[kach22i]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Several years ago I went to a party at a friend of a friend's house. The homeowner proudly showed my his new hot tub. It had a oil slick and a ring around the tub.

That was the hydrogenated coconut oil.

Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?pagewanted=all

According to Thomas Brenna, a professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University who has extensively reviewed the literature on coconut oil, a considerable part of its stigma can be traced to one major factor.

“Most of the studies involving coconut oil were done with partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which researchers used because they needed to raise the cholesterol levels of their rabbits in order to collect certain data,” Dr. Brenna said. “Virgin coconut oil, which has not been chemically treated, is a different thing in terms of a health risk perspective. And maybe it isn’t so bad for you after all.”

I use a mixture of sesame oil and coconut oil in preparing brown rice when serving Indian dishes. It really makes a flavor difference, but I probably end up doubling what I would have used with butter or even olive oil alone.