Dispelling The Mainstream Narrative
(Best Folk Medicine) At Best Folk Medicine, we have written numerous times about coconut oil and all of its amazing benefits and we do not intend on stopping any time sooner- coconut oil is definitely one of the most versatile and healing ingredients in the world and deserves all of the attention it gets, right?
The post Remove Blemishes & Wrinkles by Washing Your Face with Coconut Oil appeared on Stillness in the Storm.
(Best Folk Medicine) Nowadays, DEET is considered the best way to repel insects and it is praised by many for its effectiveness; but, it also has major side effects.
The post Coconut Oil: Better than DEET in Repelling Insects, a New Research Shows appeared on Stillness in the Storm.
(Paul Fassa) A new study published in the journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition on August 31, 2018, with the title Beneficial Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil on Alloxan-Induced Diabetes and Microbiota Composition in Rats adds further proof that virgin coconut oil is a powerfulremedy for diabetes.
The post Study: Virgin Coconut Oil Improves the Microbiome and Fights Diabetes appeared on Stillness in the Storm.
(Ralph Flores) Phthalates are an interesting substance. They are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. They are found in literally everything: household cleaners to food packaging to fragrance, cosmetics and personal-care products all contain phthalates.
The post Exposure to Phthalates in Personal Care Products May Increase Risk of Miscarriage, Gestational Diabetes appeared on Stillness in the Storm.
(Tracey Watson) When it comes to the question of what’s healthy and what isn’t, the medical community seems completely unable to make up its collective mind. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to the issue of healthy fats. A hundred years ago, people happily spread their sandwiches with delicious, farm-fresh butter.
The post Harvard Quack Spreads Fear about Coconut Oil, Claims It’s “Pure Poison” And Recommends Eating LARD Instead appeared on Stillness in the Storm.
(Sayer Ji) What you put on your skin goes directly into your body. Indeed, human autopsy studies have shown that mineral oil widely permeates our internal organs; major moisturizer brands have been found to cause tumor formation in treated animals. All the more reason why we need healthy “food cosmetics” as alternatives to petroleum-derived body care products.
The post Let Food Be Your Cosmetic: Coconut Oil Outperforms Dangerous Petroleum Body Care Products appeared on Stillness in the Storm.
If you read the mainstream health news for whatever reason, by now you would have seen the USA Today article advising Americans to stop using coconut oil and replace it with omega-6 rich vegetable oils. Of course, for this article to be true, it must be assumed that saturated fat is the enemy and inflammation isn’t the key driver of health problems such as cardiovascular disease. But as this is not the 1980’s anymore, we can’t assume this to be true.
High consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and a low intake of omega-3 fats can contribute to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Cooking with so-called “heart healthy” vegetable oils such as canola or safflower oil causes a disproportion in your omega-6:3 ratio. While we need both omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, their ratio should be, according to different sources, anywhere from 5:1 to 1:1.
These fatty acids are used to make a type of signaling molecule known as eicosanoids. Omega-6 fats are converted to pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes, (which are used in immune responses) by the enzymes cyclo-oxygenase and lipo-oxygenase. These enzymes also convert omega-3 fats to anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
Why am I telling you this technical information? Many common painkillers work by suppressing cyclo-oxygenase, even though it isn’t always the real enemy. Too many pro-inflammatory fats is often the real enemy.
Research has even found that supplementation with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, can prolong remission and reduce symptoms of some autoimmune diseases. It can also improve nerve cell communication and inhibit neuroinflammation.
However, the USA Today article ignores all of this, instead focusing on the possibility that it could raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
But the most recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee removed cholesterol as a cause for concern, stating that there is “no appreciable relationship between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol or clinical cardiovascular events in general populations.” Many studies have found that low cholesterol may in fact be associated with a higher risk of dementia, suicide, homicide, accidental death, and depression!
Coconut oil is not only safe, it could also offer numerous health benefits! In a small study of 20 people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which coconut oil is rich in, resulted in improved cognitive performance. Higher levels of ketones were associated with better performance in paragraph recall with MCT use relative to placebo.
Further showing the health benefits of coconut oil, in another study, taking coconut oil helped individuals to achieve reductions in weight, BMI, waist and neck circumference, and diastolic blood pressure. Coconut oil also gave them higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol. All patients had coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, and most of them were “elderly,” with an average age of 62.
Looking at newer and more nuanced evidence, there is no reason to throw out your coconut oil! Vegetable oils belong in the bin.
