Why I’ll Still Cook with Coconut Oil, Despite the AHA Advisory

Let me start off by forewarning y’all that if you are generally a person that believes everything an organization tells you without question you will not like what I have to say. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya! So here it goes, I will still cook with coconut oil, I will still add coconut oil to my smoothies and coffee (Bulletproof coffee) too. And, yes, I have read the AHA’s advisory notice. *rolls eyes*

My Concerns with the AHA

Let’s talk a little bit about the AHA for a second. The AHA (American Heart Association) is a non-profit organization founded by a group of cardiologists in 1924. If you are anything like me, I’m sure you might have thought the AHA is a government organization the way people seem to flock to this organization as the be-all-end-all source for cardiovascular health information. Because it is a non-profit organization, please understand that they are allowed to have a bias and can also accept money from companies that have questionable agendas. The sponsor that troubles me the most is Bayer because if you’ve seen any of my posts on Facebook or Twitter about Monsanto (Bayer is currently trying to merge with Monsanto), then you already know that I have no positive words about Monsanto’s antics. I am going to sit down and share my thoughts on here or on YouTube about Monsanto, glyphosate, and their GMO seeds. Bayer is part of Big Pharma, and to clarify, I am NOT against the use of drugs, what I am against are drugs being thrown at any and every disease not knowing the long-term impacts of that particular drug on the body and no emphasis being put on natural alternatives that could be used for less severe diseases and disorders. What I’m trying to say is Monsanto produces GMO crops and Bayer is a pharmaceutical giant…combining the two could be devastating to our future health as a nation. Corporate sponsors are nothing more than lobbyists throwing money at organizations to report findings that align with their agendas.
The AHA doesn’t want you eating natural, minimally processed fats like butter, lard, tallow, etc. yet want you to consume margarine. MARGARINE!!! Let’s talk about that for a second. Do you really know what margarine is?! Margarine was once made with animal fats, but the primary ingredients now “include vegetable oil, water, salt, emulsifiers, and some include milk.” The most troubling ingredient on that list to me is vegetable oil. I’ve said before, I don’t use any vegetable oils and a few of the reasons why are: 1) The oil is extracted with petroleum solvents, extremely high heats are used that can produce rancidity, and chemicals like BHA and BHT are also used. 2) Vegetable oils are PUFAs, which are polyunsaturated fats that are highly unstable and oxidize quickly, which can then cause inflammation in your cells and tissues. Let’s not get into the diseases to which vegetable oils are linked. 3) The ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 fatty acids is extremely high. We do not get enough Omega-3 in our diets and get too much Omega-6.

Why I Cook with Butter

I believe in using butter and wish I could get my hands on lard for a decent price! (If anybody has the hookup let me know. LOL) Butter has been scaring people for years for no good reason, namely, that reason is the amount of saturated fat that it contains. But butter is just a little misunderstood. Saturated fats shouldn’t be feared. In fact, your body needs saturated fats. Yes, your body can synthesize its own saturated fat, but it will most likely not synthesize enough so that is when your diet must fill in the discrepancies. The reason why research has said for years we eat enough saturated fat in our diets is because the American diet is generally chock-full of fast food and we all know that is the wrong fat and contains too many empty calories to consume. Butter from grass-fed cows is pretty nutritious and in case you forgot, butter doesn’t have to undergo a lot of chemical processes to be produced-it’s created from the churning process of separating butterfat from buttermilk. Here’s some more  information on grass-fed butter and why you should add it to your diet and why your body needs fat.

Still Cook with Coconut Oil

But you all came to this article for coconut oil and I don’t want to veer off from that any longer. The reason why the AHA wants you to stay away from consuming coconut oil is because of the saturated fat. They said coconut oil is 82% saturated fat “and studies show it raises LDL “bad” cholesterol as much as butter, beef fat or palm oil.” That is true, but one thing the AHA fails to make clear to its readers is that high LDL may not be harmful depending on the particle size. According to Sustainable Dish, “large LDL particles do not increase risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas small, dense particles do. Also, it has been repeatedly shown that an increase in saturated fat intake does raise LDL, but only the large, fluffy kind, not the harmful small, dense LDL. Also, when we eat saturated fat, HDL cholesterol levels go up, which is protective to our hearts, reducing the risk of heart disease.”
As you can see, I am not afraid to use coconut oil. I will still cook with coconut oil and don’t think that will ever stop. I’ve learned to take a lot of official publications with a grain of salt and I believe that comes from my health background. Once you’ve had to do research for alternative health treatments you find health findings that differ from popular opinion and certain things begin to click for you. I encourage you to research coconut oil and animal fats further so you can form your own opinions on if you’ll continue to use coconut oil for cooking. In the meantime, please comment down below and let me know what you think about the AHA’s advisory. If you liked this article please share it using the share buttons at the top, side, or bottom of this post. 
Resources:   AHA Advisory 

Sustainable Dish

 The Kitchn

Thank Your Body

Weston A. Price

Dr. Mercola