Ask Dr. H: Thai food and all that coconut milk

Question: I enjoy Thai food, but how bad is it with all that coconut milk?

Answer: Coconut milk/coconut oil does contain a high amount of saturated fats, particularly lauric acid. In general, saturated fats raise LDL "bad" cholesterol and are felt to contribute to heart disease.

But there's not a tremendous amount of research looking at the extent to which coconut milk/oil contributes to heart disease. Some health experts believe that lauric acid, the dominant saturated fat in coconut oil and in breast milk, may be protective against viral infections.

A 1981 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at Polynesians with high intakes of coconut oil and found that blood-vessel disease was uncommon. When these groups migrated to New Zealand and lowered their intake of coconut oil, their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels increased and their HDL "good" cholesterol decreased.

However, another study on coconut oil reached the opposite conclusion: An April 2003 study in Atherosclerosis compared the number of deaths from heart disease between residents of Singapore and Hong Kong. They found that deaths from heart disease were about three times higher in Singapore, and researchers cited one factor as higher consumption of coconut and palm oil in Singapore.

Differences in blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking did not explain the differences in heart disease death.

While experts are still debating the matter, the cautious thing would be to limit the amount of all saturated fats. That said, an occasional Thai meal made with coconut milk isn't going to cause heart disease; it really comes down to the overall amount of saturated fat that one consumes day after day.

Q:

What do you think of taking a biotin supplement daily to help my nails grow? Do you think it helps?

A: I have several patients who tell me that their fingernails and toenails are a lot less brittle since taking biotin. While I don't consider it a treatment for baldness, a few of my patients claim their hair is thicker since taking extra biotin. That said, the research "evidence" is as scant as the hair on a balding head.

Biotin, a member of the B-vitamin family, is needed for breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and certain amino acids. It's also needed for growth in humans.

It has been suggested that biotin supplementation can not only strengthen hair and nails, but also improve insulin sensitivity in diabetics, treat dandruff, cure baldness, and alleviate muscle aches and pain. There is no substantial evidence that it does any of that. We do know that biotin vitamin deficiency (a rare event) can cause hair loss, fatigue, skin rash, muscle aches, and anemia.

The good news is that there's no harm at all in taking biotin as a supplement. Try it for three months as a test. If you feel it's making a difference, keep taking it. If any of my readers have tried biotin, I'd love to hear your experiences. I'll pass the results on.