So... I read about coconut oil on Dr. Mercola's natural health website, and I've seen lots of ads popping up on this site about coconut oil and thyroid health. Since I couldn't find any information that suggested there might be any kind of risk associated with using coconut oil, and there are so many purported benefits, I figured it was worth a try. I went to my local natural food store and found some expeller-pressed, vacuum distilled organic coconut oil from Omega Nutrition. Considering most suggestions are to use it in place of butter and/or olive oil, the 32 oz. container I bought should last me a while.

Now, mind you, I've only been using it for a week. I'm also not a doctor. And what I'm about to say is NOT "qualified medical advice" or anything like that. But I also believe I am not suggesting anything that could possibly hurt anyone, so... take it for what it's worth. I am SOLD on this coconut oil thing. Totally sold.

I started using coconut oil in place of butter on my toast the same day I wrote the letter to my doctor from my last entry. I also used it instead of olive oil in some soup I made, and since then I've been having two slices of toast a day, and using it in the frying pan instead of butter. (I never thought it would be possible, but I totally don't miss the butter...) I popped some popcorn in coconut oil instead of regular vegetable oil. I've probably been eating 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day.

What coconut oil is supposed to do is generally speed up your metabolism. Which is exactly what hypothyroid patients need, in a very vague nutshell. Because coconut oil is comprised mainly of "medium chain triglycerides" rather that the more common "long chain" variety, your body is supposed to burn the fat in coconut oil much more efficiently than other fats... including the hallowed and much-beloved olive oil. This is supposed to help your body maintain a high body temperature, and burn more calories in general, so it's supposed to help you lose weight as well.

Some articles I read suggest that "subclinical" or borderline hypothyroid patients may find that coconut oil gives them all the "boost" they need. Not sure about that, but if your doctor is reluctant to give you a prescription for thyroid hormone replacement, I suppose you could give it a try before going to the hassle of finding a new doctor...

So after my second day using coconut oil, I felt amazing. Any lingering feelings of lethargy or "down" feelings were totally gone. For a couple of days, I felt downright hyperactive, and a bit too warm. Thinking of the letter to the doctor, I was a bit worried that she'd call me back, and I'd end up having to ask her to lower my levothyroxine prescription. However, things seem to have evened out over the course of the week. So, I'm now thinking maybe I don't need my medication adjusted at all.

I feel a bit silly about going in to the clinic for my appointment tomorrow, and saying, "Oh, the letter. Yes, that. Nevermind, I feel fine now." But my plan is to refill my current prescription, and continue using the coconut oil, and see how I feel by the time my refill runs out. If I'm still feeling good... well, no need to change anything is there?

Also, after I first went on levothyroxine, I started losing weight. I dropped from a high of 199 lbs down to the mid-180s. I was thrilled. Then I sorta got 'stuck' around 185. I hadn't significantly changed my diet or exercise patterns in this time, so it seems likely that all that weight loss was due to the introduction of the thyroid replacement medication. Over the course of the last week, since I got the coconut oil, I've dropped from 184-5 to 182-3. There has been no change in my medication, and no other changes in my diet or exercise routine.

I realize this hardly counts as a clinical trial, and is totally scientifically invalid. And I repeat that this is not "medical advice" in any way. However, from everything I have read, effects on weight loss and hypothyroid symptoms aside, coconut oil will not hurt you. And if it won't hurt, and it might help, why not give it a try, eh? Don't go quitting your medication, thinking a 1/2 cup of coconut oil per day will fix your thyroid, or anything silly like that... but by all means, give it a try! If nothing else, it is healthier than hydrogenated oils (like those found in margarine and Crisco), and organic expeller-pressed oil sounds better for you than chemically extracted oils (Personally, I'm a big believer that organic anything is preferrable, so there's my admitted bias!). The medium chain triglycerides—MCTs—are also supposed to be better than other naturally saturated fats like butter and lard.

So... the big question becomes: which coconut oil to buy? Dr. Mercola recommends Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philipines. It's made from fresh organic coconut, and is not refined or distilled in any way. Trouble is, it tastes like coconut. All "virgin" coconut oil tastes like coconut. That's great if you like coconut, or you're cooking a recipe that's supposed to taste like coconut. But I'm not so sure I want everything I cook to taste like coconut... (I'm thinking of buying Tropical Traditions' Coconut Cream though, because I do have recipes that use coconut milk, and their cream can be diluted to substitiute for coconut milk.)

Personally, I bought Omega Nutrition's minimally processed organic coconut oil. It's also from the Philipines, but it's expeller pressed from dried coconut, and then vacuum distilled to removed the coconut flavor. It's not chemically processed, or high-heat distilled (which are two things Mercola.com recommends against), and since the greatest benefit of coconut oil is the MCTs, which are not destroyed or altered by vacuum distilling at all, I figure it's plenty good enough for everyday use. I'd rather not have my morning toast taste like coconut, thanks. And it seems to be doing the trick.

Either the coconut oil made a difference, or my medication suddenly started working a whole lot better for no reason. Personally, I'm willing to bet on the coconut oil.

technorati tags: hypothyroidism, hypothyroid, thyroid, coconutoil, health, medical, mivox

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