Coconut Oil

[hvn_nbr_2]

Does anyone here use coconut oil?

I think it used to be used a lot in manufactured food but has fallen out of favor because it's a saturated fat and probably also because transfats are cheaper.

Well, now recently I've been hearing from the leading edge/far out there health nuts that it's a healthy fat even though it's saturated, that it's different from most saturated fats and doesn't cause clogged arteries like other saturated fats. It's starting to appear in health food stores (I think that's fairly new. I never noticed it there until recently.) for about $10 for a pint jar.

I haven't found a good explanation of why it doesn't clog arteries but it seems to have some other claimed health benefits too.

I've tried some and it has some interesting properties. Its melting point is 76 degrees so it can be either solid or liquid at normal room temperatures. When solid, it spreads easily. I haven't actually seen it liquid at room temperature because I bought it during the autumn. It has a very slight coconut taste, which I stopped noticing after 3 or 4 uses; I'm sure sensitive palates will notice it more and longer than I.

I've tried frying with it, and it browns things quite nicely, even in non-stick cookware, but it seems pretty expensive to use that way very much. It browns much better than the liquid vegetable oils I've used, but I don't fry much. I didn't notice any coconut taste in the end product, but YMMV. I suspect it would work well in baking, but I bake even less than I fry, except when I dust off the bread machine.

Some tests have indicated that it has a very long shelf life, that even after a full year at room temperature, it showed no signs of rancidity. So you don't need to refrigerate it.

So I'm wondering: Does anyone here use it? How do you use it? (Some of the aforementioned health nuts just gobble a tablespoon or two per day, which puts you over the recommended daily allowance for saturated fat before you eat anything else.) Does anyone know the explanation (or a source for a good explanation) of why this saturated fat wouldn't help clog arteries?

[Mr. McD]

1. I like to use it in bread

and for frying meat for curries. By it's self I find the flavor a bit strong. I usually use lard or butter for frying.

[babylonsister]

2. Benefits of coconut oil, from a DUer awhile back:

I'm not crazy about the flavor but saved this as it seemed like someone might heed the msg:


Worried about bird flu? Take coconut oil!
"Beneficial lauric acid in coconut

One possible reason that the saturated fat in coconut had no harmful effect on the islanders, Dr. Enig proposes, is the lauric acid. Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, found naturally in mother's milk. Lauric acid has the beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the body to destoy lipid-coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, and influenza."

http://www.templeofthai.com/cooking/coconut_and_cholest...

[Mr. McD]

3. Saturated fat doesn't clog arteries.

The fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated (74%) of which 41% are polyunsaturated. (Lancet 1994 344:1195)

[calico1]

6. I agree.

Coconut oil had gotten an undeserved bad rap. Also, the type mostly used here was chemically treated and hydrogenated. Not at all similar to the virgin coconut oil used by many people in the Pacific islands. The heart diseas rate there is very low, btw.

[The empressof all]

4. I use it occasionally in things like quick breads

It does have a long shelf life. I've had mine for almost a year and I'm still trying to use it up. I used it just the other day in some date nut bread and it was lovely.

It's also great to use as a massage oil or hair conditioner.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. It's a GREAT hair conditioner,

especially when you're out in the sun. A superb heat treatment.

Nice on cuticles, too.

[Warpy]

7. I sold health foods for years

and the only things we ever found it really good for were as lip balm and libricant for squeaky wheels.

The flavor was just too strong for cooking.