Does coconut oil have any impact (positive or negative) on insulin sensitivity? I haven’t been able to find much information on the subject. Thanks.
I have a strong suspicion that it’s a great oil for insulin sensitivity.
If you have some time…
I’ve been using it for cooking instead of EVOO and it’s wonderful. I use a heaping spoonful for cooking eggs in the morning.
[quote]dre wrote:
I’ve been using it for cooking instead of EVOO and it’s wonderful. I use a heaping spoonful for cooking eggs in the morning.[/quote]
yessir. I’ve been mixing in coconut oil for the past 3 months now and look fwd to getting some new bloodwork results (I’m REALLY hoping for an HDL boost) in another eight weeks or so.
That is a very fine link, Derek. Thanks.
I have been doing literature research on this and had not found some of those. Generally speaking, it’s a difficult subject to do literature research on because a vast number of studies use hydrogenated coconut oil, get bad results of course, but in the abstracts and title read simply “coconut oil.” So you have to physically go to a library that has the specific scientific journal (ordinary public libraries generally do not so you may have quite a driving commute required) just to learn that almost every article that seemed relevant, is not.
My conclusion had been that coconut oil, unhydrogenated, and probably preferably cold-pressed though I don’t know if that is necessary, is very healthful and, with regards to insulin sensitivity, most likely a very significant asset. I use 2 ounces per day of the oil personally.
A somewhat interesting side note is that nutritional use seems to moisturize the skin and, if one has enlarged pores, reduces pore size. The reason, if this is a real effect (it certainly seems to be with me) most likely is different lipid composition of comedones to a more liquid state rather than a hard waxy state, thus not forcing the pore larger. Anyway my skin is better from adding coconut oil to the diet. I don’t have blood sugar issues anyway so can’t comment on that personally.
Anything from the Weston Price foundation is good. Nice link.
Other than that, here are some other things that can help insulin sensitivity:
chromium picolinate
cinnamon tea (obviously without sugar) drunk 3x a day
apple cider vinegar (is there anything that ACV isn’t good for?)
If you have a Chinese supermarket near you, you might try to get some Ku gua (bitter melon) and have it a few times a week. I noticed some of these Insulin sensitivity pills have bitter melon in them, but the doses are miniscule. Get the real thing at a Chines supermarket. Stir fry it and hold on to your chair, because it is REALLY bitter.
Yeah I’ve been using 1-2 tbsp a day. Great stuff, I eat it straight. Wasn’t really asking about insulin sensitivity in general, that seems like it’s been beaten to death around here. Off topic but, doesn’t chromium have a bunch of conflicting studies with some only showing minor improvement in glucose metabolism in NIDDM, and a few showing NO improvement? Just wondering. I’ve taken a few blood sugar supplements (gymnema, bitter melon, r-ala, vit. e) they just make me feel REALLY tired 30 minutes after I take them.
I also use about 2-3 tablespoons a day. I just eat it raw, tastes great. I’m not sure about all the benefits but I do know that it makes your skin look and feel great. So if it does that to my skin, I bet it’s doing some great stuff to my insides.
What brand does everyone use or like best? Right now I’m using the Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Unrefined. The only other one I have tried was that crap from Wal-Mart. Had about a spoonful and threw it away.
[quote]duece wrote:
What brand does everyone use or like best? Right now I’m using the Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Unrefined. The only other one I have tried was that crap from Wal-Mart. Had about a spoonful and threw it away.[/quote]
I second this question.
I’d like to find a good brand of unhydrogenated coconut oil, that doesn’t cost a fortune.
I use that Lou Ana stuff that is on the supermarket shelves, and I don’t know whether or not it is hydrogenated - it doesn’t say on the package, it doesn’t say on the website, but the forums I’ve served on the internet have a general consensus of it being unhydrogenated.
But I really don’t know.
[quote]dre wrote:
I’ve been using it for cooking instead of EVOO and it’s wonderful. I use a heaping spoonful for cooking eggs in the morning.[/quote]
How is the taste when cooking it with eggs?
[quote]chainsaw1 wrote:
dre wrote:
I’ve been using it for cooking instead of EVOO and it’s wonderful. I use a heaping spoonful for cooking eggs in the morning.
How is the taste when cooking it with eggs?[/quote]
I am here to tout the benefits of Coconut oil, but I don’t like the taste of eggs cooked in Coconut oil. Use bacon grease or butter to cook your eggs IMHO.
[quote]cpcloud wrote:
Yeah I’ve been using 1-2 tbsp a day. Great stuff, I eat it straight. Wasn’t really asking about insulin sensitivity in general, that seems like it’s been beaten to death around here. Off topic but, doesn’t chromium have a bunch of conflicting studies with some only showing minor improvement in glucose metabolism in NIDDM, and a few showing NO improvement? Just wondering. I’ve taken a few blood sugar supplements (gymnema, bitter melon, r-ala, vit. e) they just make me feel REALLY tired 30 minutes after I take them.[/quote]
I honestly don’t know about the chromium studies to which you refer. I seem to have had good results with it.
Like I said, the amount of bitter melon in a supplement is next to nothing. As for r-ala, it crosses the blood brain barrier AND it pulls metal, especially mercury. That’s a good thing, as long as you don’t have amalgams in your mouth, in which case you could be overwhelmed by the release of mercury (and it could get redistributed in the body). That’s controversial, but it’s my take on it. I wouldn’t be surprised that it’s the detoxification from the r-ala that causes you to be tired. I might be wrong though.
Coconut oil + Vanilla Metabolic Drive.
[quote]entheogens wrote:
chainsaw1 wrote:
dre wrote:
I’ve been using it for cooking instead of EVOO and it’s wonderful. I use a heaping spoonful for cooking eggs in the morning.
How is the taste when cooking it with eggs?
I am here to tout the benefits of Coconut oil, but I don’t like the taste of eggs cooked in Coconut oil. Use bacon grease or butter to cook your eggs IMHO.
[/quote]
I think the taste is barely distinguishable from other regular cooking oils in this context. I guess if you’re comparing it to eggs cooked bacon grease though everything tastes inferior.
Mmmmm bacon…
I just ate ate but even still this post gave me such a craving for it.
[quote]chainsaw1 wrote:
dre wrote:
I’ve been using it for cooking instead of EVOO and it’s wonderful. I use a heaping spoonful for cooking eggs in the morning.
How is the taste when cooking it with eggs?[/quote]
Here’s the thing, I hate coconut. Can’t stand the sh*t. But for some reason, cooking with coconut oil doesn’t bother me at all. My wife can taste the coconut when she cooks with it, but I can’t that much.
I can taste a hint of coconut but not much. I also put a ton of Frank’s Hot Sauce on my eggs so that might cover up most of the coconut taste. haha
I can’t taste the coconut in coconut oil one bit, unless I take it straight. But when cooking, I do not notice it at all. I am not a fan of using it when cooking eggs, just dont like the texture I get with it.
[quote]cpcloud wrote:
Off topic but, doesn’t chromium have a bunch of conflicting studies with some only showing minor improvement in glucose metabolism in NIDDM, and a few showing NO improvement? Just wondering.[/quote]
I don’t know, just guessing, but the cause of differing response may be differing degree of deficiency, if any, when starting the chromium supplementation.
According to the USDA, the majority of Americans are deficient in chromium.
A few sources I’ve read have stated that soil in the United States, compared to the rest of the world, is unusually deficient in chromium and so as a consequence foods grown in the US are not good sources of chromium. If true, the widespread deficiency makes sense.
However, the importance of chromium has been known for some time now and it’s now incorporated into a lot of products: at least in energy bars, ready-to-drink products aimed at the general and fat loss markets, multivitamins/multiminerals and maybe more things.
So there may be a lot of people that without particularly being aware of it, or intending to, have corrected or mostly corrected their chromium deficiency already.
If so, then more chromium may make no or little difference.
If already getting a good amount of chromium, I don’t think it’s one of those things that more yet will give more result with reference to blood sugar. So many will get no response from yet-further-added chromium.
Bitter Melon has been shown to exert some really powerful effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal. Check out this study as well…
They call it “goya” in Japan, and although it is bitter its really delicious when cooked properly. If you slice it very thin and soak it in salt water for about 10 mins, a lot of the bitterness is removed. Cooking it in sesame oil seems to do the same thing.
Its commonly eaten in Okinawa as “Goya Champuru”, which is a mixture of Goya, lean pork, eggs, and tofu (don’t gasp…tofu ain’t that bad!). Add a bit of barbeque sauce to the mixture and enjoy
I understand that coconut oil is solid at room temp.
However, mine is liquid. I use Nature’s Way “EFA Gold” coconut oil. It’s organic, extra virgin, cold pressed, zero hydrogenation. It also advertises “62% MCT’s”.
It’s labeled as a dietary supplement.
I live in Hawaii (hot and moist, always). Could that be the reason why it’s liquid?
Is 62% MCT’s higher than average? If so, could that be the reason why it’s liquid?
I bought it at the local health food store as a liquid.
[quote]Soldierslim wrote:
I understand that coconut oil is solid at room temp.
However, mine is liquid. I use Nature’s Way “EFA Gold” coconut oil. It’s organic, extra virgin, cold pressed, zero hydrogenation. It also advertises “62% MCT’s”.
It’s labeled as a dietary supplement.
I live in Hawaii (hot and moist, always). Could that be the reason why it’s liquid?
Is 62% MCT’s higher than average? If so, could that be the reason why it’s liquid?
I bought it at the local health food store as a liquid.[/quote]
Yeah I have a similar issue. Don’t think it’s a problem though. For me, it’s easier to take because you can measure it out as a liquid much easier than as a solid. The brand I have is Vitamin Shoppe. It says cold-pressed extra virgin organic coconut oil. Extra-virgin doesn’t mean anything though with coconut oil because I guess there’s no standard as to what that means in the countries that produce most of the world’s coconut oil, I think.
The MCT thing is just a “feature”. Something that people will see because they’ve heard/read that MCTs get burned as energy, blah, blah, blah, and the company wants to take advantage of the hype. I believe coconut oil’s MCTs are lauric acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
As a side note fractionated coconut oil (the stuff you see in lots of processed foods) contains almost all caprylic and capric acid (I have no idea what this means, but I’ve heard that caprylic acid is good for candida). Of course, I’m just parroting wikipedia so you never know how accurate the information is. Bottom line: coconut oil rules.
I live in New York which is quite the opposite in terms of your climate so I don’t think region has much to do with it. I think mine is liquid because my kitchen is more humid than the rest of my house.