Coconut oil

[Mazen]

I'm trying to find ways to gain some weight, and I've been reading a lot that eating coconut oil helps with this. But the problem is I'm getting 2 conflicting info from my internet search:

- The first says that coconut oil is very healthy and should be used in cooking as well. Also it is said that it is very helpful for Crohn's because it has antimicrobal properties and other factors

http://www.coconut-connections.com/ibs.htm

- The other view is that we with Crohn's should decrease saturated fat intake including coconut oil in order to stay healthy and keep Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio correct

So which is correct? Has anybody of you tried coconut oil?

 

[Kev]

I don't think it's a case of either/or... Decreasing saturated fat intake does not mean total elimination... If you are conscientious of your fat intake, try substituting a little coconut oil for other saturated fats... A little judiciuos experimentation on a 'trial' basis may put you onto something.. Dr Leonard Cohen and the clinic look legit, but I wouldn't dive headfirst into anything I saw on the 'net'. You could try running this by a nutrition expert, but seems today like every expert has a different opinion. A lil ol fashioned trial & error in a 'safe' Vs sorry approach shouldn't cause you any grief.. nothing ventured, etc., etc..

 

[fgillette1986]

It seems I am very slowly gaining weight and one of the things I consume is coconut milk. Maybe half a can a day. It's the only saturated fat type of food I eat these days.

 

[ruthymg]

Why not try drinking the build up drinks?


Ruth

 

[Mazen]

I usually cannot handle artificial drinks much. I once tried Ensure, and it caused me discomfort anf Nausea. So I'm trying more natural sources with not so many ingredients mixed together, as it seems my body handles them better

 

[ames]

i have been doing a lot of research on this "virgin"coconut oil; and found not reliable sources of info or legit studies. so i bought a jar and i'm gonna do my own self-experiment. i was hoping i would find testimonies of actual people who have used it on this site and others; but i have not. i would not believe anything you read, as far as testimonials go, on the websites supporting coconut oil, because these site are all trying to sell you their own brand or books by nutrtionists that support its use. plus, i read an article about the coconut industry and how the the south pacific countries are losing lots of $$ cause of the bad press that coconut has gotten and how they are trying to find new ways to increase revenue, ie. coming up with new ways to sell coconut products to americans.
apparently, it contains large amounts of lauric acid, an amino acid found in breast milk; it also has medium chain fatty acids which are supposed to be easier to digest. it is used in some IV nutitional supplemnts in hospitals. it may have some benefits; but it may still have adverse effects on cholesterol????
there is just not research out there... so i'm doing my own. but i wouldn't recommend anyone else self-experiment.
-ames

 

[D Bergy]

No, there is not a whole lot out there on coconut oil. Here is one article on it.

http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/24/coconut_oil.htm

D Bergy

 

[healthboy]

I tried coconut oil but I don't like the taste. There are some that are sold in tablet form.

 

[D Bergy]

Here is another article on coconut oil. I am particularly interested in its purported ability to kill H Pylori. I am currently experimenting to see if elimination of this bacteria has any effect on Crohn's.

http://www.sarid.net/archives/2004-november/041129-health-heart-coconut-oil.htm

Sounds like it is better than other types of cooking oil as far as the heart is concerned. Unfortunately, I could not find it in the grocery store.

I would like to use it for cooking and maybe try some gel caps or something that is not nasty tasting.

D Bergy

 

[Cog]

Try Vitamin Shoppe - Garden of Life

 

[fgillette1986]

I make smoothies with coconut oil. That's a good way to incorporate it into your diet.

 

[D Bergy]

I was thinking more about this coconut oil thing and why not just buy some shredded coconut used for baking and try it out. Coconut is mostly fat anyway.

Better yet, buy some macaroon cookies and scarf them down. Even if it does not work you still get to eat cookies. Either way you win unless you do not like coconut.

You could also buy a bona fide coconut and bust it open with a ball peen hammer and have the fun of breaking something with out getting in trouble.

This is what you think of when you work the night shift.

D Bergy

 

[HDGirl]

YUM Cookies!

I live D bergy's cookie idea... I personally hate coconut... but in a cookie I can tolerate it. However I don't think the dryed stuff will help... I maybe wrong... but I think fresh stuff has more oil and the oil is what is needed for weight gain.

Ensure and protein shakes can be way too "heavy" for some people... moderation is the key. A little can go a long way in some cases.

The coconut milk thing sounds good and 1/2 a can a day seems moderate... how does it taste? Since I really don't like coconut and all... can I flavor it with some fresh strawberries? or maybe a banana for some potasium.... hmmmmm, I better go buy me some coconut milk!

I put flax seed oil in my smoothies... maybe I"ll substitute coconut oil....

What's you decide Mazen?

 

[Jeff D.]

I wouldn't use the cookie method as it has no oils in it. Most of the time they create the coconut using artificial means. You could buy your own coconut and then dry it and use that and it would be fine.

 

[Mazen]

Hi HDGirl. I read once in the Maker's Diet book an idea for a smoothie which mixes goat's yoghurt, flax oil, coconut milk, raw honey, some fruit (banana or berry) together. It's supposed to help heal the intestines and gain weight.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm thinking about it... The only problem is I can't find any flax oil here in Lebanon. I only found ones in capsule form......

Has anyone tried this Synergy Smoothie as the book calls it before??

 

[soupdragon69]

Anyone thought about coconut butter?? Comes in a tub and is solid and means you use a small amount.... thats my tuppence worth.

D Bergy,

You breaking something and getting in trouble? Hmm Would you do that?? LOL Its when you run away from the scene of the crime laughing manically that gives you away!! (From a former night shiftee).

Mazen,

Not sure bout the combo of that smoothie in relation to healing the intestines.. High fat, High sugar, High fibre (banana) and dairy to round it off? Sounds nice enough but think I will give it a wide berth sorry. Think my guts would have to be healed well and truly before I tried it.



Jan

 

[D Bergy]

I have never heard of Coconut butter but I will look for it.

I think one of the most important thing about coconut is the anti fungal aspect of it.

Crohn's symptoms seem to be connected to both leaky gut and excessive fungus and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. I will not say these are the only factors but they appear to play a bigger role than I previously thought.

The thinking is we lack the proper immune response to invaders to begin with. Fungus and bad bacteria and viruses can propagate in the gut where they would quickly be eliminated in a normal person. Next the excessive fungus usually a yeast of some kind causes the gut barrier to weaken spewing all kinds of nasty substances into our blood stream. Now we have an allergic response to any number of these substances. The bottom line is eliminate the fungus and and the gut barrier should start to heal. This is done automatically in a normal person.

While this could be wrong, an easy way to test it without risk is to use both Coconut oil and drink plenty of Green Tea. They both have anti fungal properties.
Ginger, which I also take, kills bad bacteria and supports normal gut flora.

Since I started drinking Green Tea my Psoriasis has been gradually disappearing. It is a slow process but it would not budge before. I believe that it likely helps other symptoms as well. I am currently having no symptoms and I attribute much of that, but not all, to the Green Tea.

I am still investigating the leaky gut part of the equation. It appears that zinc may help this. See old hats link.

D Bergy

 

[Mazen]

Just to add to what D Bergy wrote, Bee Propolis is a natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal product. I, as well some others with Crohn's have had some success with it. It's also relatively safe and cheap.

 

[fgillette1986]

"I read once in the Maker's Diet book an idea for a smoothie which mixes goat's yoghurt, flax oil, coconut milk, raw honey, some fruit (banana or berry) together."

Sounds close to the smoothies I make.

It consists of activia yogurt (strawberry), bananas, coconut milk, rice milk, apples, a little bit of spinach, and a mix of lemon flavored fish oil for omega 3s. I also drink a lot of organic green tea that's water decaffinated, which I make by sweetening it with local bee honey.

I think that covers the basis of the "synergy" smoothie.

HDgirl - "The coconut milk thing sounds good and 1/2 a can a day seems moderate... how does it taste? Since I really don't like coconut and all... "

I can't taste the coconut milk at all.

 

[soupdragon69]

Yep have had coconut butter in a big tub. It liquifies at room temp to become an oil but can be kept in the fridge to solidify it (just like dairy butter). Only need a VERY small amount to spread on things and although about £15 per tub can last ages and ages.

I looked into it in relation to my underactive thyroid probs a few years ago.

Jan

 

[D Bergy]

Were you diagnosed with an under active Thyroid Soupdragon? And what is Coconut supposed to do to help this? And do you feel it helped your problem?

I have always suspected I have this, but tests always indicate that it is within normal range. I think mine may be borderline but I would like to bump it up a bit.

I basically smoke cigarettes because I am so darn sluggish if I don't. I have quit for two and three years at a time and never feel better for it. The last time I started again I decided I was not going to quit again until I figure out why I can't get rid of this sluggish sloth like feeling I have when I quit. I can quit at any time without too much difficulty but unless I feel better for it instead of worse I am not going to do it.

Thank you.

D Bergy

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi D Bergy,

Yes I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 1997. I deteriorated quite markedly over about 18mths having had probs concentrating and gradually finding it harder and harder since my mid teens to cope with every day things. Got to the stage I had constant muscle pain, lost my night vision and they thought I was having mini epileptic episodes, along with extreme exhaustion and very poor short term memory (great for reading books cause never remembered what happened LOL). During that time I lost my house, car and job and moved in with my parents.

All my blood tests were either border line or just below normal but never enough to warrant thyroxine they said. When my liver function tests went through the roof I requested to see a liver specialist (funny that) as the neurologist said I wasnt epileptic and had chronic fatigue syndrome. When the liver cons saw me he said "its your thyroid you dope and I will prove it". Put me on 50mcg thyroxine and went back 6wks later with blood results and it turned out my thyroid was barely functioning. I tick over on 175mcg now a days having been on 200mcg until last year.

Because my bloods always come out odd to normal parameters I have had a very hard time over the years proving when I have been sick but all my docs now recognise this. My GI has said it can be a trade mark of a crohn's patient too which I found interesting. So they go by clinical and how I am in myself by talking to me and only use blood tests as additional info.

Regarding the coconut I didnt find it made any marked difference to me but apparently there is an element within it that can impact on thyroid function and improve it. Been a long time from I researched it D Bergy so it may have changed now or there may be more evidence for it I don't know...

You dont need anyone to tell you smoking is a big NO and its your decision but to be honest feeling sluggish just wouldnt be enough for me to continue it if that was the only reason. Have you thought it might be the chemicals in the cigarette that are giving you the "high" and when you stop the poor absorption issues in relation to IBD are what are making you sluggish and you just notice it more without the cigarette propping you up? Just thinking out loud here..

I am also asthmatic so run a mile from smokers. My GI has told me that my thyroid, skin probs, asthma and crohn's are all linked and I have to say since starting infliximab there have been VAST improvements on all fronts. So for me the links seem to be there at least.

Hope you find some answers soon. Let me know how you get on.

 

[D Bergy]

Yes, it is quite possible and even likely that the chemicals in the cigarettes are acting like some other drugs and compensating for a symptom without improving the underlying cause. A useful property, but not the best way to resolve a problem. Also huge potential negative side effects. Not to mention the ever larger cost to the pocket book.

You also may be correct in saying if my other absorption issues are corrected that may take care of the problem. I do believe they are related to Crohn's or at the very least intestinal related just as my depression appeared to be. It would be a good test to quit again and see what happens now. The only problem is that , I have to quit again and it is not a whole lot of fun.

Thanks for the information and your point of view. Makes a lot of sense to me.

I am glad you found something that works well for you. That seems to be the key to the whole thing.

D Bergy

 

[D Bergy]

Just got my Coconut oil the other day. I was picturing oil like vegetable oil but it is more like hard butter or lard. I took a big spoonful and gulped it down. Kind of disgusting having it melt in your mouth and swallowing it. I will get used to it I guess.

The strange part was how much energy I had working that night shift. I usually am falling asleep around 1:00 AM. I was not very tired all night in spite of it being slow.

I also could not seem to eat enough. I brought my normal amount of lunch but I ended up going to a gas station to get more food. Then when I got home I ate some more. I usually do not eat anything but go straight to bed. I hope the appetite thing is a temporary event. I do not want to pack on too much weight.

I will have to see if it does anything longer term. Right now I have very little for symptoms so it may be hard to tell anything. There sure is a lot of good things said about it. I wish there was some more solid evidence as to how it can help with Crohn's. I suppose it is easy enough to tell for many people, but right now I may not be the best judge.

D Bergy

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi D Bergy,

Yep thats the stuff. I just used to spread on something I could eat at the time like bread for instance like you would ordinary butter. So perhaps it may decrease the hunger/appetite aspects if you tried it like that?

Would be interested to hear how you go with it though.

 

[D Bergy]

I am eating about three tablespoons a day so I would have to lay it on pretty thick to get near that amount. I really like butter on my bread so I would rather do the big gulp.

I do not mind the taste. It is just that big greasy wad in my mouth that is hard to get used to. I thought it would give me the big D, but it actually has not affected anything as far as stool goes. No problems with it so far.

Best Regards

D Bergy

 

[Kev]

I've managed to gain weight... but I'm on a low fat, hi protein diet. I'm not sure if a weight gain from fat intake would be the better choice in the long run.. Or maybe i'm just jealous that you've got an excuse to add fat (esp saturated) to your diet. sheesh

 

[soupdragon69]

Dan,

You are welcome to that greasy wad, I just couldnt do that!! I thought elemental was bad enough so I take my hat off to you! I like coconut but just could not imagine taking it like you are.

Hope it works for you..