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Oliart-Ros and colleagues (1998) at the Instituto Tecnolégico 39% absorption of calcium, whereas the soy oil (60%) and de Veracruz, Mexico, reported on effects of different dietary fats coconut oil (40%) gave 95.2% absorption of fat and 48.4% on sucrose-induced cardiovascular syndrome in rats. The most absorption of calcium (Nelson et al., 1996). Both fat and calcium significant reduction in parameters of the syndrome was obtained —_ are needed by the infant for proper growth. These results clearly by the n-3 PUFA-rich diet. These researchers reported that the show the folly of removing or lowering the coconut oil content in diet thought to be PUFA-deficient presented a tissue lipid pattern —_ infant formulas. similar to the n-3 PUFA-rich diet (fish oil), which surprised and puzzled them. When the researchers were questioned, it turned XI. RESEARCH SHOWING A ROLE FOR COCONUT IN out that the diet was not really PUFA-deficient, but rather just a = ENHANCING IMMUNITY AND MODULATING normal coconut oil (nonhydrogenated) which conserved the elon- | METABOLIC FUNCTIONS gated omega-3 and normalised the omega-6 to omega-3 balance. Coconut oil appears to help the immune system response in a A recent study measured the effect of high-fat diets, fed for beneficial manner. Feeding coconut oil in the diet completely more than three months to neonatal pigs, on the HMG-CoA abolished the expected immune factor responses to endotoxin that reductase enzyme's function and gave some surprises. There were — were seen with corn oil feeding. This inhibitory effect on inter- two feeding protocols: one with the added cholesterol and one _leukin-1 production was interpreted by the authors of the study as without added cholesterol, but both with coconut oil. The hepatic being largely due to a reduced prostaglandin and leukotriene pro- reductase activity, which was the same in all groups at the begin- duction (Wan and Grimble, 1987). However, the damping may ning of the feeding on the third day and similar on the 42nd day, be due to the fact that effects from high omega-6 oils tend to be was increased with and without added cholesterol on the 13th day normalised by coconut oil feeding. and then decreased on the 25th day. The data were said to suggest Another report from this group (Bibby and Grimble, 1990) that dietary cholesterol suppressed hepatic reductase activity in compared the effects of corn oil and coconut oil diets on tumour the young pigs regardless of their genetic background, that the _ necrosis factor-alpha and endotoxin induction of the inflammatory stage of development was a dominant factor in its regulation, and _ prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. The animals fed coconut oil that both dietary and endogenously synthesised cholesterol were did not produce an increase in PGE2, and the researchers again used primarily for tissue building in very young pigs interpreted this as a modulatory effect that brought about a reduc- (McWhinney et al., 1996). The feed- tion of phospholipid arachidonic acid ing of coconut oil did not in any way content. compromise the normal development Another study from the same of these animals. Several recent studies are research group (Tappia and Grimble, When compared with feeding showing additional helpful 1994) showed that omega-6 oil coconut oil, feeding two different soy- . enhanced inflammatory stimuli, but bean oils to young females caused a effects of consuming coconut that coconut oil, along with fish oil and significant decrease in HDL choles- oil ona regular basis, thus olive oil, suppressed the production of terol. Both soybean oils, one of which interleukin-1. was extracted from a new mutant soy- supplying the body with the Several recent studies are showing bean thought to be more oxidatively lauric acid derivative additional helpful effects of consuming stable, were not protective of the HDL 9 UV coconut oil on a regular basis, thus levels (Lu et al., 1997). monolaurin. supplying the body with the lauric acid Trautwein et al. (1997) studied cho- derivative, monolaurin. Monolaurin lesterol-fed hamsters on different oil and the ether analogue of monolaurin supplements for plasma, hepatic and bil- have been shown to have the potential iary lipids. The dietary oils included butter, palm stearin, coconut for damping adverse reactions to toxic forms of glutamic acid oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil and sunflowerseed oil. Plasma choles- (Dave et al., 1997). Lauric acid and capric acid have been report- terol concentrations were higher (9.2 millimoles/litre) for olive oil ed to have very potent effects on insulin secretion (Garfinkel et than for coconut oil (8.5 mmol/L), hepatic cholesterol was highest —_al., 1992). Using a model system of murine splenocytes, Witcher in the olive oil group, and none of the diet groups differed for bil- _ et al. (1996) showed that monolaurin induced proliferation of T- iary lipids. Even in this cholesterol-sensitive animal model, cells and inhibited the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 mitogenic coconut oil performed better than olive oil. effects on T-cells. Smit and colleagues (1994) had also studied the effect of feed- Monserrat and colleagues (1995) showed that a diet rich in ing coconut oil compared with feeding corn oil and olive oil in —_ coconut oil could protect animals against the renal necrosis and rats, and measured the effect on biliary cholesterol. Bile flow was renal failure produced by a diet deficient in choline (a methyl not different between the three diets, but the hepatic plasma mem- donor group). The animals had less or no mortality and increased branes showed more cholesterol and less phospholipid from corn survival time as well as decreased incidence or severity of the and olive oil feeding relative to coconut oil feeding. renal lesions when 20% coconut oil was added to the deficient Several studies (Kramer et al., 1998) have pointed out problems diet. A mixture of hydrogenated vegetable oil and corn oil did not with canola oil feeding in newborn piglets, which results in a show the same benefits. reduction in the number of platelets and alteration in their size. The immune system is complex and has many feedback mecha- There is concern for similar effects in human infants. These nisms to protect it, but the wrong fat and oils can compromise undesirable effects can be reversed when coconut oil or other sat- these important mechanisms. The data from the several studies urated fat is added to the feeding regimen (Kramer et al., 1998). show the helpful effects of coconut fat. Additionally, there are Research has shown that coconut oil is needed for good absorp- anecdotal reports that consumption of coconut is beneficial for tion of fat and calcium from infant formulas. The soy oil (47%) individuals with the chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syn- and palm olein (53%) formula gave 90.6% absorption of fat and drome known as CFIDS. 39% absorption of calcium, whereas the soy oil (60%) and coconut oil (40%) gave 95.2% absorption of fat and 48.4% absorption of calcium (Nelson et al., 1996). Both fat and calcium are needed by the infant for proper growth. These results clearly show the folly of removing or lowering the coconut oil content in infant formulas. XI. RESEARCH SHOWING A ROLE FOR COCONUT IN ENHANCING IMMUNITY AND MODULATING METABOLIC FUNCTIONS showing additional helpful effects of consuming coconut oil on a regular basis, thus supplying the body with the lauric acid derivative, monolaurin. 34 ¢ NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2002 Several recent studies are WWW.NeXU smagazi ne.com