Coconut milk is often a staple fat source for those following a Paleo diet. From a nutritional perspective, it’s an excellent choice. It’s high in saturated fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are both easily burned as fuel by the body. MCTs are particularly beneficial in that they don’t require bile acids for digestion, and they’re directly shunted to the liver via the portal vein.
Coconut milk and fruit can be a great snack for Paleo folks, and coconut milk smoothies make a great Paleo breakfast choice – especially in the summer.
So what could be wrong with coconut milk? Here are three things to consider.
Bisphenol-A
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical that has been used in consumer goods since the 50s. It’s found in reusable drink containers, DVDs, cell phones, eyeglass lenses, automobile parts and sports equipment. While the research on BPA is still mixed (some studies indicating harm and others not), given the uncertainty I think it makes sense to avoid it whenever possible.
So what’s the solution here? In short, if you want to be on the safe side and reduce your exposure to BPA, you have to reduce your consumption of canned foods (including coconut milk) as much as possible. I made this recommendation in 9 Steps for Perfect Health-#3: Eat Real Food. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that families who ate fresh food for three days with no canned food, and using only glass storage containers, experienced a 60% reduction of BPA in their urine. The reductions were even higher (75%) for those with the highest BPA levels at the beginning of the study.
The good news, however, is that there are brands of coconut milk with BPA-free cans or carton packaging. One is Native Forest, which you can purchase on Amazon if it’s not available at your local store.
Coconut milk can also be made quite easily at home, with coconut flakes, a blender and cheesecloth. Here’s a video to show you how (get a load of the soundtrack). I find that blanching the coconut flakes prior to blending improves the results.
Guar gum
It’s primarily the endosperm of guar beans.
Beans and legumes have a variety of compounds in them that make them difficult to digest, especially for people with digestive problems (1 in 3 Americans, from the latest statistics). In my clinical experience, many patients with gut issues improve when they remove guar gum from their diet—including canned coconut milk.
There’s no evidence that guar gum may cause serious harm. So, if you’re able to tolerate guar gum, there’s no reason to avoid it. If it does give you digestive trouble, look for a brand that’s free from guar gum. The other option, of course, is making coconut milk at home.
Fructose malabsorption
Fructose malabsorption (FM) is a digestive disorder characterized by impaired transport of fructose across the small intestine. This results in increased levels of undigested fructose in the gut, which in turn causes overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. Undigested fructose also reduces the absorption of water into the intestine.
Symptoms produced include bloating, gas, pain, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue (to name a few). Recent research has also tied fructose malabsorption to depression.
Lest you think this isn’t a common problem, studies have shown that up to 30% of people in Western countries suffer from fructose malabsorption.
Even in healthy people without fructose malabsorption, however, only about 20-25g of fructose can be properly absorbed at one sitting. Glucose assists in transport of fructose across the intestine, so in general foods with equal amounts of glucose and fructose will be better absorbed than foods with excess amounts of fructose (in relation to glucose).
While fructose malabsorption can cause symptoms in anyone, those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are particularly affected. While the prevalence of FM is the same in healthy populations and those with IBS & IBD, the experience of FM appears to be more intense in the latter group. This is probably due to the increased visceral sensitivity common in IBS and IBD patients.
In fact, one of the most promising clinical approaches to managing IBS & IBD right now is the low-FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides And Polyols. These include:
- fructose (fruits, honey, HFCS)
- fructans (wheat, onions)
- lactose (milk sugar)
- polyols (sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol & mannitol, along with fruits like apples, pears and plums)
- galactooligosaccharides (legumes & beans, brussel sprouts, onions)
- other sweeteners like polydextrose and isomalt
Studies have found that restricting FODMAPs can significantly improve the symptoms associated with IBS, IBD and fructose malabsorption.
What does this have to do with coconut milk, you ask? According to Drs. Gibson & Barrett, experts in fructose malabsorption, coconut milk is a FODMAP and should be avoided by people with digestive conditions like IBS & IBD.
According to NutritionData.com, coconut milk has very little sugar of any kind – including fructose. Nevertheless, I do have patients that cannot even tolerate homemade coconut milk (which has no guar gum in it), even though they are fine with coconut oil. I assume that they are reacting to the fructose in the coconut milk – but I can’t be sure. According to Monash University, small quantities (up to 1/3 of a cup or 80g) of coconut milk may be tolerable for those who are sensitive to FODMAPs.
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Recommendations
Let’s bring this together into recommendations for three different groups of people:
- Women who are trying to get pregnant, pregnant or breastfeeding, children and other vulnerable populations (chronically ill): should avoid canned coconut milk products except for those that are BPA-free, like Native Forest and Arroy-D. Note: Native Forest is organic, but Arroy-D is not.
- People with digestive problems (IBS, IBD, GERD, etc.): may want to avoid coconut products entirely, except for coconut oil
- Healthy people: may be fine with canned coconut milk, provided they don’t react to the guar gum, and provided they’re willing to take the side of industry scientists that claim BPA doesn’t cause harm in humans
Want organic coconut milk – but without the BPA and guar gum?
There are available options to buy organic, guar-gum-free coconut milk in a BPA-free container. Or, with a little extra effort, you can easily make this at home yourself.
- Purchase coconut cream (Let’s Do Organic and Artisana are good choices) and blend with water to make coconut milk.
- Purchase shredded coconut (again, Let’s Do Organic is a good choice), and follow the instructions below for making homemade coconut milk.
Homemade coconut milk instructions
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1.5 – 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Heat water until hot (but not boiling).
- Add shredded coconut and water to blender (preferably a Vitamix!) If all of the water won’t fit, you can add it in two batches.
- Blend on high for several minutes until thick and creamy.
- Pour through a colander to filter out the coconut pulp, then squeeze through a cheese cloth or nut milk bag to filter the smaller pieces of coconut.
- If you separated the water into two batches, put the strained coconut back into the blender with the second batch of water.
- Drink immediately or store in the fridge. Fresh coconut milk should be used within 3-4 days of making it for the best flavor and texture.
) If all of the water won’t fit, you can add it in two batches.
to filter the smaller pieces of coconut.
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The canned coconut milk I buy is from our local co-op grocery store. It’s organic, BPA free, and the only ingredients are coconut extract and water. It’s also GMO free, etc. The brand is Natural Value.
I also buy Natural Value and love that it is BPA-free and the *only* ingredients are coconut extract and water. My colleague is from Thailand and he read the Arroy-D packaging for me. He says that what is written in Thai agrees with what is posted in English.
I really appreciate your blowing the whistle on “saturated fats”, “cholesterol”, etc,etc, —but I wonder why institutions like Harvard keep spewing out lies about cholesterol and saturated fats causing CVD , and about eggs being bad, etc,etc,etc.
I am embarrassed that I have to educate my cardiologist about cholesterol and saturated fats. Can’t somebody read Harvard and Mayo clinic the Riot Act to make them stop lying to the public. Their approach really makes doctors look stupid in the eyes of the public.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s pretty scary how far behind even some of the brightest minds in the country are when it comes comes to the whole saturated fat/ cholesterol/ egg yolk deal.
me too kohl i agree with phil.
their pay should be cut til they catch up!!!!!!
Good morning. I make a morning meal replacement shake similar to the one in the video link below everyday and was using coconut milk. Then I had the idea to use shredded coconut instead of the liquid as I wouldn’t have the unhealthy added ingredients of the canned product and get the additional nutrients and fiber that are in the shreds. What do you think?
Sorry, this should be the correct link to the video.
love the shake! however, i am pretty sure that blender (one of those bullet blenders, right?) is made with plastics containing BPA. if you are working to keep BPA out of your diet, maybe don’t use that blender 😉
Hello,but if you just blend for a few sec’s, and pour into another mug are you getting very much BPA into your shake. ? as it’s not stored in it constantly to absorb it .?
Actually the Nutribullets are labeled BPA free.
If you live near a Trader Joe’s both their coconut cream and their light coconut milk come in BPA-free cans.
If you’re trying to avoid additives, going with the full-fat version of anything is usually the better option. If you don’t want all the calories, cut it with pure coconut water.
I called them and yes: Trader Joe’s coconut milk cans are indeed BPA-free…however, it’s because they are NOT LINED with anything at all! Thus, the milk is in constant contact with the raw metal of the can, which I’m told is some sort of tin alloy. As I am highly sensitive to metals (can’t even touch my lip to the can for a split-second without developing canker sores for the next couple days, can’t wear metal sunglasses, can’t play with keys or chains without hands breaking out, etc), I am trying to get away from all cans period. Thus, I gotta find lined cans, but that are absolutely BPA-free (endocrine disruptor for me). However, the studies haven’t been done on the safety of all the OTHER non-BP liners yet because they are each proprietary. So, I want to go with a box products instead, although some of those have liners taht upset me as well. Unfortunately, nothing I’ve ever seen in a box container yet is free of harmful additives, like guar gum, carrageenan, etc (ugh: gut-rot and irritated GI track!).\
So, I think I’m just going to go with trying to make the coconut milk myself instead. Haven’t investigated that at all though, so I appreciate the starting info on that.
Why is just eating decent food either so damn hard, or so damn expensive, or so damn both?
If you go to Asian grocery stores, you may be able to find the Chao Koh brand that is sold in Tetrapaks. This brand is from Thailand like Arroy-D.
I get my no additive coconut milk in tetrapaks at import food.com – I don’t know why Chris says his thai friend says there are additives. Can anyone confirm? It tastes amazing!
I see this conversation digressing into a bunch of debate over factual causes of heart disease, etc etc. This is at the core of the coconut vs non-coconut controversy, and it’s sat fat relationship to heart disease (debated). There are a number of cardiac whole genome studies going on right now, at NIH to determine genetic permutations and the contribution to heart disease. I am in one. Separately, approximately 25% of the GLOBAL population has LP(a), lipoprotein a, which is associate with a significantly higher rate of MI and stroke. There are also other permutations that have similar effects. Some people will eat all the lipids they want, and never have disease. Some will consume very little, and have significant disease. People also have defective methylation pathways. There is no blanket statement that will solve the debate whether one food is good or bad for you. We DO KNOW that CHEMICALS are not good for you, and excess sugar is not good for you. Go figure and debate away!
MB, I got through your first dozen, or so, sentences and was impressed that you seemed to realize that the biggest problem causing heartache and pain between those posting here is the use of worthless generalizations. Your second to last sentence reads: “There is no blanket statement that will solve the debate whether one food is good or bad for you.” So you seem to get it. Then your next to last sentence says: “We DO KNOW that CHEMICALS are not good for you… ”
HUH?!?!
Question: What Is a Chemical?
Answer: Short answer: Everything is a chemical. Longer answer: Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with other matter. Anything made of matter is therefore a chemical. Any liquid, solid, gas. Any pure substance; any mixture. Water is a chemical. Technically speaking, so is a chunk of your computer. A chemical can often be broken down into components, as is true with your computer. However, people generally use the term ‘chemical’ to refer to a substance that appears homogeneous or the same throughout its structure.
Understanding this begs the question: What DO we KNOW about Chemicals that makes them not good for you?
OK. You got me. I am referring to BPA, BPA off of receipts for example, bad chemicals that are known (and even unknown) carcinogen or endocrine disruptors. That kind of thing – without being specific and taking all day about it and listing one trillion things 😉
That’s it! You wrote the answer I’ve been looking for (although I couldn’t understand all of it, but most!). My dietary proclivities have been changing most of my life, due to MS (not the other way around). And how does any of this information (grain free, high fat, etc.) change what happens in MS? MS is the destruction of the myelin covering of neurons that allows “sparks” to burn & scar, thereby causing mis-firings between nerves, brain, and the body. So, food problems are the consequence, not the cause (that’s my other rant, especially with regard to GF, high fat proponents).
Anyway, I am constantly playing the “what works for me” game, and it changes from time to time. That’s true with supplements, food, drinks, medicines, FIBER (I cannot handle high fiber!). So, thank you for your professional, sensible advice!
To….person that asked why worry about chol. still………..b/c their is a correlation btw high total chol. & heart attack (the correlation is a loose one and not a direct cause & effect). The point here is……eating much sat. fat even fr. healthy sources will make your total chol. go up, not increasing carbs…unless your carbs are Little Debbie w/ trans fat, etc. Also, many women I see on Paleo don’t have much muscle and have cellulite/excess fat….are 20% body fat or even more…..fr. low carb (see Tom Venutto’s book pdf form on the net for definitions of high and low carb, b/c most ppl. don’t know what that is in terms of grams….
Never said sat. fat equals cholesterol, said sat. fat increased in diet can increase in the blood. 2nd, incorrect…the cholesterol in our blood is both fr. our diet and our bodies. My initial statement that increasing sat. fat in the diet, can make total cholesterol go up, is correct. 3rd, we are all physiologically the same (homo)….not different. 4th, never said LDL was not needed…said that in the high category, as well as total chol. being in the high category, their is a loose correlation for heart attack (not cause & effect). Lastly, faulty assumption. I’ve already been to college and taken bio, chem, etc. All the points you argued were either not in my statements, or faulty assumption. Nice.
In 2009 the result of a study of 136,905 people with CVD that were hospitalized, half had low cholesterol and half had high cholesterol. So why do we still worry about cholesterol?
Because what they called low is not low….just like the studies about low fat diets when in the details it was 37% fat.
Not one person has had heart disease that had a total cholesterol level below 150. Check out the Framingham Study that ran for over 25 years and you will see that…
Studies have looked at levels between 180 and 250 to decide that cholesterol levels are not related to heart disease. However, if you want clean arteries get below 150 or if that is too difficult for you at least get your LDL below 100.
Forget the Paleo Diet, it has too many problems. Do some research and you will find less meat, more vegetables does wonders…
Another person who doesn’t realize people who eat paleo and do it well, eat more veggies than meat.
I had a heart attack (acute MI) and my total cholesterol was 139. I am absolutely certain I’m not the only person that has had an MI with perfect cholesterol levels.
My doctors watch my cholesterol to minimize risk, and I do too, but good numbers don’t mean immunity from CVD or heart disease.
total chol. levels of 139? no wonder you had a heart attack. anything under 200 is bad. doctors don’t know jack when it comes to chol. they and the big pharm turned it into a bad word. seriously do your research. sounds like you take lipitor or something .. very very bad will cause HA and other ill affects. you don’t even have to worry about total chol. unless it’s OVER 330. do your research! your body needs chol. to live! stop killing it off!
I’ve been following the thread for a long time. I can only express that as an 8 year cardiac patient (microvascular dysfunction/disease), with a genetic variant called LP(a), which tends to “grab fat and put it into vessel walls”, one must know their own potential for risk and have a good relationship with your MD. Too many people manage their philosophies by blogs and blanket understanding posted therein. For me, Paleo means more Veg, fruit, nuts (in limits), coconut (sparingly), sat fat (with extreme moderation), etc etc. AS my cardiologist says, all things in moderation. (And as I would say, chest pain sucks; veg and fruits should be the base layer of your pyramid)
so why do people that have bad chol. (total over 330) start a diet of meat and veg’s heavy on the meat .. even bacon daily and their chol. gets better? again do your research and not on medical websites! all they know is treat symptoms and tell you to stay away from fat and take their stupid drugs. fat is not our enemy. white flour and sugar is among other things like this article states that people could be sensitive to because of the bad BUGS we have in our bodies or the additives have been transformed into non-food like carageenan. first thing one should do is get rid of the bugs. eat organic and fresh as much as possible .. watch labels and ditch the drugs.
hdl and ldl were equal, give or take a few points…any other questions for me, I was just making a comment here, not interested in a whole big conversation going on here……not being rude, but too many comments sorry
Dangerous thinking…to claim that increasing sat. fat, to a sig. level esp., won’t cause your own sat. fat levels to raise, & i.e. total cholesterol. Forgive me if I choose to take word of 3 world renowned cardiologists/thoracic surgeons, all of whom I know personally, over the people on this blog. And my own personal experience also reflected that when sat. fat is increased, esp. to sig. levels, total cholesterol goes up. My total went fr. 120 to 244. I also gained a good 5 lbs of fat & shot up to 15-17%. I lowered my sat. fat, and everything reversed.
Good for you but my metabolism is quite different and I actually GAIN weight and increase both total cholesterol and bad cholesterol when eating a low fat/high carb diet. I have the blood work to show the improvement. I think what’s foolish is ignoring your body’s signals and listening to the “experts”, when there’s no one size fits all when it comes to one’s health.
I didn’t say I ate a high carb diet……you can do both you know, don’t eat high carb & don’t eat more sat fats……life is not black and white.
What was the source (or sources) of the saturated fat that you were eating when your total cholesterol went up from 120 to 244 mg/dL? Different saturated fats have different effects – I have posted links and abstracts below to two reports from the medical literature that show this quite clearly. Let me know if you’d like to see more –
Because total cholesterol is made up of HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol, can you tell us what the changes were in your HDL and LDL cholesterol? ( e.g., see a brief explanation of the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol at http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/What-Your-Cholesterol-Levels-Mean_UCM_305562_Article.jsp )
And kudos for listening to your body and fixing your cholesterol problem by changing your diet!
coco. was the source, the hdl and ldl both went up, as well as the total.
Your experience is really interesting – and suggests to me that genetic variation may be involved, especially if your HDL/LDL ratio went down (meaning increased risk) when your cholesterol went up. A few small studies in humans show that our genes can make a real difference in how our bodies response to changes in type of fat in our diet – here’s one such study:
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/12587472_Genetic_factors_associated_with_response_of_LDL_subfractions_to_change_in_the_nature_of_dietary_fat/file/3deec52681aaa90e30.pdf (full text)
Wallace AJ et al. Genetic factors associated with response of LDL subfractions to change in the nature of dietary fat. Atherosclerosis. 2000 Apr;149(2):387-94.
(excerpts)
Abstract
. . . . We investigated the contribution of polymorphisms in the genes for apolipoprotein (apo) B, apo AIV, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) to variation in the changes in plasma concentrations of dense LDL between a high saturated and a high polyunsaturated fatty acid diet. A total of 46 freeliving individuals (19 men and 27 women) completed a crossover trial with two dietary interventions of 4 weeks each, a high saturated fat diet (providing 21% energy from saturated fat and 3% energy from polyunsaturated fat) and a high polyunsaturated fat diet (providing 11% energy as saturated fat and 10% energy as polyunsaturated fat). . . . The greater decrease in dense LDL cholesterol with an increase in polyunsaturated fat seen in those with the apo AIV H360 variant, who represent roughly 10% of the general population, suggests that they may benefit most from a PUFA rich lipid lowering diet.
. . . . On both the SAFA and PUFA diets, fat sources relevant to the experimental diets (butter and hardened coconut oil on SAFA and polyunsaturated margarine and safflower oil on diet PUFA) were provided free of charge and added to the relatively low fat baseline diet so that protein provided about 15% energy, carbohydrate 44% and total fat 36%, but fat composition differed. In diet SAFA, 21% of energy came from saturated fatty acids and 3% from polyunsaturated fatty acids. In diet PUFA, 11% of energy came from saturated fatty acids and 10% from polyunsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids remained constant in both diets at about 10% total energy.
. . . Apo AIV Q360H Q:H individuals (n 6) showed a three fold greater decrease in uncorrected dense LDL when their diet was changed from a high saturated to a high polyunsaturated fat diet compared with Q:Q individuals (n 38) and this decrease was significantly greater than zero. The mean decrease in uncorrected dense LDL cholesterol was four fold greater in apo AIV T347S S individuals (n 29) compared with T:T individuals (n 15) but these changes were not statistically different. Changes in dense LDL were similar in LPL S:S and S:X individuals. Individuals carrying the LPL X447 allele (n 7) showed a two fold greater decrease in light LDL and total LDL cholesterol than individuals homozygous for the S447 allele
(n 39) when diet was changed from a high saturated fat diet to a high polyunsaturated fat diet and this decrease was significantly different from zero. There were no statistically significant changes in LDL or LDL subfractions with CETP Taq I or apo B SP genotypes.
. . . . This study has indicated that genetic factors, independent of dietary compliance, may influence the magnitude of change in plasma dense LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol with change in the type of dietary fat. The increase in HDL cholesterol and the greater decrease in dense LDL cholesterol when PUFA replaced SAFA in the diet may reduce risk of developing coronary heart disease in subjects with the apo AIV H360 allele. Dense LDL is a particularly atherogenic lipoprotein [1,36,37], while HDL may be protective. Since carriers of the rare apo AIV H360 allele may be at particularly high risk of sustaining a myocardial infarction [38], our data suggest that they may benefit most from a PUFA-rich
diet. Conversely, they may also develop a more atherogenic lipoprotein profile on a diet rich in SAFA.
Didn’t read but 1st sent. b/c you didn’t read my comment correctly……my ratio did not go down……I said they both went up…..
Um, you said, “the hdl and ldl both went up, as well as the total.” But you didn’t say what happened to the ratio of the hdl to the ldl.
Actually, what’s usually used is the ratio of the total cholesterol to the HDL: for example, (from http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0205c.shtml ) “The ratio of total cholesterol-to-HDL is important; the smaller the number the better. For example, someone with a total cholesterol of 200 and an HDL of 60 would have a ratio of 3.3 (200 ÷ 60 = 3.3). If that person’s HDL was low — let’s say 35 —the total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio would be higher: 5.7.
Reports from the Framingham Heart Study suggest that for men, a total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio of 5 signifies average risk for heart disease; 3.4, about half the average risk; and 9.6, about double the average risk. Women tend to have higher HDL levels, so for them, a ratio of 4.4 signifies average risk; 3.3 is about half the average; and 7, about double. If you have a high level of total cholesterol, it may be less alarming if your total-to-HDL ratio is low.”
I did not notice your total #’s only the increase, but 120 is a very low, almost too low cholesterol level. More research is coming out that levels toward the higher end of normal is healthier and necessary for proper hormone balance and neurological function. The ideal levels according to lab ranges seem to be decreasing in an effort from drug companies to be able to put more patients on statins which have many side effects. Is 15-17% referring to body fat? Seems very slim. Maybe OK for a man but very slim for a woman. See http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/15/why-low-cholesterol-is-not-good-for-you.aspx and
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/09/what-happens-when-your-cholesterol-goes-too-low.aspx
for more cholesterol info.
Peace
anything under 200 is good, after that the increase for heart attack goes up, the correlation is a loose one, not a direct cause and effect…and 15-17% was too much fat for me, I am an ectomorph, we are little muscle, little fat, small boned, tall-ish types…most women are too fat.
got cut off…..was saying most women are too fat anyways, and they’d be good to get down to 15-17%, 14% would be ideal for most women, 8-10% for men, b/c at that point, you don’t have excess fat (cellulite, fat that covers the muscles, etc.). It’s the excess fat you don’t want, you still want essential fat, and after I lowered my sat. fat intake, I got back down to @ 14%…so, upping sat. fat can make you gain fat, and raise your total chol. #…..but, that’s not surprising…….
Also http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/10/making-sense-of-your-cholesterol-numbers.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/04/14/vitamin-d-cholesterol-levels.aspx
Aloha S, it is almost madness to read your unwavering claims and your stern beliefs without much scientific backing other than the brainwashed support for your world renowned “cardiologists”. You may find that big Pharma provides their pay-packet too, which then makes them not strictly unbiased.
I tend to err on the side of caution when making broad sweeping statements like yours. Basic physiology might prove otherwise such as saturated fats are not equal to blood lipid profile and cholesterol. Making cholesterol is a biological function and the cholesterol found in our blood stream is that made by the liver and not that ingested from food sources.
Interestingly, as a personal trainer, I too experimented with coconut oil, yet my blood cholesterol levels are amazing. Sadly, I can’t post the results here but its sufficient to say that they are in an athletic but functionally necessary range and not 120 like yours. When low on cholesterol the brain doesn’t get the required nutrients. Should we then say that you may be advocating a safe route to Alzheimer disease? Only time will tell…
Finally, you may like to research your statements further than what you’ve heard from your cardiologist friends. Knowledge is power, and we are all physiologically different. Also, maybe revisiting some of the basic human biology lessons taught in school may change your view on things such as good and bad cholesterol. LDL is needed to carry nutrients to all parts of the body, unless you particularly intend to starve yourself/your body of vital sources of food. When it becomes dangerous is at the inflammatory stage, when those LDL particles oxidize and turn rogue, mainly due to high sugar consumption. Cancer cells feed on sugar.
There are a couple of great courses anyone can attend for free provided by EdX on immunology, biology and/or anatomy, it may be worth checking out before making more arrogant comments on articles that are meant to be informatory rather specialist individual advice.
Um, if people want to guzzle sat fat, more power to them…their HDL may go up, but so will total cholesterol, and LDL…when sat fats are increased, from any source…the higher the sat. fat, the higher the total cholesterol is likely to be. This is just common sense.
It may seem like common sense but its certainly not common knowledge. That is the point of my post, as we increased our fat intake, especially healthy saturated fat intake, our cholesterol levels decreased! I wouldn’t be surprised if a junk food diet, high in omega 6 oils and trans fats had the opposite effect. By the way, total cholesterol is not as important as the ratio of healthy cholesterol (HDL) to unhealthy cholesterol (LDL)
absolutely! and ratio doesn’t matter unless total is over 330! low totals like 120 or 150 etc. are dangerously low and people brag. see Dr. Mercola’s articles and read more from those who are about HEALTH and not MEDICINE. if you want to be healthy.
Any type of sat fat coconut included, can cause total cholesterol to rise.
Coconut oil causes *good* (high-density or HDL) cholesterol to rise and *improves* (i.e., lowers) the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.
http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic835338.files/Mensink_-_Dietary.Fats.LDL.HDL.TG-Metaanalysis.pdf (full text)
Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 May;77(5):1146-55.
Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials.
Mensink RP1, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB.
1 Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands. [email protected]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The effects of dietary fats on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) have traditionally been estimated from their effects on LDL cholesterol. Fats, however, also affect HDL cholesterol, and the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol is a more specific marker of CAD than is LDL cholesterol.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the effects of individual fatty acids on the ratis of total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipoproteins.
DESIGN: We performed a meta-analysis of 60 selected trials and calculated the effects of the amount and type of fat on total:HDL cholesterol and on other lipids.
RESULTS: The ratio did not change if carbohydrates replaced saturated fatty acids, but it decreased if cis unsaturated fatty acids replaced saturated fatty acids. The effect on total:HDL cholesterol of replacing trans fatty acids with a mix of carbohydrates and cis unsaturated fatty acids was almost twice as large as that of replacing saturated fatty acids. Lauric acid greatly increased total cholesterol, but much of its effect was on HDL cholesterol. Consequently, oils rich in lauric acid decreased the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol. Myristic and palmitic acids had little effect on the ratio, and stearic acid reduced the ratio slightly. Replacing fats with carbohydrates increased fasting triacylglycerol concentrations.
CONCLUSIONS: The effects of dietary fats on total:HDL cholesterol may differ markedly from their effects on LDL. The effects of fats on these risk markers should not in themselves be considered to reflect changes in risk but should be confirmed by prospective observational studies or clinical trials. By that standard, risk is reduced most effectively when trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids are replaced with cis unsaturated fatty acids. The effects of carbohydrates and of lauric acid-rich fats on CAD risk remain uncertain.
(excerpt)
Individual saturated fatty acids
Lauric acid markedly increases cholesterol, whereas stearic acid lowers it somewhat when it is used to replace carbohydrates. However, the picture reverses if one looks at total:HDL cholesterol: both lauric and stearic acid are now more favorable than carbohydrates. Lauric acid—a major component of tropical oils such as coconut and palm kernel fat—has the largest cholesterol-raising effect of all fatty acids, but much of this is due to HDL cholesterol. As a result, lauric acid had a more favorable effect on total:HDL cholesterol than any other fatty acid, either saturated or unsaturated.
I think you and many others are sadly mistaken. In my case, sugar or carbs cause cholesterol to rise. I and my husband have the blood work to prove it. We would probably both be on statin meds if we hadn’t increased our healthy fatty acid intake (coconut, lard, avocados and fish oil, but mainly coconut and lard). We go through a 5 gallon tub of coconut oil + 1 gallon of lard per year. We have reduced processed starches such as breads and pasta, baked goods. We mainly get our carbs from fruits and vegetables.
again .. kudos Maria! that’s it! you’ve done your research. and another thing is that doctors and those of medical field have done is make chol. a bad thing when it’s not .. there is NO bad chol. it’s ALL good .. it’s just the ratios that matter. and again not a bad thing unless over 330 then you need to start watching things. funny thing that about 10 years ago I had chol. of 229 .. then it was GOOD .. then doctors decided to make more money they’d have to lower the level of what is considered GOOD. now my 225 is BAD. Baloney! and how can the same blood test for 2 different doctors come back with total chol. of 225 and the other say it’s 275? the 275 was a cardiologist .. yeah he wants to burn my heart too for my extra heart beat because I won’t take the Atenolol that he wanted me to take .. it lowered my BP to 80/40 and I felt like I was dying.. my BP and heart rate is normal 99% of the time. I had an EPISODE of unknown causes which took my BP to 192/93 for a couple of days and he wants me to take a drug the rest of my life? what are doctors thinking? not about the patient! .. no thanks. you are the only one who really cares about YOU. I can’t say it enough .. DO YOUR RESEARCH!
Coconuts are very high in saturated fat, which, if too high in the diet, will cause the cholesterol to go up. Probably not a good idea to guzzle this stuff.
Yes coconuts are high in a medium chain fatty acid but where is the proof that it causes cholesterol to rise?? In fact there are NUMEROUS studies (unfortunately don’t have links) that show the exact opposite. Our family has switched to coconut oil and lard for cooking. Since then our cholesterol and triglycerides as per blood work have come down. Don’t believe everything you hear on news, newspapers and even FDA concerning health because they are often wrong! If they were right, why would so many Americans be sick and dying? Why have the rates of heart and other diseases risen dramatically in last few decades after “experts” recommend a low fat, high carb diet unless quite a few people don’t do well on that type of diet?
Here’s a 2009 report of a randomized controlled trial that found coconut oil (compared to soy oil) didn’t increase cholesterol and actually improved the HDL (good) cholesterol and reduced the proportion of LDL (bad) to HDL (good) cholesterol . . . plus reduced waist circumference . . . . :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058
http://www.nutritionalinstincts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Effects-of-dietary-coconut-oil-on-the-biochemical-and-anthropometric-profiles-of-women-presenting-abdominal-obesity.pdf (full text)
Lipids. 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13.
Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity.
Assunção ML1, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM.
1 Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL 57072-970, Brazil.
Abstract
The effects of dietary supplementation with coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting waist circumferences (WC) >88 cm (abdominal obesity) were investigated. The randomised, double-blind, clinical trial involved 40 women aged 20-40 years. Groups received daily dietary supplements comprising 30 mL of either soy bean oil (group S; n = 20) or coconut oil (group C; n = 20) over a 12-week period, during which all subjects were instructed to follow a balanced hypocaloric diet and to walk for 50 min per day. Data were collected 1 week before (T1) and 1 week after (T2) dietary intervention. Energy intake and amount of carbohydrate ingested by both groups diminished over the trial, whereas the consumption of protein and fibre increased and lipid ingestion remained unchanged. At T1 there were no differences in biochemical or anthropometric characteristics between the groups, whereas at T2 group C presented a higher level of HDL (48.7 +/- 2.4 vs. 45.00 +/- 5.6; P = 0.01) and a lower LDL:HDL ratio (2.41 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.8; P = 0.04). Reductions in BMI were observed in both groups at T2 (P < 0.05), but only group C exhibited a reduction in WC (P = 0.005). Group S presented an increase (P < 0.05) in total cholesterol, LDL and LDL:HDL ratio, whilst HDL diminished (P = 0.03). Such alterations were not observed in group C. It appears that dietetic supplementation with coconut oil does not cause dyslipidemia and seems to promote a reduction in abdominal obesity.
So how can one do the Wahl’s Paleo Plus if you cannot use coconut??? Or ghee??? Seems strange that those are the only options and many of us do have the sensitivity.
Chris, I’m sorry to see there are so many haters on this chain. I wanted to thank you for this useful information. I am several weeks into the Wahl’s protocol and have been feeling very ill. As I connect the dots, I’ve felt poorly every time I’ve had coconut milk. In addition to autoimmune issues, I have IBS and am very sensitive to high FODMAP foods. It should have dawned on me that coconut milk is likely not my friend. Thanks for the awesome information. I’ll try removing coconut milk from my diet and see what happens.
Gail, I am pretty new to paleo and am also having this issue. What will you use to replace coconut? Thanks, Susan
Susan, I’m doing a mini test to see. I’ve cut coconut milk out completely and am feeling better. Instead of coconut milk to keep me satiated through the afternoon, I’ve been drinking bone broth with a few teaspoons of red palm oil in it. Chris suggestions that coconut oil should be fine even if you’re sensitive to coconut milk; I’m leery, but I’ll try that next in isolation for a few days to see if I react. After that, I’ll try ghee as the only fat I use for a few days. I’m using Pure Indian Foods cultured ghee that It is batch-tested casein-free, whey-free, lactose-free, and gluten-free. This all feels like a lot of effort, but if I pinpoint what I’m reacting to and can remove it from my diet, I’m hopeful that I’ll heal! Good luck to you!
I found out I was having salicylate intolerance (search salicylate sensitivity) and high uric acid was also a piece of the puzzle . I was able to reverse it with a magnesium load – 600mg divided in 3x/day of magnesium oxide orally. This is what worked for me, some might get GI irritation. Magnesium helped to alkalize the excessive acidity and helped the liver to detox and produce glutathione. I hope this helps you to shorten your research time.
Izzy, thank you. You’ve opened my eyes to something new that may be relevant to my specific issues. For others looking up info, the Paleo Mom has a good article on this: http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/10/what-is-salicylate-sensitivityintolerance.html.
A friend’s husband seconded a paper whose study found that the protein/s most folks react to in nuts is/are not in the oils of those nuts. I can’t find it at this moment–I didn’t see it on his ResearchGate profile, and the copy my friend sent me in 2008 is on an old hard drive somewhere in storage–but I thought I’d mention it as food for thought as to why you seem to be okay with the oil but not other coconut products.
That said, I also personally know a family that reacts to carrier oils (they have a laundry list of food issues). There will always be exceptions to some degree.
Did you read his other articles? illness such as autoimmunes .. IBS .. IDS .. etc. set in when the stomach acid is too low or non existent because of acid killing drugs. proteins get into the bloodstream and cause havoc. I was just on Prilosec for 10 days when I found Chris’s articles .. I immediately stopped. I am on my way to health now by taking his advise. it didn’t help me I could feel myself getting worse not better. again I say “what are doctors thinking?”
get the gut right with acid and health will be better. it’s not the coconut .. though coconut could be your enemy right now because you already have issues. get those straightened out and you might be able to have coconut in the future but for now you probably shouldn’t.
you’re title is misleading, it’s the canning by products that you are referring to with regards to why coconut may be bad
it’s a misinformation campaign that you are running, probably a lobbyist for those affected the sale of coconuts
I found this article to be ridiculous as well. Has she ever been in a grocery store? Most coconut milk is sold in cartons and the two brands I use are organic, non gmo , and free of guar gum. I think most people who are nutritionally savvy enough to be asking questions like these already know about cans and BPA. It’s almost insulting.
I have been in lot’s of grocery stores and none in my area have coconut milk in cartons. Cans only if you can find it at all.
unbelieveable that you would be insulted because other people are not as well informed or have as good purchasing choices as you.
Holly, I assume you don’t often travel and shop in different countries on a regular basis. Just because something available in your little world it doesn’t mean it’s available in mine. People from all over the world access the internet to read articles such as this one, we don’t all shop at the same stores. You have a right to your opinion but I don’t feel it necessary to insult other readers who found this article helpful just because you’re already aware of the information contained in it.
Your title is is horrible. And it should be named why you shouldn’t use canned coconut milk.
BTW I had no idea there was even such a product as the coconut milk I buy is in the fridge section right by the milk, in a milk carton type container. No Gur Gum in it either. Look for a similar brand in your store next to the milk in the fridge section, here we have Silk Brand Coconut Milk and a few others, but that is what my closest supermarket carries.
It is my understanding that Natural Value meets all the requirements: it is organic, BPA-free, and guar gum free. That is in contradiction to your statement that “As of the time of this writing there is no widely available commercial brand of coconut milk that is organic and free of BPA and guar gum.” I can get this brand locally (east bay, CA) and have ordered by the case through Amazon.
Joyce – where do you get it in the East Bay? I live in Oakland.
Thank you for all the hard work and effort you put into these articles. I have Hashimoto’s and I’m having trouble finding doctors who have done the kind of thorough research into how that is affected by diet. I am so happy to have found you!