'Coconut oil healthiest oil on earth' By Vasantha Arora, Indo-Asian News Service
Washington, Aug 13 (IANS) Coconut oil, which is generally believed to be bad for the heart and full of cholesterol, is now being feted by an American doctor as the "the healthiest oil on earth". Cholesterol fears have mostly put coconut oil on the backburner of Indian cooking. But naturopathic doctor Bruce Fife has emerged a strong advocate to propagate the use of coconut oil and coconuts. He says: "Coconut oil is the healthiest oil on earth." Fife also adds that it does not contain cholesterol. Based on his research and study, Fife says that if used daily for cooking purposes coconut oil could help protect users from heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative conditions, improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, and even help you lose excess weight. Fife, who discovered the benefits of coconut oil during his stay in the Philippines, has started a Web site devoted entirely to its positive effects. Fife has also authored a book, "The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil". Modern research seems to back up the claims. Once wrongly accused of increasing cholesterol levels, coconut oil is now being used by doctors in the treatment of a variety of disorders, Fife says. Clinical studies have shown coconut oil has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties, and it is now being used to treat AIDS. Studies in the Philippines last year showed coconut oil reduces the viral load in AIDS patients. Lauric acid, a key component to health, is a medium chain fatty acid, which is abundant in coconut oil, and considered responsible for many of its health benefits. Coconut oil is about 50 percent lauric acid. The only other abundant source found in nature is in human breast milk, Fife says in his book. Mary Enig, a Ph.D. nutritionist/biochemist and one of the world's leading authorities on fats and oils, says: "Approximately 50 percent of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. "Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, and influenza. Some studies have also shown some anti microbial effects of the free lauric acid." So why has coconut oil gotten such a bad rap in the recent past? The answer is politics and economics, Fife says. Coconut oil was heavily used in the U.S. at one time, for baking, pastries, frying, and theatre popcorn. Starting in the 1980s, according to Fife, some very powerful groups in the U.S., including the American Soybean Association (ASA), the Corn Products Company (CPC International) and the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), began to categorically condemn all saturated oils. Faulty science was used to convince people all saturated fats were unhealthy, when saturated fats rich in the medium chain fatty acids, like lauric acid, are very healthy. These organisations were aided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many of whose key personnel are recruited from and return to the vegetable oil industry, according to Fife. The result was that most people switched to vegetable oils, and the main source of lauric acid from tropical oils in the American diet was lost. The countries that these tropical oils came from, mainly the Philippines and Malaysia, were too poor to counter these untrue claims with advertising investments for the truth. It is only recently that the health benefits of these tropical oils are starting to become rediscovered, Fife contends. The oil supports immune system function, helps prevent osteoporosis, helps control diabetes, provides an immediate source of energy and has fewer calories than other fats. Above all this Fife argues that regular use of coconut oil on the skin prevents premature aging and wrinkling. Coconut oil is also wonderful to use as a hair conditioner. People from India and the Philippines who are familiar with coconut swear by it. It softens the hair and conditions the scalp. Using the coconut oil as a pre-wash conditioner can rid a person of dandruff better than a medicated shampoo, says Fife, who markets specially extracted virgin coconut oil on the Web. --Indo-Asian News Service =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
