Coconut oil endotoxins

(M) #1

I’ve been posting a lot about coconut oil because I’m eating it lately, even if I don’t particularly like it or any other added oil, I need the help of something without fiber for extra calories. I am noticing my skin is getting better, but this may be due to cutting back on certain seafood that was really high in PCBs. I’m not sure.

Anyways, my concern is there are a lot of articles written saying that coconut oil causes some kind of endotoxin in your body and can worsen leaky gut. How true is this? should I pay any attention to it?

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

The place to start is by evaluating what you read. They might be right, they might be wrong, but you don’t know unless they tell you where they got their information. So if the article does not cite a study by title and give the journal reference, ignore it.

If there is a citation, follow it to the actual study and evaluate it. Is it an epidemiological study? If so, it is likely to be unreliable. You can do a cursory check by looking at a few numbers. First, how many people were studied (N = ?)? If it was only a few, the results will be very noisy. Second, how statistically reliable was the observed effect (P < ?)? If p is not less than 0.001, the effect is not very reliable. If, however, they say p < 0.00001, that’s something to pay attention to. Lastly, how large is the clinical effect? If it’s not at least 2.0, then it’s clinically irrelevant, even if it’s statistically significant.

Epidemiological data at their best can only show an association (or lack of one). Austin Bradford-Hill came up with some criteria, which, if followed, can perhaps be used to establish causality, but they involve extremely large effects, very high statistical significance, large populations, and other major considerations, plus there has to be a plausible mechanism of how the effect is achieved. In any other situation, epidemiological data can never do more than suggest hypotheses for further study.

If the cited study is a randomised controled trial, then it’s worth paying more attention to. But still, the criteria above still apply: effect size, statistical significance, N studied. Then you look at how the study was designed. Does their definition of “low-carb” or “keto” match ours? Was the study double-blinded? If not, why not? Who paid for the study? (If it was paid for by a drug company, the statistical certainty of a favourable result approaches 1.0.) Do the researchers appear independent? Do they appear to have an agenda?

Once you have looked at all these things, you are in a much better position to evaluate “a lot of articles written” that say this or that.

#3

No.

(M) #4

velvet, as somebody with adhesions and gut problems because of it, I admit I am a bit obsessed with trying to find what is good/bad with foods. It’s not really something I enjoy, I did not always live this way and I’d like to get back to normalcy, but I’ve got problems to deal with now. I do almost feel like it is pointless though, looking up things on the internet to heal yourself because you can find a contradictory article to everything.

#5

It is rather pointless. That’s my point.
Worry about eating enough protein and fat and add some carbs to put on weight. Once you have a healthy weight, you can worry about other things.

I do worry about you. I don’t think you are on a good path.

#6

That screams Dave Asprey… Get organic coconut oil and don’t worry about it. If you’re using Coconut oil at the level where it’s become a “food”, I wouldn’t.

(M) #7

I’m mostly using it as an added fat source/more calories. I get instant nausea from it that lasts 30 minutes, so I do not eat it with my dinner because im afraid of what that would do. unlike butter however I don’t get the acid reflux, I’ve been doing it about a week now.

I do not know who Dave Asprey is, im just looking for added fat sources that are healthy.

(Edith) #8

I would say if your skin is improving, that’s a good sign the coconut oil is not damaging your gut lining. Listen to your body.