Saturated fat...coconut or butter ?

[simonfellows]

Madams and Sirs Hola,
Any consensus if coconut fat is better than butter from a paleo point of view please ?

[maxlharris]

Okay, I'll bite a little:

From Nutrition Data:
Butter (unsalted): 100 G
.1g Carb
81.1 G fat
51.4 g Sat Fat
21 G Mono Fat
3 G Poly Fat
Omega 3 - 315 mg
Omega 6 - 2728 mg
.9 G protein
17.9 G water
Amino Acid Score: 136 (http://www.nutritiondata.com/analysis-help.html#protein-quality)
IF Rating: -137 (highly anti inflamatory)

Coconut Oil:
0G Carb
100 G Fat
86.5 g Sat
5.8 Mono
1.8 Poly
unknown Omega 3
Omega 6: 1800 mg
0 g Protein
0 g water
Amino Acid score: 0 (no protein = no aminos)
IF Rating: -825 (even more anti-inflamatory)

Since Sat Fat doesn't seem to matter with LC, the small difference is probably no difference. I don't have my book and I can never keep my mono and poly fats apart, so you could swing either way on that issue. If Mono is the good, then butter is better, else, vice versa. Also, forget about Omega-3 vs Omega-6 balance, and how you want that to fall. I think it's we get too much 6, but I cannot recall and my book is on loan. If my recollection is right, butter is the better source of both 3 and 6, but it's a balance thing that I don't recall. The trace amount of protein in butter means maybe I would use coconut oil for things where there's not going to be a large amount (like frying eggs or saute applications) but would use butter in recipes, like a beurre blanc.

Ultimately, since these are 100g servings (about half a cup of coco oil and about 90% of a stick of butter) the differences for saute, fry, or just a pat of type applications are so small as to be not really worth comment.

Any rate, be curious to see other's chime in here.

[simonfellows]

Sir very kind of you to respond. Thanks yr time

[Ram3500]

I've read on the Mercola website that coconut oil improves thyroid function so that might help you make a choice between the two.

Since I take medication for low thyroid (Synthroid) I read all I can about which foods and nutrients help rather than hinder.