No, Coconut Oil is NOT Unhealthy

If you read the mainstream health news for whatever reason, by now you would have seen the USA Today article advising Americans to stop using coconut oil and replace it with omega-6 rich vegetable oils. Of course, for this article to be true, it must be assumed that saturated fat is the enemy and inflammation isn’t the key driver of health problems such as cardiovascular disease. But as this is not the 1980’s anymore, we can’t assume this to be true.

High consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and a low intake of omega-3 fats can contribute to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Cooking with so-called “heart healthy” vegetable oils such as canola or safflower oil causes a disproportion in your omega-6:3 ratio. While we need both omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, their ratio should be, according to different sources, anywhere from 5:1 to 1:1.

But Most of us Consume too much Omega-6 and too Little Omega-3

These fatty acids are used to make a type of signaling molecule known as eicosanoids. Omega-6 fats are converted to pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes, (which are used in immune responses) by the enzymes cyclo-oxygenase and lipo-oxygenase. These enzymes also convert omega-3 fats to anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

Why am I telling you this technical information? Many common painkillers work by suppressing cyclo-oxygenase, even though it isn’t always the real enemy. Too many pro-inflammatory fats is often the real enemy.

Research has even found that supplementation with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, can prolong remission and reduce symptoms of some autoimmune diseases. It can also improve nerve cell communication and inhibit neuroinflammation.

However, the USA Today article ignores all of this, instead focusing on the possibility that it could raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

But the most recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee removed cholesterol as a cause for concern, stating that there is “no appreciable relationship between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol or clinical cardiovascular events in general populations.” Many studies have found that low cholesterol may in fact be associated with a higher risk of dementia, suicide, homicide, accidental death, and depression!

Coconut Oil is Healthful

Coconut oil is not only safe, it could also offer numerous health benefits! In a small study of 20 people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which coconut oil is rich in, resulted in improved cognitive performance. Higher levels of ketones were associated with better performance in paragraph recall with MCT use relative to placebo.

Further showing the health benefits of coconut oil, in another study, taking coconut oil helped individuals to achieve reductions in weight, BMI, waist and neck circumference, and diastolic blood pressure. Coconut oil also gave them higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol. All patients had coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, and most of them were “elderly,” with an average age of 62.

Looking at newer and more nuanced evidence, there is no reason to throw out your coconut oil! Vegetable oils belong in the bin.

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5 Fatal Foods Americans Eat Every Single Day (Are YOU Eating No. 3?)

Image source: Max Pixel

Many people falsely believe they are eating a healthy diet. How can you blame them when we’re constantly bombarded with such misleading labels as “sugar-free,” “organic” and even “all-natural”?

It’s time to take a stand against false advertising and unhealthy foods — and learn what is truly healthy and what is not.

To help you, we have compiled a list of the most commonly misconceived healthy foods that are actually fatal to your health.

Let’s examine foods you should never eat.

1. Foods with artificial sweeteners

The term “sugar-free” is one of the most misleading terms in the food industry. Yes, it’s a good thing to lower your sugar intake, but not when you are ingesting artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin and aspartame.

In fact, recent studies have found that saccharin and aspartame cause greater weight gain than sugar by stimulating your appetite and increasing your cravings for carbs.

Aspartame is the worst. It hides behind names such as Equal and NutraSweet. Aspartame accounts for 75 percent of adverse food reactions that are reported each year to the FDA, according to Mercola. Some of these responses include seizures, joint pain, rashes, insomnia, irritability, anxiety attacks and headaches.

2. Farm-raised fish

Farmed-raised fish, such as tilapia and Atlantic salmon, are advertised as being healthier than wild caught fish but, in fact, are worse because of environmental pollutants.

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Researchers found that dioxin levels in farmed-raised salmon to be 11 times higher than in wild salmon. Dioxins are highly toxic compounds that can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.

Persistent organic pollutants, or POP, also are found in farmed-raised fish. Persistent organic pollutants are toxic chemicals that negatively affect human health and the environment.

3. Microwave popcorn

Microwave popcorn is passed off as healthy – but is far from it. This is because to keep the bag “microwavable,” and to prevent the grease from seeping through, it is lined with perfluorochemicals, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), both which are linked to cancer, infertility, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol and immune system problems. As the bag heats up, these chemicals leach into the popcorn.

The second problem with microwave popcorn is diacetyl, which is a fake butter flavoring compound and is linked to lung disease when inhaled in large amounts.

The healthy solution to enjoying popped corn is making it the old-fashioned way and popping it on the stove (or using an air popper). Coconut oil is a good choice for popping stovestop popcorn.

4. BPA: food out of plastic bottles and containers

Canned fruits and veggies are considered to be healthy, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Many leading brands of canned foods and food or water packaged in plastic containers contain BPA.

BPA, or bisphenol A, is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are used to manufacture some plastic water bottles, and epoxy resins are used to coat the inside of metal products, such as food cans and bottle tops.

Research has shown that BPA can seep into beverages and food from containers that are manufactured with BPA. Contact with BPA is a hazard because it’s a toxic chemical and can cause high blood pressure, reproductive abnormalities, a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, neurological problems, heart disease, diabetes and other severe health problems. Plus, it can affect the prostate glands of fetuses, infants and children.

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To reduce your exposure to BPA, do the following:

• Buy only BPA-free products. Look for BPA-free labeling.


• Reduce your use of canned foods, since many containers are lined with BPA. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies, instead.


• Avoid heating and dishwashing polycarbonate plastics, because plastic breaks down over time and allows BPA to leach into food.


• Use glass, stainless steel or ceramic containers instead of plastic to store food and to heat food.


• Buy food in glass jars as opposed to canned food or plastic containers.

5. Vegetable oils and margarine

Vegetable oils and margarine are top causes of inflammation and – contrary to what we’ve been told – are not healthy. Most vegetable oils go through the process of refining, bleaching and degumming, which involves high temperatures and chemicals of questionable safety.

This combination has been linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, liver problems, skin reactions, digestive disorders and an impaired immune system.

In fact, canola oil is one of the worst oils to ingest because it must deodorized, which causes normally healthy fatty acids to turn into trans-fat. The amount of trans fat contained in this oil is actually unknown and varies by batch. According to Guy Crosby, associate professor of nutrition at Harvard, all vegetable oils contain trans fat.

“This process produces the bland taste that consumers want” he wrote.

What would you add to our list? How do you avoid fatal foods? Share your health tips in the section below: