Coconut oil

[JAG10]

For those of you giving coconut oil....you give it by the tablespoon to your kid? Really??

 

I get that all that saturated fat is good fat, but 3 tablespoons of coconut oil is over 400 calories....is that how you are giving it? an extra 400 calories/day???

 

Cod liver oil too? 1 tablespoon suggested.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Never tried cod liver oil. My memory of it back "in the day" was that the taste was so nasty, I couldn't see trying to get it into DS.

 

Not to mention, if you read the literature on coconut oil, the particular benefit there is supposed to be by virtue of it being a "medium-chain fatty acid," which is a fairly rare thing in a food supplement. As I remember, there're only about 3 forms of medium-chain fatty acids available, and palm kernal oil and coconut oil are 2 of those (can't recall the 3rd at the moment).

 

While we have bought the raw form of the oil itself and used it on toast in the morning on occasion or other coconut-friendly recipes, the standard form of supplement for DS is one organic, extra virgin softgel each day by Source Naturals (I get it at Vitamin Shoppe). That's a pretty light dose, but we just look at is as "support" rather than "treatment" at this point. That one softgel is 36 calories and 4 grams of fat (3.5 of which are saturated).

 

Meanwhile, my dad, who has Alzheimer's, is taking about 8 softgels daily (the maximum recommended dose on the label), and/or having a tablespoon or two of the oil spread on bread, toast, etc. The 8 capsules is only 288 calories, though, and my dad is a rail. My mom claims it has helped his short-term memory . . . ability to read the daily newspaper and discuss it with her without losing his train of thought, do the crossword, etc.

[rowingmom]

I use OmegaNutrition organic coconut oil - I can get it in the health section of our grocery store, and it has no flavour or aroma. I use it in place of all other oils while cooking and baking, and if I want butter flavour, I add a little grass fed ghee and sea salt. I add a little extra to the kids' lunches while I am heating them (usually left over dinner from the night before). You can definately use a fair bit in rice, mashed potatoes, soups and casseroles. My husband puts it in his oatmeal in the morning. Coconut oil is high in salicylates, so if you have a problem with that, take it easy.

[mdmom]

We use a coconut oil-derived supplement called Lauricidin for it's anti-viral properties. What effect are you looking for from the coconut oil?

[beeskneesmommy]

I noticed in the grocery store yesterday an organic cocoanut peanut butter! For those of you whose kids are not peanut allergic, this might be an option. the calorie count was lower than reg. PB...it was 5 bucks, so i did not buy it, but maybe I will. What, exactly are the benefits for PANDAS kids??

[JAG10]

I had a follow-up phone consult with Dr. O'Hara yesterday....who is splendidly smart and my head was spinning trying to keep up with her. She said we need to raise dd13's essential fatty acids to help with her immune reaction and acne (which are related.) The good news is her C3D's were 8, well within 2-25 range (lowest they have ever been measured.) But her strep titers rose again; ASO 400 and DNAse B 569. And her HHV6 was high. Her acne is pervasive, all over her back and shoulders, forehead, temples, ears, nose and chin. (Wasn't pandas wrecking her childhood enough for one kid? She has to have the worst acne in her grade too??) sorry, I know this is a no pity-party zone.

 

Long list of systematic suggestions of scripts and supps to give a whirl.

 

The essential fatty acids was one; coconut oil (up to 3 tbsp/day as tolerated) and Cod liver oil (up to 1 tbsp/day) to also add 10,000 iu Vitamin A/day

 

This item is one of her nine suggestions; I understand all the other ones.

 

What does "not tolerated" look like? Loose stool? I'm guessing the 10K Vit A is included in all that oil? I'm just confused. Idk much about different supplements. On first glance, adding 420 calories/day to a 13yo girl who is 5'8" and 150lbs doesn't sound like a great idea to me. But when I google "coconut oil" there are all these hits about taking it for weight loss, so I guess I'm just looking for someone who knows way better than I to put my mind at ease.

 

Thanks ladies

[rowingmom]

For CLO, NutraSea makes a good pharmaceutical grade with lemon flavour. It doesn't taste like fish at all, but does have an oily after-feel.

 

Coconut oil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties as well as being a source of energy distinct from glucose metabolism - ketones. The brain can use the ketones produced by the coconut oil in place of glucose, resulting in improved cognition in those with impaired brain glucose metabolism.

 

There is vit A in CLO, you would have to check the label to find out how much. I don't think coconut oil contains vit A.

Edited January 11, 2013 by rowingmom

[Hopeny]

JAG10 we are seeing Dr. O'Hara too and I LOVE her. We ordered Pure liquid Vitamin D drops from the therapist/consultant upstairs from Dr. O'. The drops conatin 1,000IU in each tasteless drop so it would be pretty easy to give the 10,000 IU that way. DD hates just about everything I try to give her but does not mind the drops. I was putting them in a smoothie with everything else but got worried because it is 1 tiny drop we are giving that she would not get the full value so now I am giving separately and she is fine with it,

 

Oops I just saw you wrote Vitamin A, maybe Pure makes those drops too...

Edited January 11, 2013 by Hopeny