I believe the hullabalu about trans-fat is cover-up for the really bad things about Omega 6 fatty acids, those from Soybean Oil, Corn Oil, Canola Oil – the bulk of the veggie oils.
If you want to use a polyunsaturated oil as a food, it is worthwhile to remember what its effects are: it suppresses metabolism and promotes obesity, is immunosuppressive; causes inflammation and shock; is required for alcoholic liver cirrhosis; sensitizes to radiation damage; accelerates formation of aging pigment, cataracts, retinal degeneration; promotes free radical damage and excitoxicity; causes cancer and accelerates its growth; is toxic to the heart muscle and promotes atherosclerosis; can cause brain edema, diabetes, excessive vascular permeability, precocious puberty, progesterone deficiency, skin wrinkling and other signs of aging.
Cancer can’t occur unless there are unsaturated oils in the diet. (C. lp, et al., Cancer Res. 45, 1985.) Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver cannot occur unless there are unsaturated oils in the diet. (Nanji and French, Life Sciences. 44, 1989.) Heart disease can be produced by unsaturated oils, and prevented by adding saturated oils to the diet. (J.K.G. Kramer, et al., Lipids 17, 372, 1983.)
During the "no-fat" craze of the past decades, all saturated fats were marked as bad, as something to be avoided. Knowledge was already in place to the contrary, but as often happens, perceptions -- pushed by industries like the corn oil companies who profited immensely from doing so -- overshadowed science. And coconut oil, far more nutritious and beneficial than corn, peanut, soy, safflower and the other oils out there, nonetheless got tossed into the "no saturated fat" overgeneralizations and lunacy.
What you didn’t hear is that some saturated fats A) are necessary to human health; B) are not the primary cause of weight gain (grains & sugars are) C) come in three classes, of which the medium-chain can actually help you lose weight and increase metabolism.
Coconut oil’s saturated fat is of the medium-chain fatty acid variety. These fats are digested more easily and utilized differently by the body than other fats. In short, whereas other fats are stored in the body’s cells, the fats in coconut oil are sent directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. So when you eat coconut oil, the body uses it immediately to make energy rather than store it as body fat. Because this quick and easy absorption puts less strain on the pancreas, liver and digestive system, coconut oil "heats up" the metabolic system and is outstanding for those with thyroid problems.
Since coconut oil will actually speed up metabolism, your body will burn more calories in a day -- this will contribute to weight loss, and you’ll have more energy. Meanwhile, studies have shown the opposite for unsaturated fats: they cause hypothyroidism and lower metabolic rate.
Perhaps even more important, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, a proven antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent that is very beneficial in attacking viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, and that builds the body’s immune system.
The lauric acid in coconut oil is used by the body to make the same disease-fighting, fatty acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid they get from their mother’s milk. Mary Enig, an internationally respected expert on fats and lipid biochemistry, and author of the ‘fat information bible" “Know Your Fats”, provides excellent detail on the ability of coconut oil to prevent illness and disease in her article, "A New Look at Coconut Oil."
For those with diabetes, it’s almost a sin that coconut oil has been kept hidden from them. Not only does it not contribute to diabetes, but it also helps regulate blood sugar, thus lessening the effects of the disease.
Coconut oil also raises metabolic rate causing the body to burn up more calories and thus promoting weight loss. A faster metabolic rate stimulates increased production of needed insulin and increases absorption of glucose into cells, thus helping both Type I and Type II diabetics.
For those with Crohn’s and IBS, the anti-inflammatory and healing effects of coconut oil have been shown to play a role in soothing inflammation and healing injury in the digestive tract. Interestingly, researchers have demonstrated the benefits of coconut oil on patients with digestive problems, including, Crohn's disease, at least since the 1980s. Its antimicrobial properties also promote intestinal health by killing troublesome microorganisms that may cause chronic inflammation.
Finally, for those with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, coconut oil may provide a vital solution. The fatty acids in coconut oil can kill herpes and Epstein-Barr viruses, which are believed to be major causes. They kill Candida and giardia. They kill a variety of other infectious organisms, any of which could cause chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. The key to overcoming these disorders is strengthening the immune system. Coconut oil supports the immune system by ridding the body of harmful microorganisms, thus relieving stress on the body. With fewer harmful organisms taxing the body's energy, the immune system can function better.
I don't mind a little olive oil, but that's only every now and then.
WAPF ping, particularly to post 13. H/T GGpaX4DumpedTea.
Ping me back in-thread (so I can find it via a websearch every 6 months when these articles come up) if you wish to be added to this very low volume, very haphazard, unadministered "ping list".
I quite agree with all you said. My dad used butter and he lived to be 97. In fact most of my relatives of that generation lived longer and healthier lives than their children are. We have only 2 families with a Breast cancer gene. It came from the rare Male line. 2 Sisters married 2 brothers, the gene is hit and miss as all the females have been tested from daughters to grands and working into the great grands.
I have Gastroparesis, slow motility, it takes up to 4 hrs to digest the same meal a normal person would take a hour to do. There are lots of foods I can’t eat. I find I can digest Butter better than I can margarine. Olive oil, coconut oil and grape seed oil with a little butter for flavor, is what I use when I need to use an oil.
Having Hypothyroidism SOY is not on my food list in any form.
Sea food allergic so even fish oil pills are out.