coconut oil
 

Has anyone tried coconut oil for weight loss? It's supposed to stimulate your thyroid and be good for you overall... People in the Philippines supposedly eat it and aren't overweight (of course they probably aren't eating pizza and donuts either), but this is coming from the sites that sell the stuff. Anyone try it? Seems like it might be a double edged sword, the excess calories can make you gain weight or the stuff can help you lose weight. I also wouldn't want to waste calories on it if it doesn't work (rather eat real food).

i use it in place of other fats... but I don't ADD it into my diet. I use it on toast instead of butter, and to keep omlettes from sticking. it tastes delicious!

I've used coconut oil in some recipes but as for weight loss properties, I'm dubious.

There are many nations that use coconut oil and eat coconuts but are fat. There is no basis to look at one culture and one item and say 'that is why they aren't fat!'. If you look at nations that have low obesity rates, they eat lots of vegetables, some fruits, limited meat, grains and no processed products. They also tend to get in a lot of natural exercise from walking to biking rather than driving

coconut oil is an amazing oil. I cook with it and take it as a medicine for a sore throat, mix it with my body lotion, put it in my bath water. It's antibacterial and antiviral and helps you body metabolize fat. My 2 main cooking oils are coconut and grapeseed oil

I wouldn't add more calories to your diet :) From my understanding eating less food than you burn is the only way to lose weight.

I tried cooking with coconut oil, instead of olive oil at the recommendation of a friend. It wasn't bad, but all I could think about was suntan lotion while cooking!

I use it in place of butter. I don't think it's increasing my weight loss. I also use it for my hair in skin. It's a superoil!

Ditto! We use it for just about everything here. I love the stuff! The only time I really eat it is when I bake something (rare these days) and replace the fat with it. It also tastes amazing in stir fry. My kids eat a lot of it in place of fat in their diet. My oldest is dairy sensitive and he LOVES it on his toast.

IMO, coconut oil has many healthful properties and is NOT the same kind of saturated fat that is derived from animals (some people worry about that); however, it doesn't, in my experience with it, aid in weight loss.

It's a little strong for me in flavor, but I think it's a great oil for some uses and it does have many unique benefits for the human body, in my opinion.

i was going to ask this same question!!

a woman at my work it using it for weight loss, and she said it just made her run to the toilet 5 times in a row, so i thought the weight loss was just from the excessive toilet time haha!

it sounds pretty good to substitue it for other oils tho?

I've looked into this quite a bit and all of the major medical sources say the cons outweigh the pros and not to buy into the claims that are largely put out there by the coconut oil industry, not the medical profession. It isn't just the likes of the American Medical Association that warn against it. Dr. Weil, well known for promoting natural health care, also says to avoid it.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA316479

It's a fantastic soap ingredient, though, and helps soap to lather and also makes our skin soft :)

Honestly,

I'd take anything published by the Weston Price foundation with a grain of salt. There is a pretty good article on quack watch about the history.
http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...isticdent.html

Not to say it wouldn't be a start of research but I wouldn't use it as my main reference in researching something. Overall, they promote a lot of dubious health claims.

(I personally have nothing against coconut oil and do use it sparingly)

I agree, nelie, I've heard the Weston Price foundation has a bad reputation. Apparently they are known for misquoting peer reviewed studies to make it look like they back up their claims when they really don't, and for publishing skewed reports. That particular article was based on a lecture given by the coconut oil industry which might be a bit biased. They refer to resources from the 1920s through the 50s. I tend to lean towards more current research, published by sources that don't have tainted reputations.

Unfortunately, the internet encourages sites like that, which makes it difficult to tell the difference between what is accurate and what is quackery :(

I think the Weston Price foundation is to be listened to. However, I actually tried the oil and it didn't work for me. Why? I don't know. However, I believe it was the extra calories I was taking in to consume it. Which I never quite worked out. I couldn't get enough with my 1/2 bagel (which I put it on) so I was having a whole bagel and then who knows how much I smeared on it. It melted so fast you would put it on and then you couldn't see any... so I might put more when the bagel is saturated.

I am considering trying it again this time in my whey protein shake. That way dosing can be more accurate and calorie count won't be such an issue.