In article >,
Goomba > wrote:

> Mark Thorson wrote:
>
> > Coconut is among the most unhealthful foods
> > you can eat. You'd be better off eating
> > butter and cheese and fatty meats.
>
> So who eats nothing but coconut?
> You need to relax some of your fears of food, Mark.
> It can't be easy to worry so much.

Mark does seem to enjoy his role here as a fear monger. Still, he has
some useful information.

My sister is a bit of a health nut. She was a vegetarian for 13 years.
She occasionally shops at those stores that sell nothing but vitamins
and supplements, usually for a pretty penny (but their advice is free,
unlike that from doctors).

Last time I was there, she whipped out a bottle of coconut oil, and
started to tell me how healthful it was. It was a little bottle, maybe
4 ounces, and obviously came from One of Those Stores. Since it was
food, it had a nutrition label. I got out my high-powered reading
glasses, and pointed out to her that it was well over 80% saturated fat,
which most experts consider the most unhealthy type of fat. Now, she
only uses a tablespoon or so at a time, and maybe a couple of times a
month. It has a lot of flavor and adds a lot to certain dishes. In
that quantity, I can't imagine that it is much of a health hazard, but
it still doesn't qualify as "healthy food" in my book.

In some cuisines, and in some countries, there is a lot of coconut, and
it is a major part of the diet.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA