So what is it? Is coconut oil a miracle oil? I have read about all of its health benefits, but it seems like a lot of people say that the saturated fats in it can clog arteries...

Or is this just mainstream media and corn oil manufacturers trying to make up stories or a lack of knowledge about medium chain tryglycerites?

I think it's dangerous to think of anything as a "miracle" is likely to attribute to that substance greater powers than are justified. it is however a NATURAL produce and one that human cultures have used throughout and probably before recorded history. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that human DNA has probably adapted to using coconut and it's derivatives.

If you take a spoonful of coconut oil and hold it in your hand, how long will it remain solid?
Try it and see what happens to solid saturated fats at human body temperature.
While there has been a lot of research on saturated fats and heart disease the sum total of all that research has shown There is no link

The reasons we got into this mess are more complicated than a "conspiracy theory" I don't think at any time did anyone knowingly try to mislead anyone. The fact that it was a convienient theory that supported many industries certainly helped keep it going and therefore it's going to be difficult to reestablish the truth but it's like the "calories in = calories out" myth there are some ideas that are so fundamental to the way people think, they cannot unthink them however much evidence there is that the theory doesn't work in practice.
We may all know that insanity is doing the same thing time after time and expecting different results, but that doesn't stop us thinking saturated fat clogs arteries or we must eat less in order to lose weight.



Once you grasp the idea that the brain can burn MCT as easily as glucose you understand that we don't need glucose to keep the brain functioning. We can use coconut oil or butter in place of glucose. This means we can regain (over a period of time) the ability to burn our own body fat rather than keep storing it and carrying it around.
But to access our own body fat we have to lower insulin levels and to do that we have to lower blood glucose levels. That means eating fewer refined carbohydrates and generally most people will need to get under the 100g refined carbs daily level and some may have to get right down below 50g carbs daily.
At that level the calories stored in fat tissue should become available and a steady weight loss around 1kg week should be sustainable.
Using Coconut oil or other source of MCT helps the process by enabling the adjustment in metabolism to occur more readily and avoids the "Atkins flu" scenario where people feel crap while regaining the metabolic flexibility to run on a different fuel.
Apart from the lack of research on MCT we are also learning a lot of new information about our gut flora and our mitochondria.
One of the reasons the Calories in = calories out theory is flawed is that it fails to recognise that there are 10 time the number of gut flora bacteria DNA in human bodies than human DNA and we are eating to provide fuel for their metabolism along with our own fuel needs.
Changing the type of fuel our body uses also changes the type/number and calorie requirement of our gut Microbiome as does changing our inflammatory status.
Similarly each cell in our body has mitochodria that govern the energy metabolism of that cell. Having a highly inflammatory system jeopardises the functionality of mitochondria and leads to premature aging. We should all be minding our mitochondria

I use & cook with XXVcoconut oil all the time. Great for softening the skin too as well as for dry brittle hair.
When cooking with coconut oil, nothing sticks to your pot or skillet.
Especially great for frying/scrambling eggs - no messy cleanup.
In fact, I just ordered a new supply from Vitacost which came yesterday - free ship w/$49.00 order.

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Coconut oil has been getting a bad rap for a long time, but is now being recognized as being very beneficial to health, as it should be.

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Not going to call it a "miracle" oil, but I've been taking a spoonful a day for health...https://www.natmedtalk.com/wiki/Coconut

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The reason that coconut oil has a shelf life of at least 2 years is due to its remarkable features of being antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral. That is a winning combination that other oils cannot meet. It is due to its content of 8 acids. The top being lauric acid and caprylic acid.

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I've just picked up 20 Kgs of pristine virgin coconut oil, cold pressed for an insane $159 USD from Asia.

I like it. Don't use it as much as I would like. I will be experimenting with it soon though. Palm oil too.

We also use virgin coconut oil mostly for tenderizing some veggies dinners, Yea..it's a Saturated Fat, but when it comes to "Fats"...it's the "natural" Saturated Fats that is most compatible with digestive processes..
~Having said this, I believe it is equally important to know that all things are to be in "Moderation", ~and that applies to coconut oil too, ~Too much of any Oil consumption can result in an imbalance within our bodies, and could lead to harmful effects.. Especially so if a person already has any health issues..
To clarify this when having health problems, sometimes we tend to go overboard in wanting to help our health issues with the "stuff" that strongly fights our bodies battles against the problems... so it's important to realize that it's vital to know that bringing "Natural Balance" back to our body with proper diet, is the best way for the body to fight or fend off health issues... To overdo with loading the body down in our jealous attempts to help ourselfs, can lead to more hindrance and complications than actually benefits..
~ It's wise to spend the time to study " the documented research" behind the products, drugs, and that which goes into the body,
~[taking advertisements ads with a grain of salt..especially if the research is done by a company selling the same product.]
Coconut oil from what I've read, is most known for it's antioxidant, so is many other super foods... But if anyone is taking coconut oil to fend off health problems, it's my personal opinion that the "antioxidants" within a safe daily amount of consumption of coconut [or it's by products], will sadly fall short of being effective enough to combat major health problems..
~To a fairly healthy person, coconut is a good free radical scavenger among other things.
~We use coconut to make our milk and as a butter substitute for any baking needs & etc.... The shredded coconut that you commonly buy in the stores, is what's left after most of the oils has been pressed out of it.. ~taste okay in all natural homemade cookies etc..~but not so high in nutritional value..
Hope this helps..