coconut oil..or no

has anyone used coconut oil for lupus or oregano oil?im on plaquenil,so if it increases your immune system,isnt that a contradiction..?

Anyone with an autoimmune disease, lupus or any other, does not have a weak immune system...just a misdirected one.  Amping up your immune system is exactly the wrong thing to do.  I would doubt that coconut oil would boost it that much anyway.  Many of the claims about supplements are either overstated or false.

Doctors give us med to SUPPRESS our immune system, not the other way around.

Bill

yeah,I know it works wildly.Finally diagnosed after almost 5 years of hell.But ya know, ya just dont know what to believe as Ive looked online and all the reports say its puts your immune system back where it should be.I know I cant take melatonin,made me flare for almost 3 weeks!guess Ill jes use it on my hair!8o)

Lupus or other autoimmune diseases could not be prevented by weakenning the immune system, the medicine given such as corticosteroids is just for suppressing the immune system which is different than weakenning. So it is very good to boost your immune system through green vegetables, walnuts, ginger,black cumin, olive oil and yes with coconut. It heals the gut and when gut becomes to function normal recovery from lupus starts. Eat coconut everyday if you can, sleep well and stay away from animal proteins and processed food :)

I was trying to find a way to explain how some "immune boosters" are good for autoimmune disease.

Rest for example is an immune booster, as is exercise, sleep - another good immune booster. These all help our immune systems by balancing them in a good way. That is how things like coconut oil work to enhance the immune system and help it work properly. It balances, reduces the negative immune response by recognizing antigens that are actually harmful rather than healthy tissue.

It's all confusing and complicated with our t cells and b cells, antigens, histamine, yadda yadda. It's also scary when told our immune systems are for all intents and purposes are "broken". I can understand and also had the same thought when told something would boost the immune system. I thought, "well there is NO way I'm eating/ingesting that then!"

So the easiest way to put it without a long scientific jargon 3 page essay is to say that just as sleep is an ok immune booster so is a plant based oil (in this case coconut oil) as they work the same way, helping the immune system to function normally.

I feel it's important to comment here as I have suggested coconut oil as a wonderful thing for most of us lupies and I would never recommend anything that I haven't researched. It can be extremely good, unless one has an allergy to coconuts! And if anyone would like the 3 page scientific jargon explanation just let me know! ;)

Hi Bsime, I will see what I can dig up for you. Unfortunately most controlled scientific studies are conducted by pharmaceutical companies who generally can't make money from natural foods so most of the research (that I know of )has been done by naturopaths.

Off the top of my head I know it has a very high concentration of lauric acid which is also found in breast milk.

Let me switch from my tablet to the computer (easier to post links lol)

Actually I am very familiar with the chemistry of coconut oil having owned the largest brokerage firm trading in it and having an office in Manila in the past. There are a lot of claims but little science behind them like so many other homeopathic remedies. It is accepted in the Philippines that is has great value. In the USA it was demonized in the 70s and 80s due to the hardness (high % of saturated fats) in the oil. The reality was that it was a disinformation campaign by the American Soybean Assoc to discredit coconut, palm and palm kernel oils because they would be much cheaper than our primary oil, soybean oil, and palm and pk oil in particular would be available soon in massive quantities worldwide. It is good that coconut oil is getting its' due but I am not sure that helping with AI disease is one of them.

Coconut oil production has declined significantly in recent decades due to a viroid disease called cadang cadang. To my knowledge it is still not under control but there are probably hybrids now that are resistant. Coconut trees take many years to become productive and often live to 100 years. Most of the production is from small holders with less than 5 hectares who intercrop with other things.

Your references are commercial. No matter where the research is done it would be listed at PubMed. I will search more when I have time.

There is no harm ingesting it. I like coconut milk and candy with copra in it myself but just for pleasure.

Bill

yes, here are the studies..

Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 May;77(5):1146-55. Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials. Mensink RP, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB. Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Pharm Biol. 2010 Feb;48(2):151-7. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activities of virgin coconut oil. Intahphuak S, Khonsung P, Panthong A. McCormick Faculty of Nursing, Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.


Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2010;23(6):290-7. Epub 2010 Jun 3. Effect of topical application of virgin coconut oil on skin components and antioxidant status during dermal wound healing in young rats. Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Department of Biochemistry, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Dermatitis. 2008 Nov-Dec;19(6):308-15. Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis. Verallo-Rowell VM, Dillague KM, Syah-Tjundawan BS. Skin and Cancer Foundation, Pasig, Philippines.

Dermatitis. 2004 Sept;15(3):109-16. A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis. Agero AL, Verallo-Rowell VM. Department of Dermatology, Makati Medical Center, Makati City, Philippines.

J Cosmet Sci. 2003 Mar-Apr;54(2):175-92. Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. Rele AS, Mohile RB. Research and Development Department, Nature Care Division, Marico Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India.
(this one may be commercial)


Lipids – 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13, Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity. Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Faculdade de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL 57072-970, Brazil.

Am J Clin Nutr. – 2005 Jan;81(1):7-15. Dietary fats, teas, dairy, and nuts: potential functional foods for weight control? St-Onge MP. Institute of Human Nutrition, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, Obesity Research Center, St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY, USA.


Nutr Hosp. 2012 Jan-Feb;27(1):103-8. doi: 10.1590/S0212-16112012000100011. Influence of the dietary intake of medium chain triglycerides on body composition, energy expenditure and satiety: a systematic review. Rego Costa AC, Rosado EL, Soares-Mota M. Instituto de Nutrição Josué de Castro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Eur J Nutr. 2013 Sep;52(6):1579-85. doi: 10.1007/s00394-012-0463-9. Epub 2012 Nov 20. Combined medium-chain triglyceride and chilli feeding increases diet-induced thermogenesis in normal-weight humans. Clegg ME, Golsorkhi M, Henry CJ. Functional Food Centre, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.

I'm guessing maybe you saw that it was a commercial site and missed these?

I started eating coconut,I'll let you know of the results in two weeks time.

I have SLE, Sjogren, Alpecia, Migrane and Rocasea Acne. I also have proteinuria (kidney disease signals). I dont read scientific studies, but I can experience if a food is good or bad for me by checking my rose face. If it worsens, SLE worsens. I had leukopenia few months ago which indicates weak immune system. I tried a teaspoon of black cumin seeds every morning before breakfast and in one month without medicine my leukopenia dissappeared. My rose face was better.

What is more important than coconut or its oil is not taking ANY stomach acid inhibitors or talcids. I know that plaqeunil and steroids harm the stomach so people use these stuff but the reason for the autoimmune response is at the very beginning caused by the lack of stomach acids (if you dont genetically have food allergy). so please dont use stomach protecting stuff, it unfortunately will worsen your case in the future. I hope that these will be beneficial for you guys :)

I've been using it as a mouth wash after reading about "oil pulling". I don't know that it's a miracle anti-toxin whatever like some people say but I swish it around in my mouth every morning and then spit it out before I brush my teeth. It's totally disgusting and I just about throw up every time but honestly I haven't had a mouth sore since. And my pearly whites are pearlier and whiter (insert big toothed smiley here). :D

Quote"Coconut oil is beneficial to people with lupus. It has anti inflammatory and healing properties. It balances the immune system in a good way and helps the body work better. It doesn't cause it to go berserk or haywire."

Wow!. yes yes yes. Once we begin to accept and understand these concepts the better for those who have this decease.

Lemonandolive, please do share your results. I definitely feel better and have fewer/milder flares, if any, when I avoid sugar and processed foods, and eat lots of fruits and veggies. But I do still eat whole grains and dairy (in the form of yogurt), and it would be good to know if that's okay or not.

Post Edited (iubooklover) : 9/27/2014 6:00:07 PM (GMT-6)