In 1953, the American scientist Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper linking high saturated fat intake with heart disease in adult men. Though initially met with skepticism, medical societies and government bodies eventually embraced Keys’s findings, and the era of fat demonization began – much to the joy of processed food manufacturers. Although most experts now regard Keys’s research as cherry-picked and flawed, its conclusions still influence and direct the purchasing choices of the average consumer….
The twentieth century was not kind to butter. Like eggs, coconut oil and many other nutritious foods, this beloved dairy product, which is made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk, was a victim of the misguided war on saturated fats that began in the 1950s. As a result of this war, the consumption of “low fat” butter substitutes, such as margarine, actually exceeded that of butter itself. Consequently, cases of heart disease and…
Most of us are aware that the natural health world is packed with different and often conflicting beliefs. Take coffee, for example. For every ten researchers who proclaim that coffee is an antioxidant-rich superdrink that can guard us from Alzheimer’s disease, you’ll find another ten who state, with equal conviction, that giving up coffee is a requisite for superior adrenal and mental health. Raw food, red wine, sugar alcohols and fasting seem to be similarly…
Coconut oil, which is derived from the meat of matured coconuts, is possibly the healthiest oil in the world. Rich in good saturated fats and important minerals, the regular consumption of coconut oil has been linked to reduced cholesterol, boosting of the immune system, weight loss, superior digestion and metabolism, and much more. It is, in short, a truly amazing food. However, if there’s one department in which coconut oil excels even more than healthiness,…
Few tropical fruits are as versatile as coconuts. These unique, round drupes, whose name derives from the sixteenth century Spanish word for “head” or “skull,” are processed around the world to make coconut milk, flour, sugar, and butter, countless soap and cosmetic products, and, of course, coconut oil – one of the greatest superfoods on Earth. In fact, coconut products have become so popular in the West that we often overlook the fruit in its…