Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies.

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

Very interesting study done over many years, on two small pacific islands, by

the New Zealand health department on the

effects of a very high intake of coconuts and coconut oil on cholesterol and

health.

 

Here are the lipids of the two islands:

crsocietyVCO/CoconutDietCholesterol.gif

 

Prior also calculated the estimated cholesterol levels from a formula derived

from western studies and found the level

much below that which the time tested formula suggested would be found. Exit

stage right for the formula, when applied

to the fatty acids in coconuts. He also commented that cardio events were

almost unheard of, despite their high fat

intake.

 

When these folks moved to New Zealand, their intake of coconuts dropped, their

sat fat intake dropped and their health

deteriorated and weight increased. Talk about leaving paradise!

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=7\

270479 & dopt=Abstract

Am J Clin Nutr 1981 Aug;34(8):1552-61 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the

Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies.

Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z.

 

Two populations of Polynesians living on atolls near the equator provide an

opportunity to investigate the relative

effects of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol in determining serum

cholesterol levels.

 

The habitual diets of the toll dwellers from both Pukapuka and Tokelau are high

in saturated fat but low in dietary

cholesterol and sucrose.

 

Coconut is the chief source of energy for both groups.

 

Tokelauans obtain a much higher percentage of energy from coconut than the

Pukapukans, 63% compared with 34%, so their

intake of saturated fat is higher.

 

The serum cholesterol levels are 35 to 40 mg higher in Tokelauans than in

Pukapukans.

 

These major differences in serum cholesterol levels are considered to be due to

the higher saturated fat intake of the

Tokelauans.

 

Analysis of a variety of food samples, and human fat biopsies show a high lauric

(12:0) and myristic (14:0) content.

 

Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the

high saturated fat intake having a

harmful effect in these populations.

 

PMID: 7270479 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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Good Health & Long Life,

Greg Watson, http://optimalhealth.cia.com.au gowatson

USDA database (food breakdown) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/

PubMed (research papers) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

DWIDP (nutrient analysis) http://www.walford.com/dwdemo/dw2b63demo.exe

Patch file for above http://www.walford.com/download/dwidp67u.exe

KIM (omega analysis) http://ods.od.nih.gov/eicosanoids/KIM_Install.exe