While many people may be avoiding coconut oil because of
warnings about saturated fat, they may not have heard that
recent scientific evidence separates natural, unrefined
saturated oils from hydrogenated trans fatty acids.
The Importance of Fat Intake
Fat intake is vital to healthy fertility. Instead of worrying
about how much fat we eat, we need to be concerned with
the types of fats we eat. We need a certain amount of
saturated fats to produce cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed
for formation of healthy cell membranes and is a precursor
to all steroid hormones (progesterone, estrogen, FSH, etc.).
We cannot have proper hormonal balance without adequate
amounts of saturated fats. We cannot conceive a child or
have a healthy pregnancy without proper hormonal balance.
We have all heard to stay away from saturated fats.
Coconut oil is a saturated fat. Saturated fats are found in
dairy, red meat, poultry and processed foods, but coconut
oil and palm oil also contain saturated fat. We have also
heard we should eat monounsaturated fats, which are most
commonly found in olive and canola oil. The buzz is that
olive and canola oil are “healthy” and are “good fats”
because they may help to decrease LDL cholesterol, also
known as “bad” cholesterol.
The problem with both olive and canola oil is that they are
unstable at high temperatures for cooking. When you cook
with these oils, they oxidize. Eating oils that have oxidized
leaves the body susceptible to oxidative stress.
Monounsaturated fats when heated, have the potential to
convert to trans fatty acid. The body is unable to metabolize
trans fatty acids. Oxidative stress leads to cell damage in
the body.
Monounsaturated fats also have a shorter shelf life, they
oxidize in a shorter amount of time than coconut oil. Studies
have shown coconut oil is stable at high cooking
temperatures and has a shelf life of 1 year.
The FDA and the US Department of Health estimate that
artificially hydrogenated trans fats, the type found in fast
food, processed junk foods and pastries cause hundreds of
fatal heart attacks every year. These are the dangerous
saturated fatty acids that we should be limiting in our diet,
not naturally pure, healthy coconut oil.
Coconut is a medium-chain fatty acid, which makes it easily
metabolized by the body. Coconut oil is an excellent
replacement for butter and oil in baking and stir-fries. I have
made the switch to coconut for my cooking needs and my
family loves the taste! Once you use this oil you will find
that you can’t even taste it in most dishes.
Coconut Oil Shown to Support a Healthy Body
Long-term studies have shown that cultures that eat
coconut oil regularly have lower total cholesterol levels than
people living in the United States. These cultures get a large
part of their calories from coconuts and coconut oils, with
no increase in heart disease or any elevated cholesterol
levels.
Coconut oil and cream have been shown to support health
through a variety of ways, including:
Weight loss, promotes a healthy balanced weight
Balancing metabolism through thyroid support
Heart health
Creating hormones, maintaining hormonal balance
Cellular health
Supports proper immune system function
Balanced cholesterol levels
Increased energy
Anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal
Supports adequate fat stores for pregnancy and
lactation
Shown to increase lauric acid content in breast milk
Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Scientists have studied the effects of coconut oil
consumption on different types of cholesterol and blood
lipids. Consumption of the recommended serving size of
coconut oil along with a healthy diet and lifestyle helps
maintain normal levels of cholesterol.
High in Lauric Acid
Lauric acid is a rare medium-chain fatty acid found in
human breast milk that supports healthy metabolism and is
now being studied for its antifungal, antiviral, and
antibacterial health-protecting properties. Coconut oil
contains lauric acid as well, which is extremely rare for a
plant! Some researchers predict that lauric acid will become
as well known in health circles as Omega-3 is today.
Support Hormone Production and Healthy
Weight Management
Body fat and consumption of good fats is essential for the
body to manufacture hormones and maintain hormonal
balance. Women who are underweight have low body fat. A
study from BJOG showed that underweight women were
72% more likely to miscarry. Coconut oil has been shown to
support adequate fat stores.
On the flip side, women who are overweight may have
problems conceiving due estrogen dominance, which may
cause menstrual cycle irregularities, anovulation, inadequate
building of the lining of the uterus. Eating coconut oil has
been shown to help women to lose weight by supporting a
healthy metabolism, while balancing hormones.
Whether you are at a healthy weight, low body weight or
overweight, coconut oil has been shown to support a
healthy metabolism by nourishing the thyroid gland.
Because metabolism and hormonal balance go hand-in-
hand it is wonderful that a plant oil can help to support both.
Coconut Oil Use in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Use coconut oil during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as part
of a healthy nutrient dense whole food diet. Coconut oil
supplies rich amounts of saturated fat with high amounts of
lauric acid. Not only will your body benefit, but your baby
will receive the same benefits. The saturated fat content
helps you to build-up adequate fat stores in pregnancy and
in preparation for breastfeeding. Fat stores are vital to
maintaining adequate energy and proper body function for
both pregnancy and lactation. During pregnancy and
lactation, your baby is going to get vital nutrients and
calories from your body, what is left is used by your body.
This is why a healthy diet is vital to caring for not only your
health, but the health of your child.
Lauric acid found in coconut oil and breast milk has been
found to have antiviral, antibacterial and parasiticidal (kills
parasites) properties that support proper immune function.
This may help to protect your and your baby’s health in
pregnancy. The benefits of lauric acid continues on during
lactation, as those benefits are directly passed to your baby
through your breast milk. Breast milk is comprised of about
20% lauric and capric acid, these help to protect your baby
from illness.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study
showing that lactating mothers who eat a diet rich in
coconut oil and other coconut products, to have significantly
increased levels of lauric acid and capric acid in their breast
milk. Results of the study showed that, “A single meal of
coconut oil can significantly affect the breast milk fatty acid
compositions for 1 to 3 days, with the maximum increase
occurring during the first 10 hours.” This study proves that
foods we eat greatly impact the health of our babies, which
includes foods that have a positive effect. It sounds like
coconut oil really helps to make rich breast milk!
We are huge advocates for breastfeeding, but it is
interesting to note that one of the ingredients in baby
formula is coconut oil. This ingredient was no doubt chosen
because of its lauric acid content. Coconut oil is easy to
digest, and is easy for the body to absorb and utilize.
Not only can you eat coconut oil in pregnancy and during
lactation, but you can slather it on your skin to help allow
the skin to stretch during pregnancy. Coconut oil may help
prevent stretch marks and alleviate itching due to the
stretching of the skin of the belly and breasts.
How to Use Coconut Oil
I love to use coconut oil in my fertility smoothies- Add 1 T.
to your favorite smoothie blend. This is the easiest way to
get coconut oil on a consistent basis. This smoothie fills you
up and gives you great energy!
Cook a stir-fry using coconut oil- Use coconut oil in a hot
pan to sauté your favorite veggies and proteins. The oil has
a high tolerance to heat, so it is one of the best oils for
frying and cooking.
Use as a spread- Mix with raw chocolate powder and make
your own chocolate spread, eat with fruit.
Use coconut cream in place of milk- Coconut cream is one
of my favorite foods on earth. This white creamy
yumminess is great in butternut squash soup, smoothies,
cream bases and in coffee or tea. I like to make coconut
milk kefir and add that to my smoothies also.
Coconut cream tropical smoothie- Here is the recipe for this
tropical delight:
1/2 cup Frozen Mango
1/2 cup Frozen Pineapple
1/2 cup Frozen Papaya
1/3 C. Coconut cream or coconut cream kefir (see recipe
for making this below)
Fresh squeezed orange juice
Add some other fertility super foods like maca, spirulina,
royal jelly or flax oil. I use all of them!
Blend and enjoy!
*Choose organic ingredients when possible.
Drink coconut kefir- Coconut water kefir contains good
bacteria and electrolytes.
How to make coconut kefir:
Take 1 Liter of coconut water (you may use the coconut
water from tetra packs or fresh water from young
coconuts. (If you use the 250 ml tetra packs it will take 4
to make a liter of water.) Add 1 packet of kefir starter
(found at your local health food store) and place lid on
jar. It will now take 4-5 days for the kefir to culture at
room temperature. The coconut water will become
cloudy as the culture grows and it will become “fizzy”.
When the culture is done, add a twist of lime and a little
stevia or organic sweetener of your choice. Then sit
down and enjoy this delicious probiotic drink.
References:
1. Black, Jessica K., N.D., The Anti-Inflammation Diet and
Recipe Book, Hunter House, Inc., 2006
2. http://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/index-b.htm
3. http://www.eufic.org/page/en/show/latest-science-
news/fftid/underweight-miscarriage-healthy-diet-
pregnancy/
4. Cindy A Francois, Sonja L Connor, Rosemary C Wander,
and William E Connor, Acute effects of dietary fatty acids on
the fatty acids of human milk1-3 , American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, 1998, PDF
5. http://www.modernmom.com/blogs/susan-o-brien/
coconut-oil-benefits-pregnant-nursing-mothers
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