LouAna coconut oil concerns

[Sheik]

Does anyone know if this is a good brand of coconut oil? I've searched around and people seem convinced that it is bleached. The oil itself is yellowish.

I got a drop of it in my beard and didn't wipe it good enough. An hour or two later my face was itching in a line where the coconut oil ran down. I'm seriously questioning the quality of this stuff.

 

[marcar72]

I'd personally avoid LouAna coconut oil for anything internal. I believe that it's produced using the hexane method of extraction. It just doesn't meet the grade for me personally... :2cents

I prefer Spectrum and Nutiva brands myself. Any really that was obtained by some mechanical method (cold pressed, expeller pressed) other than the hexane chemical extraction way... :2cents

 

[jb116]

I'd personally avoid LouAna coconut oil for anything internal. I believe that it's produced using the hexane method of extraction. It just doesn't meet the grade for me personally... :2cents

I prefer Spectrum and Nutiva brands myself. Any really that was obtained by some mechanical method (cold pressed, expeller pressed) other than the hexane chemical extraction way... :2cents

hi marcar72. Curious, could you provide any publication definitively showing that or is that just what you believe about it? I do use LouAna myself but I've never had an issue with it in any way.

Sheik a yellowish color doesn't necessarily mean 'bad oil'
Actually the yellow color usually indicates a degree of non-refinement. If you don't have any reactions to this brand then it's probably fine. I think the presence of fungus, etc as well as a terrible smell would be better indicators. I've never smelled any rancidity with this brand.

But if marcar or anybody else can show more info on this brand that would be great.

 

[marcar72]

could you provide any publication definitively showing that or is that just what you believe about it?

I can't definitively prove it but if a coconut oil doesn't expressively state that it's cold pressed or expeller pressed then you can pretty much bet that it was hexane derived. People will pay extra for the pressed oils and manufacturers know this and advertise as such to justify a higher price. Just like "organic" or "fair trade", "cold pressed" and "expeller pressed" are marketing terms as well... :2cents

 

[narouz]

I faintly remember Peat writing/talking about the methods of refinement somewhere.
Peat recommends the Refined to most
because of allergenicity with the Unrefined or Virgin.

He did not mention LouAna specifically.
But he did talk about the refining process.
I'm pretty sure there were no solvents involved,
just more filtration....

 

[marcar72]

I faintly remember Peat writing/talking about the methods of refinement somewhere...

Refinement level is way different than extraction method. Mechanical extraction is preferred over chemical extraction. Once you have the unrefined oil seperate from the pulp it's up to the manufacturer as to the level of refinement... :2cents

 

[jb116]

could you provide any publication definitively showing that or is that just what you believe about it?

I can't definitively prove it but if a coconut oil doesn't expressively state that it's cold pressed or expeller pressed then you can pretty much bet that it was hexane derived. People will pay extra for the pressed oils and manufacturers know this and advertise as such to justify a higher price. Just like "organic" or "fair trade", "cold pressed" and "expeller pressed" are marketing terms as well... :2cents

ok I see. So now if somebody who has some expertise in this could chime in and delineate on that, it would be great. It would also then allow one to weigh the pros of coconut oil vs. the hexane con. In other words, perhaps using say a tablespoon each time you cook throughout the day has more benefit than harm.

 

[tara]

I faintly remember Peat writing/talking about the methods of refinement somewhere...

Refinement level is way different than extraction method. Mechanical extraction is preferred over chemical extraction. Once you have the unrefined oil seperate from the pulp it's up to the manufacturer as to the level of refinement... :2cents

Can't it also be extracted by using heat or fermentation?

 

[marcar72]

I faintly remember Peat writing/talking about the methods of refinement somewhere...

Can't it also be extracted by using heat or fermentation?

Heat would be considered mechanical extraction and is part of the expeller pressed method. Fermentation = rancid for fats and that's not good at all... :2cents

 

[tara]

I faintly remember Peat writing/talking about the methods of refinement somewhere...

Can't it also be extracted by using heat or fermentation?

Heat would be considered mechanical extraction and is part of the expeller pressed method. Fermentation = rancid for fats and that's not good at all... :2cents

OK, that makes sense about heat.
I'm not recommending the fermentation method, just adding to the list of extraction methods that are used. Though I think the point about coconut oil is that it doesn't get rancid easily - the rest of the stuff it is extracted from gets fermented, and then you can more easily separate out the fat. I've tried some done that way. I had a taste from the fermentation, and it wouldn't be my first choice. But I don't think the oil itself tasted rancid.

 

[marcar72]

I faintly remember Peat writing/talking about the methods of refinement somewhere...

Can't it also be extracted by using heat or fermentation?

Heat would be considered mechanical extraction and is part of the expeller pressed method. Fermentation = rancid for fats and that's not good at all... :2cents

OK, that makes sense about heat.
I'm not recommending the fermentation method, just adding to the list of extraction methods that are used. Though I think the point about coconut oil is that it doesn't get rancid easily - the rest of the stuff it is extracted from gets fermented, and then you can more easily separate out the fat...

I'm thinking that's the hexane method which is the chemical means of extraction. I'm not real familiar with the hexane method myself as I pretty much instinctively leaned towards the "pressed" methods.

The issue is with possible residual hexane in the coconut oil as a result of this extraction method and not with possible rancidity... :2cents

In order of preference I take it as 1) cold pressed (usually used for virgin oils, non-refined) 2) expeller pressed (usually used for refined/bleached oils, refined; and 3) hexane extracted (I highly doubt virgin would be made from this at all, best use of this oil IMHO is for soap/lotion making, external use)... :2cents

That's the way I understand it... :2cents

 

[tara]

The fermentation method is a vey low tech traditional method used on some of the islands. Not an industrial process, which I guess the hexane method is? Makes unrefined oil for eating.

 

[marcar72]

The fermentation method is a vey low tech traditional method used on some of the islands. Not an industrial process, which I guess the hexane method is? Makes unrefined oil for eating.

You're right, I read up on it some more and supposedly there's a centrifuged way that's "cream of the crop" over cold pressed as well as this fermentation process being the least desired.

Seems like hexane is used with some expeller pressed brands as well to maximize output. The brands I use expressively state no hexane use in production. I've just went with them as I felt they were of premium quality.

We got a Hy Vee grocery store now and they have like 4 or 5 other niche brands that command a higher price. To be honest I haven't even been using coconut oil that much recently with all the dairy and chocolate fat I've been ingesting... :2cents

 

[Peata]

I've noticed something about coconut oil and was hoping for input. I've always bought Lou Ana for cooking but never had much result from taking it from the spoon medicinally. I recently bought a virgin CO that's organic and basically all the bells and whistles. I use it very little for cooking since it has a coconut flavor. I tend to take it off the spoon and mix it into skin care.

But, I've noticed it liquifies easy and is often in a liquid form or semi liquid. Same with a store brand refined. But the Lou Ana is rarely liquified.

So my question is - could this indicate the level of MCT in the oils, since pure MCT oil is liquid? And therefore the Lou Ana oil had the MCTs (or a lot of them) processed out?