On Wed, 3 Dec 1997, John C. Pavao wrote:

> Not sure Tony, I'm under the impression that the only truly safe oils are
> coconut oil, continually refrigerated flaxseed oil and extra virgin olive
> oil.

Somebody recently posted a message here to the effect that
coconut oil is a good source of beneficial stearic acid.  This is
incorrect.  Coconut oil is a poor source of stearic acid,
compared to beef tallow, for example.  On the other hand, coconut
oil is very high in lauric acid, which is one of the saturated
fats known to elevate LDL cholesterol (the other is myristic
acid).  This is why coconut oil is often used in animal studies
precisely to raise cholesterol.

It is true that coconut oil is very resistant to oxidation,
because of its high concentration of saturated fats, but in my
opinion this is not sufficient to consider it safe.

Todd Moody
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