin, which has been shown to
destroy several bacteria and viruses, including listeria
monocytogenes and helicobacter pylori, and protozoa such as
giardia lamblia. Some of the viruses that have been destroyed
by monolaurin include HIV, measles, herpes simplex virus-1,
vesicular stomatitis virus, influenza and cytomegalovirus.6
There is also evidence now that the MCTs in coconut oil kill
yeast infections, such as Candida.7
So now that we know that these
wonderful health benefits found of coconut oil that lead to
weight loss and vibrant health are in the fatty acids of
coconut oil, the question that begs to be answered is why
hasn’t this secret been revealed in the past?
The answer is that is has! The
incredible health properties of MCTs was researched and
documented by people such as Dr. Jon Kabara as far back as 1966. MCTs have
been part of infant formulas and hospital formulas for many
years. The food industry at one time considered coconut oil to
be the most superior dietary oil for use in baking and food
preparations. At one time, it was a significant part of the
American diet.
Our whole family is
really enjoying your Virgin Coconut Oil. The original purpose
for the purchase was because we have a special needs child who
has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and cortical blindness.
Unlike most children in her condition, our daughter is fed
pureed foods orally and given liquids via gastrostomy tube.
She is able to tolerate very few proteins and fats because of
the extremely slow movement of her digestive system. Your
Virgin Coconut Oil is gentle on her system and she tolerates
it wonderfully. This is such an accomplishment since there
are only a few oils available that she is able to obtain
nourishment and sustenance from. The taste is pleasant and
mild, and we are always pleased to provide her with foods that
are whole and unprocessed. Much to the surprise of her many
doctors, she continues to gain weight steadily, although she
is small for her age. The nutritional consultants at the
hospital where she receives all necessary care (recently noted
to be one of the top ten in the country) continue to instruct
us with regard to her nutrition "just keep doing whatever you
are doing because she is thriving wonderfully." They have no
explanation for her wonderful skin, great immune system, and
weight gain- all areas in which children like her struggle
for daily their entire lives. We thank God for such wonderful
foods as the coconut, for blessing her with great health, and
for companies such as yours (Tropical Traditions) who can provide quality products
with great integrity. Carissa
Independence, Missouri
However, during World War II
when the Japanese occupied most of the South Pacific and the
Philippines, supplies of coconut oil were cut off for several
years. Americans were forced to turn to alternative sources
for cooking oils, and this is when many of the polyunsaturated
oils began to make their way into the market place.
How Did
Coconut Oil Get Such a Bad Reputation?
Beginning in the 1950s, public
opinion towards saturated fats in general, and then later
towards coconut oil in particular, began to turn negative.
This history of the edible oil industry in the US has been
well documented by Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D., and can be read at
www.coconutoil.com or at the Weston Price Foundation website (www.westonaprice.org).
Her articles “The Oiling of American” and “Coconut: In Support
of Good Health in the 21st Century” provide in depth analysis
of the saturated fat research, and the negative campaigns that
have been waged against coconut oil.
The anti saturated fat theory
apparently began in the 1950s, with the steep rise of heart
disease. While heart disease probably caused no more than 10%
of all deaths in the U.S. prior to the 1920s, by the 1950s it
had risen to more than 30% of all deaths. Researchers were
looking for the cause of this new threat to the nation’s
health. Some researchers suggested that cholesterol levels
were the problem, and that saturated fats raised cholesterol
levels. One such study was based on examining the artery
plaques found in American soldiers who had died in Korea. With
high levels of cholesterol found in artery plaques, some
started looking at cholesterol levels found in foods as a
possible cause. Cholesterol is found only in animal foods such
as meat, fish, cheese, eggs and butter. Soon a “lipid
hypothesis” was formed that stated “saturated fat and
cholesterol from animal sources raise cholesterol levels in
the blood, leading to deposition of cholesterol and fatty
material as pathogenic plaques in the arteries.” So the
traditional foods of butter, eggs, and fat from meats were
“out”, and the new vegetable oils were seen as heart-healthy
replacements. However, research now shows that cholesterol
levels in food have little or no effect on blood cholesterol
levels, and the whole lipid theory of heart disease has been
rejected by many researchers and doctors. Malcom Kendrick
M.D., Dr. Mary Enig Ph.D., Uffe Ravnskov M.D., Ph.D (author of
The Cholesterol Myths), George Mann M.D., Sc.D, and many other
top researchers have written extensively on the flaws of the
“cholesterol theory” of heart disease.
(See
also:
What if Saturated Fat is Not the Problem?
A professor of biochemistry provides perspective;
and
What if bad fat isn’t so bad? No one's ever proved that
saturated fat clogs arteries, causes heart disease at
MSNBC; and
Diet and Fat: A Severe Case of Mistaken Consensus at
N.Y. Times; and
The Soft Science of Dietary Fat by Gary Taubes.)
So what was the cause of the
rapid rise of heart disease in the US? While there are many
factors to consider, one thing we know is that after World War
II there were some significant dietary changes in the American
diet, including that kinds of fats Americans were eating. As
Mary Enig reports:
Butter consumption was
declining while the use of vegetable oils, especially oils
that had been hardened to resemble butter by a process called
hydrogenation, was increasing—dramatically increasing. By 1950
butter consumption had dropped from eighteen pounds per person
per year to just over ten. Margarine filled in the gap, rising
from about two pounds per person at the turn of the century to
about eight. Consumption of vegetable shortening—used in
crackers and baked goods—remained relatively steady at about
twelve pounds per person per year but vegetable oil
consumption had more than tripled—from just under three pounds
per person per year to more than ten.8
What we know today, but was not
known well in the 1950s, is that hydrogenated and partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils create trans fatty acids that have
been linked to heart disease. (see below)
Coconut Oil: the Center of
Attack
The saturated fats/cholesterol
scare soon became mainstream thinking, however, and before
long certain groups began taking aim at the saturated fats
found in coconut oil. At one time coconut oil was a
significant part of the American diet. Suddenly, we were told
to avoid anything with tropical oils—from theater popcorn oil
to packaged snack foods, which was a complete turn from when
the food industry considered coconut oil to be an excellent
dietary oil for use in baking and food preparations.
Dr. Mary
Enig states:
The coconut industry has
suffered more than three decades of abusive rhetoric from the
consumer activist group Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI), from the American Soybean Association (ASA)
and other members of the edible oil industry, and from those
in the medical and scientific community who learned their
misinformation from groups like CSPI and ASA. According to one
of CSPI’s own press releases, "In 1984, CSPI organized the
first national campaign to pressure fast-food restaurants and
food companies to stop frying with beef fat and tropical oils,
which are high in the cholesterol-raising saturated fats that
increase the risk of heart disease. After six years of public
pressure—including full-page newspaper ads placed by Nebraska
millionaire and cholesterol-crusader Phil Sokolof—the industry
finally relented in 1990.”9
Congress held hearings in 1988
to discuss the safety of tropical oils. Dr. George Blackburn,
a Harvard medical researcher, testified that coconut oil has a
neutral effect on blood cholesterol, even in situations where
coconut oil is the sole source of fat. Surgeon General C.
Everett Koop dismissed the entire attacks on coconut oil as
“Foolishness,” and continued to say “but to get the word to
commercial interests terrorizing the public about nothing is
another matter.” However, with no strong political influence
in Washington from the coconut-producing countries, the ASA
and CSPI prevailed and soon coconut oil almost vanished from
the American diet. At one time a significant part of the
American diet, today it has been replaced by the so called
“healthier” vegetable oils.
(See also:
How
a P.R. Campaign Led to Unhealthy Diets)
The Replacement for Saturated fats: Toxic Oils
Today, walk into any major
grocery or retail food chain, visit the cooking oil section
and you will not find much in the way of saturated fats. What
have replaced saturated fats are now liquid vegetable oils,
also known as polyunsaturated oils.
Unfortunately, polyunsaturated
oils are not stable and they are prone to oxidation. These
commercial vegetable oils are a recent addition to our diet
since World War II, when manufacturers developed a process to
make them shelf stable by using hydrogenation. Hydrogenating,
or partially hydrogenating these oils, also makes them more
solid (mimicking saturated fats) and useful for baking and
deep frying.
Research now shows that the
processing of these polyunsaturated oils creates a whole new
subclass of fats called trans fatty acids. These trans
fatty acids are not found in nature, and are very toxic.
Studies are now showing that trans fatty acids are linked to
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, among others. In
January 2004 Denmark became the first country in the world to
ban the manufacture of trans fatty acids in its foods.10
In Europe, the consumption of trans fatty acids is decreasing.
In the U.S., the FDA is requiring all food manufacturers to
list trans fatty acids in the nutrition panel of their labels
by the year 2006. The FDA website states:
On July 9, 2003, FDA
issued a regulation requiring manufacturers to list trans
fatty acids, or trans fat, on the Nutrition Facts panel of
foods and some dietary supplements. With this rule, consumers
have more information to make healthier food choices that
could lower their consumption of trans fat as part of a
heart-healthy diet. Scientific reports have confirmed the
relationship between trans fat and an increased risk of
coronary heart disease. Food manufacturers have until Jan. 1,
2006, to list trans fat on the nutrition label. FDA estimates
that by three years after that date, trans fat labeling will
have prevented from 600 to 1,200 cases of coronary heart
disease and 250 to 500 deaths each year.11
What are the polyunsaturated
oils commercially processed in the US containing trans fatty
acids? Soy, corn, cottonseed, and safflower are the most
common. 90% of all margarines in the US today are made from
soy oil, and loaded with trans fatty acids. These are the very
fats that CSPI promoted as a replacement for saturated fats
back in the 1980s. As Dr. Mary Enig writes:
The whitewash of trans fatty
acids began in 1987 with an article by Elaine Blume, published
in CSPI's Nutrition Action newsletter. Wrote Blume: "From
margarine to Tater Tots, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils
play a major role in our food supply. . . . In fact,
hydrogenated oils don't post a dire threat to health. . . .
Improving on Nature. . . . Manufacturers hydrogenate. . .
these vegetable oils so they won't become rancid while they
sit on shelves, or during frying. . . . it seems unlikely that
hydrogenation contributes much to our burden of heart disease.
. . The fact that hydrogenated oils appear to be relatively
benign is cause for thanks, because these fats are
everywhere."
In 1988, CSPI published a
booklet called Saturated Fat Attack, which defended trans
fatty acids and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and
called for pejorative labeling of "saturated" fats. The
booklet contained a section called "Biochemistry 101," which
claimed that only tropical oils were dangerous when
hydrogenated. "Hydrogenated (or partially hydrogenated) fats
are widely used in foods and cause untold consternation among
consumers. . . [they] start out as plain old liquid vegetable
oils (usually soybean), which are then reacted with hydrogen.
. . converting much of the polyunsaturated fatty acids to
monounsaturated fatty acids. . . [with]. . . small amounts. .
. converted to saturated fatty acids. . . [e.g.], stearic
acid, which seems to have no effect on blood cholesterol
levels.
"Overall, hydrogenated fats
don't pose a significant risk. . . exceptions are hydrogenated
[tropical oils, which are made]. . . even worse after
hydrogenation."
Obviously, the individuals
writing the booklet were completely ignorant (or pretended to
be ignorant) of lipid science. Modern hydrogenation methods
create trans fatty acids rather than monounsaturated fatty
acids, and very few saturated fatty acids. By 1988, the
adverse effects of trans fats were well known. The article
points out that stearic acid has no effect on blood
cholesterol levels, yet CSPI continued to accuse beef tallow,
which is rich in stearic acid, of "raising cholesterol and
increasing the risk of heart disease." As for the tropical
oils, they do not need to be hydrogenated!12
By 1990 the dangers of trans
fats from hydrogenated vegetable oils was so well documented,
that CSPI had to completely change their position. As Dr. Enig
writes:
The revisionism began in
December 1992 when Ms. Liebman wrote: "We've been crying
'foul' for some time now, as the margarine industry has tried
to convince people that eating margarine was as good for their
hearts as aerobic exercise. . . . And we warned folks several
years ago that trans fatty acids could be a problem. . . .
That's especially true now that we know that trans fatty acids
are harmful, but we don't know how much trans are in different
foods." Of course, CSPI had issued no such warning, but had
been defending trans fats for more than five years. And
there's no apology for falsely demonizing traditional fats.
"Don't switch back from margarine to butter," wrote Ms.
Liebman, ". . . try diet or whipped margarine. . . use a
liquid margarine."13
The
Benefits of Saturated Fats
Most of the fats in the diet of
our forefathers were saturated fats. This is also true of many
traditional cultures. Tropical diets, for example, get much of
their fats from coconuts and palm oil, which are rich in
saturated fats. As we have seen with our experience in the
Philippines, these traditional cultures have not had the
obesity and health problems that we are seeing today in our
culture, even though they had a diet high in saturated fats.
At 2 years of age, my daughter
was screaming, grunting and pointing and grunting for most
things. She had a very small vocabulary (despite us trying to
teach her words for things). We discovered that a cousin of
hers has NIDS and started researching to find out if our
daughter might have NIDS as well. NIDS is NeuroImmune
Dysfunction Syndrome. Basically it says there is a virus
attacking the brain that causes Autism, ADD, ADHD and CFS and
the whole range in-between (including apraxia). Her son was
put on a ton of pills in order to help him (antivirals,
antibacterials, antifungals and others). Since coconut oil is
a known NATURAL antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal, I
figured it could not hurt to try it. So I immediately replaced
all our cooking oils with coconut oil. I also gave her a
supplement of coconut oil (1-2 teaspoons a day).
While I have no
scientific proof that coconut oil helped my daughter, within
days she was speaking more words. She was also trying harder
to communicate. She is now 2 1/2 and speaking 3-4 word
sentences! Her speech is still a little delayed (she has
difficulty forming the words - I believe she has always had
apraxia, but there has been no official diagnosis), and she is
sometimes a little difficult to understand (not able to
pronounce clearly). But she no longer grunts and points at
objects. She even tells me "I love you Mommy." I will
continue to give my daughter coconut oil because I truly feel
that it is helping her. And I am thankful that we did not
have to give her all those pills her cousin is on!
Paula Colorado Springs, CO
One reason why saturated fats
have a long history of use in traditional cultures is because
they are very stable fats that do not easily oxidize (turn
rancid). Virgin Coconut Oil, for example, will not go rancid
even at room temperatures in the tropics for a couple of
years. Conversely, the refined oils that many Americans use
are very unstable and turn rancid (oxidize) quickly. Oxidized
oils are very toxic to the body and they can cause wide spread
free-radical damage.
In addition to their shelf
stability, saturated fats have many important roles in the
body’s chemistry: For example:
-
Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of cell
membranes. They give our cells necessary firmness and
integrity.
-
They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For
example, at least 50 percent of our dietary fats need to be
saturated for calcium to be effectively incorporated into
the skeletal structure.14
- They
lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates
proneness to heart disease.15
-
They protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol and
certain drugs.16
- They
enhance the immune system.17
- They are
needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids.
Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the
tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats.18
-
Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid
are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat
around the heart muscle is highly saturated.19
The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
- Short-
and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important
antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful
microorganisms in the digestive tract.
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