What does it take to bring back our creative writing juices??  How about some straight-up slander regarding one of our favorite topics of conversation… Coconut Oil!

First we'd like to say, fear not our fellow Coconut Aficionados, this wave of #FakeNews will blow over soon enough, just as it did many years ago. Yet, here we go again… It's fairly obvious that Coconut Oil has been disrupting the sales of multi-billion dollar industries, so the powers above have felt the need to once again attack and smear the reputation of one of the healthiest oils on earth.

Many of us have worked diligently over the years to help reverse the public perception of Coconut Oil, and have received many great testimonials while doing so. People from various communities have benefited from a myriad of positive benefits of Coconut Oil, ranging from the autism community to people in weight management.  Needless to say, we think it’s very irresponsible and out right reprehensible for a few individuals and organizations to go out of their way and try to create a negative disposition and connotation surrounding Coconut Oil.

Yet, these are the times we live in… A society filled with corporate greed and high-level puppets who will do and write anything for a dollar. With the internet connecting many of us and giving us the freedom and platform to discuss any topic of choice, there are many people who will disagree on very basic facts… Like whether the Earth is Round or Flat… SMH let us not get started with that idiocy, however everyone is entitled to their own opinion. 

Anyhow, the AHA (American Heart Association) starts off their article as so... “Replacing saturated fat with healthier fat in the diet lowers cardiovascular disease risk as much as cholesterol-lowering statin drugs…” Call me crazy, but this sure does sound like a plug for BIG PHARMA… In fact, many reputable doctors and organizations have documented the risks and links of Statins to Neuromuscular disease, Diabetes and Neurologic problems (Dr Mercola, Dr Mark Hyman, and MayoClinic).  

Here are the main reasons we consider this a Flawed Article:

1. The original article posted by the AHA is purely an “opinion” by a professor from Harvard who as I directly quote “reviewed existing data on saturated fat.” Therefore, he did not even conduct his own study. Here is a link to his bio, which clearly indicates all the actual research he has published, which none include Coconut Oil: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/frank-sacks/ 
   
   
2. The article says that “82% of the fat in Coconut Oil is saturated” in all actuality it’s nearly 92% saturated fat – see exhibit 1.
   
   
3. The author of the article says that traditional coconut oil only contains about 13 to 15% MCTs. In all actuality “real” cold pressed Coconut Oil contains nearly 62% Medium Chain Triglycerides. – see exhibit 1.
   
   
4. The article states that butter has gotten a bad rap, but the AHA posted an article a few months ago that recommended you “use soft margarine as a substitute for butter…” I think everyone knows that margarine is a synthetic product and in no means a healthy alternative! 
   
   
5. “You can put it on your body, but don’t put it in your body”… Has someone ever explained to this individual that what you put on your body may be absorbed into your cells? In fact, that’s why Coconut Oil may potentially help with an array of skin issues, just like it may help with various internal organ issues.
   
   
6. The author “advises people to reduce saturated fats by not cooking with butter, but with canola, or corn oil or soybean oil, or extra virgin olive oil…” We greatly appreciate EVOO, yet as recent studies have shown, most store bought olive oil is fake, merely a vegetable oil conglomerate. Additionally, the other vegetable oils mentioned are predominately Polyunsaturated fats. Per Dr. Bruce Fife “These polyunsaturated oils are so unstable, that their essentially forming free radicals while their sitting in the bottles at the store before you even open them up... In fact, this oxidation process starts in the factory when they first extract the oils from their source…”
   
   
7. Fried foods… In the article posted by the AHA, Dr Sacks says, “There’s nothing wrong with deep frying as long as you deep fry in a nice unsaturated vegetable oil…” Absolutely unsound nutritional advice and to be completely honest this should worry every person who reads this article, a Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention has just endorsed the consumption of Fried Foods, yikes!
   
   
8. In the article he says he doesn’t know why people think it (Coconut Oil) is so healthy, because it’s not by science… Hmmm was he not able to find all the peer reviewed research that has been published on Coconut Oil? Shouldn't he be familiar with PubMed? Or is he calling every hard-working researcher that has put endless amounts of time into their studies, not a real scientist? I’d like clarification on that please….

Here are a few peer reviewed scientific research reports which clearly indicate the beneficial aspects of Coconut Oil:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7270479
   1. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies - Aug 1981
      
      
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28405814
   • Effects of Coconut Oil consumption on energy metabolism, cardiometabolic risk markers, and appetitive responses in women with excess body fat. – Apr 2017
   • VCO consumption did not acutely change energy metabolism and cardiometabolic risk markers when added to a mixed breakfast but promoted less appetitive responses.
     
     
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28277823
   • The Impact of Virgin Coconut Oil and High-Oleic Safflower Oil on Body Composition, Lipids, and Inflammatory Markers in Postmenopausal Women.
   • Results are suggestive that individuals wishing to use Coconut Oil in their diets can do so safely, but more studies need to be conducted with larger sample sizes, diverse populations, and more specific clinical markers such as particle size.
     
     
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27679437
   • In silico and Wet lab Studies Reveal the Cholesterol Lowering Efficacy of Lauric Acid, a Medium Chain Fat of Coconut Oil. Dec 2016
     
     
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545671
   • A Coconut Extra Virgin Oil-Rich Diet increases HDL cholesterol and Decreases Waist circumference and Body Mass in Coronary Artery Disease patients.
   • It was observed that the nutritional treatment associated with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil consumption reduced the CC and increased HDL-C levels in patients with CAD.
     
     
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27632916
   • Medium-chain triglycerides promote macrophage revers cholesterol transport and improve atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice fed a high-fat diet. Sep 2016
   • These results suggest that MCTs could obviously promote macrophage RCT and improve atherosclerosis in ApoE(-/-) mice, indicating that MCTs have the potential to prevent cardiovascular disease.
     
     
7. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/91/3/535
   • Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. 2010
   • A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of Coronary heart disease or Cardiovascular disease.

After the presentation of all this research, we do want to clarify one thing, not all Coconut Oil is created equal.  Just as not all Olive Oil is created equal. Wilderness Family Naturals (Wildly Organic) go through great lengths to ensure the highest quality, completely unadulterated, raw organic Coconut Oil. It is a daunting task that requires a lot of physical labor and rigorous attention to details.  The final outcome is a testament to the hard work required to produce such a delicate, pure product.

We are extremely passionate about Coconut Oil because of the overall joy it brings to many facets of our own personal lives, but also what we’ve personally witnessed it do for thousands of people we’ve recommended it to.

Our final thoughts… Are the AHA and Dr Sacks Trolling all of us?  Hey, they say laughter is the best medicine for the soul… You decide for yourself :) Stay Pure my Friends!

Exhibit 1.

** Disclosure: While Luciana Godoi MS, RD, LDN is a Licensed Dietitian registered with the Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), this article is for informational purposes only and is not to be considered medical advice. If you are in need of medical advice, please seek the appropriate medical counsel.