Since my "manifesto", I have gotten many questions about fats and where I stand on what is best. It is a controversial subject, and saturated fats in general have long been deemed "off limits". However, I have been reading studies and articles on fats for a few years now, and I have come to the conclusion that some saturated fats are actually good for you, and in fact are actually important for your health. What is boils down to is I believe butter is preferable to margarine, and coconut oil is better than canola or vegetable oil. I think the health benefits outweigh the supposed risks. While you could say the jury is still out on these issues, everyone has to decide for themselves.
In the last few days I have re-attempted the study of these fats and have tried to take a step back and read both sides of the issue-- from raw, organic, vegan types on one end of the spectrum, to doctors, researchers, and FDA officials on the other. I kind of feel like I'm back in school doing a research paper or something... just be forewarned, this is not a quick read and may take some concentration!
If you would like to read more in depth on both sides of the issue, here are some good articles I found:
vs.
And now on to coconut oil. This is a topic I was uninformed about until I started following Green Smoothie Girl, a local health guru with a wonderful website and a plethora of information. I attended one of her classes and was convinced of the validity of her food lifestyle.
Her article Coconut Oil Health Benefits almost sounds too good to be true: she says it prevents heart disease, purifies blood, has been known to inhibit carcinogens in animals, and is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasite, and anti-viral! One of the points I find most compelling from her is that traditional vegetable oils (canola included) are processed, refined, rancid, and oxidized from being heated to high temperatures (which has been said to cause free radicals leading to cancer).... plus they are usually made from genetically modified (GM) organisms.... exactly all I am trying to avoid.
After reading her article, I followed her link to Mountain Rose Herbs and ordered a gallon of virgin, unrefined, raw, organic coconut oil. It has a high solid to liquid temperature (76 degrees), so often in the summer my oil is liquid and in the winter it is solid, and though it looks like a hydrogenated oil it is not. It has a yummy coconutty flavor and we use it in everything. I love it in granola, waffles, muffins, brownies, and all things baked, although if I don't want something to taste like coconut I sometimes substitute butter. I often use it to saute vegetables and don't notice the flavor at all.
To be fair, I found a few more "expert" opinions on the subject, and again you will have to decide for yourself!
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Green Smoothie Girl Coconut Oil Health Benefits
Dr. Mercola's Coconut Oil Benefits: When Fat is Good For You
I particularly find the subject of lauric acid interesting as a nursing mother. I had never heard of another source of this anti-microbial compound occurring in nature.
I completely agree with your last statement!
ReplyDeleteI also love butter but you won't catch me licking the knife! :o)
Your sweet Grandma, who lived into her late 80's along with Grandpa as you know, cooked with bacon grease quite often. She kept a container full on the stove to swab her frying pans before cooking. (Do you recall that Mom and I also used bacon grease sometimes when you were little). And Grandpa loved 'salt pork'. It's a very, very fatty cut of bacon and EXTREMELY high in sodium. But, as you know they loved all colors and varieties of veggies & fruits and ate them in great quantities and preached 'balance in all things'. Love, Dad
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