by Bruce Fife
Skin fungus can afflict any part of the body from the head to the toe. Dry, flaky skin that persists despite the use of hand lotion and skin creams could very well be a fungal infection. Often what people call psoriasis is really a fungal infection. Dandruff is caused, in part, by skin fungus. Preadolescent children are the primary victims of scalp ringworm (tinea capitis), a skin fungus similar to athlete’s foot. Not until puberty do glands secrete oil-containing MCFAs that help protect the scalp from skin fungus (see chapter 6 for more information on skin health).
HEALING FUNGAL AND YEAST INFECTIONS WITH COCONUT OIL
One of the most potent nondrug or natural yeast-fighting substances is caprylic acid, a medium-chain fatty acid derived from coconut oil. Caprylic acid in capsule form is commonly sold as a dietary supplement in health food stores. It is very effective against candida and other forms of fungi. It is even effective mixed with a little coconut oil or vitamin E oil as a topical application for fungal skin infections. I’ve seen fungal infections that have lasted for months clear up in a matter of days using caprylic acid and a little coconut oil. It works just as effectively inside the body, killing fungi without the least bit of harm.
Polynesian women who eat their traditional coconut-based diet rarely, if ever, get yeast infections. Only in more temperate climates where processed vegetable oils are the main source of dietary fat are yeast infections, skin fungus, acne, and other skin infections big problems. Lauric acid, found in coconut oil, kills lipid-coated bacteria but does not appear to harm the friendly intestinal bacteria. The MCFAs also have antifungal properties, so not only will they kill disease-causing bacteria and leave good bacteria alone but also they will kill candida and other fungi in the intestinal tract, further supporting a healthy intestinal environment. Eating coconut oil on a regular basis, as the Polynesians do, helps to keep candida and other harmful microorganisms at bay.
The efficiency of caprylic acid is reportedly so favorable that many supplement manufacturers put it in their products used to fight systemic and vaginal yeast infections. John P. Trowbridge, M.D., president of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine and author of The Yeast Syndrome, highly recommends caprylic acid as an aid to fight systemic candida infections.
The only effective cure for candidiasis has been dietary changes and medications. Caprylic acid is a natural yeast fighter that has been used very successfully in place of the drugs. Caprylic acid is often sold in combination with antifungal herbs in dietary supplements designed to help those with yeast infections. Caprinex (Nature’s Way), Capricin (Professional Specialties), Mycostat (P & D Nutrition), and Caprystatin (Ecological Formulas) are the names of some of the anticandida supplements available.
PARASITES
There are two general groups of parasites. One consists of worms such as tapeworms and roundworms. The second category is the protozoa: one-celled organisms. Parasites infect the intestines of both humans and animals and can cause a great deal of intestinal distress. We often associate parasites with Third World countries and poor sanitation, but parasites are a problem everywhere, even in North America. In countries where sanitation is a priority, people mistakenly assume that no problem exists and they don’t need to worry. But parasites are everywhere, waiting for the opportunity to latch onto an unsuspecting host. Backpackers have long been aware of the danger of drinking water from streams and lakes. Open water, even in the backcounty, is often contaminated with parasites waiting for a host.
Tap water can also be a source of contamination. The water treatment process doesn’t remove all contaminants and parasites. Single-celled organisms such as cryptosporidium and giardia are particularly troublesome because they often slip through water purification treatment unharmed; since these organisms are protected by a tough outer coat, the chlorine added to municipal water supplies to kill germs has little effect on them. Because of their small size, very fine filters are needed to trap them, and complete elimination of these parasites from tap water isn’t possible. Drinking-water regulations are designed to reduce but not necessarily eliminate parasite contamination; so even water systems that meet government standards may not be free of parasites. Water supplies must be constantly monitored to detect levels above acceptable limits, but even then the potential exists for giardia infection. The most susceptible are those who have a weak immune system that is incapable of mounting an effective defense against the organism. This is seen mostly in the very young and the elderly and those afflicted with immune-suppressing illnesses such as AIDS.
Two parasites, giardia and cryptosporidium, normally live in the digestive tracts of many mammals. Public water supplies can become infected with these organisms when they are contaminated by sewage or animal waste. Cryptosporidium is believed to be in 65 to 97 percent of the nation’s surface waters (rivers, lakes, and streams), according to the CDC. About half of our tap water comes from treated surface water. Giardia is a much bigger problem. It ranks among the top 20 infectious diseases that cause the greatest morbidity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and it is also the most common parasite diagnosed in North America. The CDC estimates that two million Americans contract giardiasis every year.
Although you may not hear about it, outbreaks occur all the time, usually in smaller cities and occasionally in large metropolitan areas. Unsafe water is an embarrassment to the water department of any city, and sometimes officials are unwilling to admit that a problem exists until it’s too late. Giardia is commonly found in the pretreated water system used by some 40 million Americans and has caused epidemics in several small cities. This was apparently what happened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1993. A breakdown in water sanitation permitted cryptosporidium to contaminate the city’s drinking water for a week. As a result, 100 people died and 400,000 suffered with the stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fever that are characteristic of the parasite. Recent outbreaks have occurred in cities in California, Colorado, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, to name just a few.
Giardia can live in a variety of water sources: streams, ponds, puddles, tap water, and swimming pools. Infection is spread by contact with an infected source. You don’t have to drink contaminated water to become infected. Giardiasis can spread by sexual contact, poor personal hygiene, hand-to-mouth contact, and food handlers who don’t wash their hands thoroughly. If your hands are exposed to contaminated water, animals, people, or feces (e.g., litter boxes, diapers), the infection could spread to you. Shoes can come in contact with animal droppings and bring it inside the home. Veterinary studies have shown that up to 13 percent of dogs are infected. Any pet can become a source of infection for humans, although it may not show signs of infection.
A study at Johns Hopkins Medical School a few years ago showed antibodies against giardia in 20 percent of randomly chosen blood samples from patients in the hospital. This means that at least 20 percent of these patients had been infected with giardia at some time in their lives and had mounted an immune response against the parasite. Giardia is rampant in day-care centers. A study in 1983 showed that 46 percent of those who were infected were associated with day-care centers or had contact with diaper-age children. It is estimated that 20 to 30 percent of workers in day-care centers harbor giardia. In a study done in Denver, Colorado, with 236 children attending day-care centers, 38 (16 percent) were found to be infected.
Symptoms of infection vary. It is often misdiagnosed and mistreated because its symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions, including the flu, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In acute cases, symptoms are usually most severe and can include any of the following (listed in order of prevalence).
Diarrhea
Malaise (a sense of ill-being)
Weakness
Abdominal cramps
Weight loss
Greasy, foul-smelling stools
Nausea
Headaches
Anorexia
Abdominal bloating
Flatulence
Constipation
Vomiting
Fever
Infection can persist for weeks or months if left untreated. Some people undergo a more chronic phase that can last for many months. Chronic cases are characterized by loose stools and increased abdominal gassiness with cramping, depression, fatigue, and weight loss. Some people may have some symptoms and not others, while some may not have any symptoms at all.
Even if giardia is diagnosed and treated, it can damage the intestinal lining, causing chronic health problems that persist for years after the parasite is gone. Food allergies, including lactose (milk) intolerance, can develop. Damaged intestinal tissues become leaky. This is often referred to as leaky gut syndrome. Toxins, bacteria, and incompletely digested foods are able to pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, initiating an immune response. Sinus congestion, aches and pains, headaches, swelling, and inflammation—all typical symptoms of allergies—are the result.
Loss of intestinal integrity can lead to the gastrointestinal discomfort known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Dr. Leo Galland, an expert in gastrointestinal disease, demonstrated that out of a group of 200 patients with chronic diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating, half were infected with giardia. Most of these patients had been told they had irritable bowel syndrome. He notes that parasitic infection is a common event among patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, and many people are given a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome without a thorough evaluation.
Another consequence of poor intestinal integrity is fatigue resulting from malabsorption of important nutrients. If the condition persists, it can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. A giardia infection can be so draining on the immune system that it causes fatigue. Again the cause is often misdiagnosed. A giardia epidemic in Placerville, California, for example, was mysteriously followed by an epidemic of chronic fatigue syndrome. In 1991 Dr. Galland and his colleagues published a study of 96 patients with chronic fatigue and demonstrated active giardia infection in 46 percent. In another study of 218 patients whose chief complaint was chronic fatigue, Dr. Galland found that 61 patients were infected with giardia. His conclusion is that giardia may be an important cause of chronic fatigue syndrome.
COCONUT OIL DEFENDS AGAINST PARASITES
Coconut oil may provide an effective defense against many troublesome parasites, including giardia. Research has shown that, like bacteria and fungi, giardia and possibly other protozoa can’t stand up against MCFAs. By using coconut oil and other coconut products every day, you may be able to destroy giardia before it can establish a foothold. In doing so you also eliminate the possibility of developing food allergies, chronic fatigue, and other related symptoms. If you’re currently troubled with these conditions, coconut oil used liberally with meals may provide a source of relief. Because MCFAs are quickly absorbed by the tissues and converted into energy, it seems logical that those suffering from chronic fatigue would gain a great deal of benefit. Foods prepared with coconut oil, or even fresh coconut, make a great energy booster without adversely affecting blood sugar.
Another possible use for coconut is for the removal of intestinal worms. In India, in fact, it has been used to get rid of tapeworms and is rubbed into the scalp as a treatment to remove head lice. In one study it was reported that treatment with dried coconut, followed by magnesium sulfate (a laxative), caused 90 percent parasite expulsion after 12 hours. The authors of some pet books apparently have had success with coconut and recommend feeding animals ground coconut as a means of expelling intestinal parasites. Tapeworms, lice, giardia, candida, bacteria, viruses, and germs of all sorts can be eliminated, or at least held in check, with coconut oil; it is one of the best natural remedies you can use.
A SHIELD AGAINST DISEASE
Tropical diseases such a malaria and yellow fever have plagued humankind for centuries. Throughout history, whenever people from moderate climates have settled or traveled in areas covered by tropical jungles, they’ve been plagued by disease. Even today people who travel in these areas must be cautious.
The curious thing about this is that the people who are living in these areas don’t succumb to disease. Researchers have been unable to find any genetic reason for their resistance. Locals who move out of the area and return several years later are often susceptible to disease just like any other outsider.
I believe the local people are protected because of the type of food they eat, in particular coconuts. It is in these tropical climates that coconuts grow abundantly and serve as a valuable food source for the local inhabitants. It is as if the coconut were put there on purpose not only to serve as a source of food but to protect people from disease. In his studies of African natives, Dr. Weston A. Price noted in his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration that those who consumed traditional local foods did not suffer from insect-borne diseases such as malaria. Tropical climates are breeding grounds for all types of disease-causing organisms, yet indigenous peoples have lived in these places generation after generation without problem. Only those people from other climates, who eat virtually no coconut or other native plants, have a difficult time.
Herbalists have noted for years that in regions where certain diseases are common, medicinal plants grow that can cure these diseases. This is why every culture in the world has a form of traditional medicine based on the use of local herbs. The people who live in the tropics where coconut grows are protected to some extent from malaria, yellow fever, and other common infectious organisms. The people in Panama have discovered the importance of coconut as a means of staying healthy. When they feel an illness coming on they increase their consumption of coconut, particularly the milk and the oil. Likewise, Africans in tropical areas will drink palm kernel oil whenever they get sick.
Before the onset of World War II, American contractors went to the Panama Canal to build airstrips, submarine bases, and barracks for the military. Workers from the city, as well as natives from the jungles of Central America and the Caribbean, came in to provide the labor. Coconut was an important source of food for these natives. In 1940 many of them still lived a relatively isolated existence. Many spoke neither Spanish nor English. Local labor was preferred, because over the years it was noticed that indigenous people were more resistant to disease and worked harder. One of the contractors, William Bockus, Jr., observed: “There were two striking differences between these Indians and the majority of the other workers. They were never sick and they were slim and trim. These guys would work steadily all day long in the swamps in mud and rain without complaint. Foremen had to tell them to take rest periods, believe it or not. They also never missed a day’s work.” This is a far cry from the situation just a few years earlier, when malaria and yellow fever devastated the French and American workers who built the Panama Canal.
In my opinion, the coconut is one of God’s greatest health foods and, when consumed as part of your regular diet, can protect you against a host of infectious illnesses. Eating coconuts and coconut oil can provide you with some degree of protection from a wide variety of disease-causing organisms. Coconut oil may not be able to cure all disease, but it can help prevent many illnesses, relieve stress on the immune system, and allow the body to resist disease better. A person who is aware of the health benefits of coconut oil but doesn’t use it is like the person who doesn’t wear a seat belt when driving. You’ve got a seat belt that can protect you from a number of nasty diseases. It would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
5
EAT FAT, LOSE WEIGHT
The world’s population is growing—at the waist. More people are overweight now than ever before. The number of overweight people has greatly increased over the past few decades, and particularly over the last 10 years. According to the CDC, the number of obese people in the United States has exploded over the past decade from 12 percent of the total population to 17.9 percent. In the United States, 55 percent of the population is overweight; one in f
our adults is considered obese. As much as 25 percent of all teenagers are overweight. Even our kids are becoming fatter. The number of overweight children has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Figures (and waistlines) are similar in the United Kingdom, Germany, and many other affluent countries.
A person is considered obese if his or her weight is 20 percent or more above the maximum desirable weight. Over the past decade obesity has increased by 70 percent among people aged 18–29. For those 30–39 years old, it has increased 50 percent. All other age groups have likewise experienced a dramatic increase in weight.
Medical problems can escalate the battle of the bulge into a full-scale war. Being overweight increases risk for gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and early death. If you are overweight, losing some pounds could be one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.
If you are like most people, you’ve noticed a gradual increase in your waistline over the years. Most of us do. I’m no exception. I never considered myself exactly fat, just a little pudgy here and there. For several years I tried to lose some of this excess weight, and I believed that I could. For years I kept several pair of my favorite pants that were too small for me. I knew I would lose enough weight to fit back into them.
Well, I tried. I reduced my fat intake, ate less food, and was hungry all the time. I thought I ate healthfully. My meals were well balanced with the different food groups. I avoided saturated fat and used the so-called healthy oils like margarine and liquid vegetable oil for all food preparation needs. The only thing dieting accomplished was to make me miserable. My stomach rumbled and complained constantly. I felt denied. It was depressing. Finally, I just gave up; it wasn’t worth the trouble. I gave up on weight-reducing diets. I came to the conclusion that I would never lose any weight permanently. I gathered up all the clothes that wouldn’t fit me and tossed them out.