Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a primarily saturated fat whose medium-chain fatty acids allow it to be metabolized as rapidly as glucose, giving it a unique capacity to heat up metabolism and oppose the anti-thyroid effects of polyunsaturated fats. 3 Peat argued that its shorter carbon chains (predominantly 14 and 16 carbons) make it exceptionally mobile in the system, and the very short chains can be oxidized in the mitochondria without relying on the carnitine transport system, effectively letting them "crowd in line" ahead of longer-chain fats. 2 This rapid oxidation means that, unlike longer saturated fats, coconut oil does not interfere with glucose metabolism but can actually activate it, allowing the mitochondria to run at full speed in a manner that mimics a thyroid supplement. 3

The oil's biological value is inseparable from its antagonism to the stored polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Peat explained that when consumed, coconut oil quickly enters the bloodstream and goes to the same places as the toxic stored PUFAs, momentarily relieving the suppression of metabolism by physically getting in front of the suppressive molecule. 11 This interference occurs at multiple points, from the gland secreting thyroid hormone to the mitochondrial response, but is especially potent inside the mitochondrion where the coconut oil itself is being very quickly burned for energy. 3 By blocking the anti-metabolic effects of unsaturated fats, coconut oil helps prevent the uncoupling of respiration from energy production and the direction of carbohydrate into fat storage, thereby reducing the need for adrenal stress hormones and allowing for stable blood sugar without symptoms of hypoglycemia. 7

Peat drew a sharp distinction between natural coconut oil and manufactured medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). He considered isolated MCT oil a "totally unnatural thing that never occurs in nature," where the components are arranged in a manufactured way that has "very powerful biological effects." 1 He reported that after consuming a small amount of an MCT mixture, his skin emitted a rank, goaty smell for days, and he cautioned that these fractionated products have not been in use long enough to know if they are safe, comparing the drug-industry approach of fractionating natural products to the dangerous isolation of single amino acids. 5 Dinkov has extended this warning practically, noting that true coconut oil should be rock hard at room temperature, and that liquid products sold as "coconut oil" are often pure MCT or fractionated coconut oil being marketed under relaxed labeling laws. 2

While Peat championed the whole natural food, he also documented specific risks with the isolated MCT fractions. He cited a case where a person's severe neurological and other symptoms resolved completely upon stopping all supplements containing MCT, and referenced animal research showing that MCT can affect the immune system on the intestinal lining in a way that destroys the ability to resist antigens, creating susceptibility to food allergies. 8 Dinkov has noted that MCTs, unlike longer saturated fats, do not trigger the Randle cycle and get oxidized similarly to sugar, meaning a diet could theoretically be higher in fat if it were mostly from medium-chain triglycerides without causing weight gain. 2 However, Peat maintained that the whole natural product, used as a regular food, is the best way to protect health, observing that consistent users of coconut oil typically have cholesterol levels around 160 while eating cholesterol-rich foods. 2