Coconut Oil and confusion...

[britaniefaith]

I went out and bought two things of Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil after hearing about so many of the benefits people have been having from taking 1-2 tablespoons a day. I suffer from PCOS and Hypothyroidism, among other things and I've heard that taking Coconut Oil daily can help with these illnesses... HOWEVER, the other day at an appointment with my Endocrinoligist who I highly respect, I brought up Coconut Oil and how I was thinking of taking it on a daily basis and he said that he "does not agree with it at all"... I didn't go into too much about it because I didn't feel like debating. He's very much into healthy eating (although he did recommend that for my PCOS I eat lots of fish and grains but then again thats semi healthy compared to a SAD diet) so after leaving his office, I feel a bit confused about Coconut Oil and whether or not to take it because I feel excited after hearing so many good reviews on it but alittle weary after hearing that a doctor I respect very much doesn't agree with it.

Any thoughts on Coconut Oil and why he'd possibly be against it??

Thanks!!

[StarFire]

britanae... I think only your doctor can speak for himself. We cannot tell you why he has the concerns that he has.... we could only speculate which wouldn't really help you at all.

Many of us (myself included) have had wonderful benefits from taking coconut oil, however, we cannot advise you to take it, this is a decision that you will have to make on your own with the information that you have on hand.

Or perhaps someone else may have some answers for you... I wish I could be of more help .... you're such a sweetie and you've worked so hard to reclaim your health... and you are doing a FANTASTIC JOB TOO I might add...

just keep going forward, and make wise decisions.... perhaps you should speak with your doctor again and ask him to go into more depth- or possibly he could suggest some website or some research to help you understand his concerns??

blessings girl... ;)

[Zuri]

Maybe doing some research on your own about coconut oil and deciding how you feel about it? Sometimes I think we give our doctors too much authority over us because they have that white .....what is that thing...a lab coat? :D Anyway, I agree that only you can decide for yourself. Of course, I assert that I don't agree with your doc. Not too many people, even doctors that embrace "healthy" eating are aware of the benefits of coconut oil. :-*

[firefaery]

Very often docs become nay-sayers when they have no information. You, as his patient could not possibly know more than he does-therefore he advises against it. I hate to be negative, but unfortunately that's the way it typically goes.

My advice? Take charge of your own health. Do your research. If you can find anything negative about coconut oil, look deeper. If not, collect info until you are comfortable and make a decision. Keep in mind that it is a food. A natural food.

I take 4-5 Tablespoons a day easily. I research everything ad nauseum. It was my decision, and I'm very happy with it. My only comment besides this would be to get the extra virgin as opposed to the expeller pressed which is more processed. Good Luck!

[firefaery]

Oh-and here's the biggest conspiracy theorist in me: if you went out and healed yourself, he'd be out a patient! ;) I'm glad you are exploring natural means of balancing your body. Keep it up!

[britaniefaith]

Very often docs become nay-sayers when they have no information. You, as his patient could not possibly know more than he does-therefore he advises against it. I hate to be negative, but unfortunately that's the way it typically goes.

My advice? Take charge of your own health. Do your research. If you can find anything negative about coconut oil, look deeper. If not, collect info until you are comfortable and make a decision. Keep in mind that it is a food. A natural food.

I take 4-5 Tablespoons a day easily. I research everything ad nauseum. It was my decision, and I'm very happy with it. My only comment besides this would be to get the extra virgin as opposed to the expeller pressed which is more processed. Good Luck!

Thank you, I'm definitely going to take this into my own hands and experiment with it. I changed my post, it actually is extra virgin not expeller pressed, I was wrong!

thanks again :)

[Nurse in the Raw]

Most doctors hear "oil" and think saturated fat, clogged arteries, etc and since PCOS patients already have cholesterol issues among other ills, he might not realize that it will do you more good than harm. Also they are not nutritionists and have only one semester of nutrition and that was probably years and years ago, so doctors are not a good source of information for healing foods. Try it and see how you feel.

[sbaker]

how can it be bad for you? worst case it doesn't "heal" you, but can it really hurt you?

[firefaery]

Sadly there are many health issues where whole natural foods can hurt, or at least seriously impede healing (think goitrogens with a thyroid condition for one) It is always better to do your research, but in this case I'd say you were in the clear.

However I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.... :p

[mel_s12]

I was going to say the exact same thing as Stacie.
In their 4 years of med school, they have 4 hours of nutrition studies.
Also, they view coconut oil as a 'bad' fat because it is saturated. However, they don't know the differences between short chain and long chain saturated fats and the huge health benefits of coconut oil.
But also like everybody says, I don't know your condition, so I would research it a little more and most importantly follow your instinct on this one.