Coconut oil issue

Leo41 · 08-06-2008, 04:27 PM

A couple of months ago, I posted my problem with a sudden rise in my LDL cholesterol. I get checked regularly by my endocrinologist, and my LDL was steady for many months. Suddenly, in June, it went up by more than 40 points. The only change in my diet was that in the preceding months I had begun using coconut oil--and it was only a slight "addition" as I mainly replaced other fats (mainly olive oil) with coconut oil. I suspected the coconut oil was the problem, and that was the ONLY thing I changed in my diet--i.e., I stopped using it. This week, my primary doctor did blood work, and my LDL is back down those 40 points to the level I've experienced in the past.

I post this in case anyone else finds that they react similarly to coconut oil. It wasn't much of a hardship to stop using it, as I didn't experience any significant benefit that I was aware of from using it.

flourchild · 08-06-2008, 07:16 PM

I'm glad you were able to pinpoint the problem! Good health to you.

ItsNot2L8 · 08-06-2008, 07:19 PM

Can I ask what kind of coconut oil you were using?

Leo41 · 08-07-2008, 04:04 AM

I believe I was using the Nutiva brand (bought it from Netrition). I must add that I really liked it a lot, both for cooking and for the occasional "bark." If it doesn't affect your cholesterol, I'd highly recommend it.

Su11 · 08-07-2008, 04:13 AM

While I haven't seen my lab results yet, my blood pressure really responded well to a higher fat (including CO) diet. My oils/fats come from CO, olive oil (small amounts usually), and the fats in salmon, sardines, nuts, and non-hormone raised meats. I also take cod liver oil regularly. My pressures were spiking to 160 and higher, and now are around 110. I'll be interested to see what the doctor says about my cholesterol readings, but so far, so good.

Nursie_Stacie · 08-07-2008, 07:32 AM

This concerns me as I just started the Extra Virgin CO by Nutiva yesterday. My Cholesterol levels are already high. Now , I'm worried.

As much weight as I have lost you would think my numbers would be fine and they were for a while, but have slowly creeped back up. My physician wants to put me on 20mg Crestor.

I hate decisons!

DarleenMB · 08-07-2008, 08:05 AM

Cholesterol has absolutely NOTHING TO DO WITH HEART DISEASE.

When are people going to GET that?

If you haven't read Gary Taubes's Good Calories, Bad Calories, I'd highly recommend it.

And I seriously doubt the co had anything to do with the rise in your LDL's. It is a medium chain fatty acid which means the body doesn't have to work to break it down before it can use it. Mary Enig's Eat Fat Lose Fat has a wealth of info about fats in general and CO specifically. I'd recommend that one also.

And Nurse Stacie, I'd tell my doc to take a flying leap. Cholesterol lowering drugs do NOT prevent heart disease. They even say so on the ads now. All they do is lower your cholesterol. NOT a good thing for almost everyone.

Nursie_Stacie · 08-07-2008, 08:16 AM

Darleen, I have a good repore with my doc, and he knows I'm trying to do thinsg the natural way but he feels like at my age , the risk of the drug is minimal and it would actaully benefit me. He thinks it would reduce the chance of MI or stroke.

I'm doing my research. I'm a Nurse but a critical care pediatric nurse and I don't have a extensive knowledge base on both levels. Myths concerning cholesterol / verses physicians stating it can reduce chances of Mi/ stroke.

So much conflicting info , trying to sort through it all, and make the best choice. It's almost like I'm dammed if I do/ dammed if I don't.

I haven't read either of those books, but I think I will.

Tooter · 08-07-2008, 08:23 AM

The Weston A Price website has a lot of information on Cholesterol.

Here are a few. You can do a search on their website.

Cholesterol and Heart Disease--A Phony Issue, by Mary G. Enig, PhD

The Benefits of High Cholesterol

Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven’t Been Told About Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Medicines

Press Release: CHOLESTEROL DANGER A MYTH

I know this issue is very confusing. This is just some information on their site.

Good luck to everyone and with what you decide is the best thing for yourselves.

Leo41 · 08-07-2008, 08:51 AM

Just to be clear--I don't ascribe to the myths about cholesterol, and I have no problem arguing with my doctors should they recommend statins (as they've done in the past when my numbers were just fine, from my perspective). HOWEVER, a rapid rise in my LDL worried me as would ANY significant change in blood values. Although I can't say with certitude that it was due to my consumption of coconut oil, that was the ONLY thing that added to my diet during the months preceding that lipid test and the ONLY thing I deleted from my diet before the subsequent test.

As far as fats go, I use olive oil daily and I eat wild salmon at least 5 days a week. It's that, plus my LC woe that I credit with HDL that's currently 110 and has registered as high as 121. My cardiologist thought at first that my HDL was a "lab error" as he'd never seen one over 100. Again, I don't have a cholesterol problem, but I didn't think a sudden change like I experienced was a "good" thing. As far as coconut oil goes, I think I get enough good fat from my olive oil and salmon. I also eat only grass-fed beef, but I eat beef rather sparingly as I actually prefer fish.

08-06-2008, 04:27 PM	#1
Leo41 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 365 Gallery: Leo41	Coconut oil issue A couple of months ago, I posted my problem with a sudden rise in my LDL cholesterol. I get checked regularly by my endocrinologist, and my LDL was steady for many months. Suddenly, in June, it went up by more than 40 points. The only change in my diet was that in the preceding months I had begun using coconut oil--and it was only a slight "addition" as I mainly replaced other fats (mainly olive oil) with coconut oil. I suspected the coconut oil was the problem, and that was the ONLY thing I changed in my diet--i.e., I stopped using it. This week, my primary doctor did blood work, and my LDL is back down those 40 points to the level I've experienced in the past. I post this in case anyone else finds that they react similarly to coconut oil. It wasn't much of a hardship to stop using it, as I didn't experience any significant benefit that I was aware of from using it.

08-07-2008, 08:05 AM	#7
DarleenMB Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 255 Gallery: DarleenMB Stats: 182.4/200/165, 61yo, 5' 9.5' WOE: Low carb, good fat, 1200-1500 calories Start Date: March 2008	Cholesterol has absolutely NOTHING TO DO WITH HEART DISEASE. When are people going to GET that? If you haven't read Gary Taubes's Good Calories, Bad Calories, I'd highly recommend it. And I seriously doubt the co had anything to do with the rise in your LDL's. It is a medium chain fatty acid which means the body doesn't have to work to break it down before it can use it. Mary Enig's Eat Fat Lose Fat has a wealth of info about fats in general and CO specifically. I'd recommend that one also. And Nurse Stacie, I'd tell my doc to take a flying leap. Cholesterol lowering drugs do NOT prevent heart disease. They even say so on the ads now. All they do is lower your cholesterol. NOT a good thing for almost everyone. __________________ Darleen My website required reading: Paul Campos's THE DIET MYTH BMI/body-weight tables are how the diet industry stays fat while convincing the rest of us we ought to be thin.

08-07-2008, 08:16 AM	#8
Nursie_Stacie MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: May 2006 Location: florida Posts: 1,156 Gallery: Nursie_Stacie Stats: 224/155/140 WOE: Atkins Tweeked 5'7 36 yrs old Start Date: 8/3/07 reinducted for 3rd and last time.	Darleen, I have a good repore with my doc, and he knows I'm trying to do thinsg the natural way but he feels like at my age , the risk of the drug is minimal and it would actaully benefit me. He thinks it would reduce the chance of MI or stroke. I'm doing my research. I'm a Nurse but a critical care pediatric nurse and I don't have a extensive knowledge base on both levels. Myths concerning cholesterol / verses physicians stating it can reduce chances of Mi/ stroke. So much conflicting info , trying to sort through it all, and make the best choice. It's almost like I'm dammed if I do/ dammed if I don't. I haven't read either of those books, but I think I will. __________________ *Life isnt like a box of chocolates..its more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow !!" Before/ After pics http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/photop...111418/cat/500 http://www.myspace.com/StacieandBilly

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08-06-2008, 07:16 PM	#2
flourchild MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Near Haight & Ashbury Posts: 1,234 Gallery: flourchild Stats: Soy un perdedor...baby WOE: Atkins' OWL Start Date: '05	I'm glad you were able to pinpoint the problem! Good health to you.

08-06-2008, 07:19 PM	#3
ItsNot2L8 MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,835 Gallery: ItsNot2L8 WOE: Atkins OWL	Can I ask what kind of coconut oil you were using?

08-07-2008, 04:04 AM	#4
Leo41 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 365 Gallery: Leo41	I believe I was using the Nutiva brand (bought it from Netrition). I must add that I really liked it a lot, both for cooking and for the occasional "bark." If it doesn't affect your cholesterol, I'd highly recommend it.

08-07-2008, 04:13 AM	#5
Su11 Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Outside Perimeter Atlanta Georgia Posts: 9,075 Gallery: Su11 Stats: Total loss- 50 (since Sept 05) WOE: General lower carb	While I haven't seen my lab results yet, my blood pressure really responded well to a higher fat (including CO) diet. My oils/fats come from CO, olive oil (small amounts usually), and the fats in salmon, sardines, nuts, and non-hormone raised meats. I also take cod liver oil regularly. My pressures were spiking to 160 and higher, and now are around 110. I'll be interested to see what the doctor says about my cholesterol readings, but so far, so good.

08-07-2008, 07:32 AM	#6
Nursie_Stacie MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: May 2006 Location: florida Posts: 1,156 Gallery: Nursie_Stacie Stats: 224/155/140 WOE: Atkins Tweeked 5'7 36 yrs old Start Date: 8/3/07 reinducted for 3rd and last time.	This concerns me as I just started the Extra Virgin CO by Nutiva yesterday. My Cholesterol levels are already high. Now , I'm worried. As much weight as I have lost you would think my numbers would be fine and they were for a while, but have slowly creeped back up. My physician wants to put me on 20mg Crestor. I hate decisons!

08-07-2008, 08:23 AM	#9
Tooter Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 9,722 Gallery: Tooter Stats: 5' 6" and 128 lbs	The Weston A Price website has a lot of information on Cholesterol. Here are a few. You can do a search on their website. Cholesterol and Heart Disease--A Phony Issue, by Mary G. Enig, PhD The Benefits of High Cholesterol Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven’t Been Told About Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Medicines Press Release: CHOLESTEROL DANGER A MYTH I know this issue is very confusing. This is just some information on their site. Good luck to everyone and with what you decide is the best thing for yourselves.

08-07-2008, 08:51 AM	#10
Leo41 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 365 Gallery: Leo41	Just to be clear--I don't ascribe to the myths about cholesterol, and I have no problem arguing with my doctors should they recommend statins (as they've done in the past when my numbers were just fine, from my perspective). HOWEVER, a rapid rise in my LDL worried me as would ANY significant change in blood values. Although I can't say with certitude that it was due to my consumption of coconut oil, that was the ONLY thing that added to my diet during the months preceding that lipid test and the ONLY thing I deleted from my diet before the subsequent test. As far as fats go, I use olive oil daily and I eat wild salmon at least 5 days a week. It's that, plus my LC woe that I credit with HDL that's currently 110 and has registered as high as 121. My cardiologist thought at first that my HDL was a "lab error" as he'd never seen one over 100. Again, I don't have a cholesterol problem, but I didn't think a sudden change like I experienced was a "good" thing. As far as coconut oil goes, I think I get enough good fat from my olive oil and salmon. I also eat only grass-fed beef, but I eat beef rather sparingly as I actually prefer fish.