GO TO SOURCE


COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, March 21, 2001: Mediterranean cuisine is redolent with olive oil and no Chinese chef will stir fry without sesame oil, but in Sri Lanka, coconut oil is at the heart of a heated controversy, according to this report in India Abroad. Statistics show 521 per 100,000 Sri Lankans die of coronary disease, and healthcare personnel have long advised reducing coconut use to cut the risk of cholesterol-clogged arteries. Cardiologists and researchers have, however, recently been singing a different tune. Quoting studies here and abroad, they have begun praising the nut, causing consternation. Specialists put the rise in heart ailments to other factors like smoking, hypertension and stress. In the provinces, the rate of heart disease is seven percent, compared to 14 percent in the cities. These statistics which would tend to exonerate coconut oil, which is widely used in the provinces.

Post Views: 294