?Coconut oil? Um - no.
". . . Ways to reduce triglycerides: reduce total fat intake; take less white sugar, sweets, soft drinks; reduce alcohol intake; exercise regularly to burn triglycerides; increase the consumption of foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids which are found in fish, wheat, bajra, soyabeans, pulses and legumes, fenugreek (methi) green leafy vegetables and mustard oil.
And do all this: reduce the intake of saturated fats like butter, ghee, coconut oil, reduce foods having high cholesterol like eggs, meat; reduce whole milk and milk products; decrease the intake of nuts like cashew; nuts, pistachio (pista); avoid sweets, white sugar, chocolates, pastries, sweet soft drinks, tea and coffee; and reduce intake of tobacco; eat plenty of fibre-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables like apples, onion, garlic, soyabeans, amla and banana are known to reduce LDL cholesterol levels; avoid sedentary life and do regular exercises to burn the excess cholesterol in the body; keep blood pressure and blood sugar under check; regular exercises raise the level of good cholesterol; reduce total fat intake. People with high triglyceride levels have lower HDL; reduce the intake of trans-fatty acids like vanaspati "ghee" and margarine as they reduce HDL; reduce the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing oils like coconut, palm oils, ghee etc; certain foods like onions, apples, bananas, garlic, soluble fibre, isabgol and red wine raise HDL levels...
eat more beans and legumes as they contain a water soluble fiber, pectin, that throws out cholesterol from the body; eat more fruit; fruits also contain pectin in plenty and grapefruit especially is beneficial in this regard; tea is good for lowering cholesterol; spirulina, brass, barley, rice bran and activated charcoal also combat high cholesterol; corn bran and garlic are very helpful in lowering cholesterol; nutritional supplements like vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium and niacin in B group of vitamins lower cholesterol; carrots can lower cholesterol due to pectin in them; fish that contain Omega-3 amino acids lower cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Try two six-ounce servings of fish a week; chocolate, apple and red wine raise good cholesterol; onion and garlic are good for lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
Nuts like almonds (AND WALNUTS) lower LDL cholesterol; skimmed milk should be drunk in plenty; exercise can decrease the buildup of blockage of cholesterol inside the arteries and raise the level of HDL, the good cholesterol; don't smoke; relax and exercise..."
http://www.ayurvediccure.com/blog/2005/11/cholesterol-good-and-bad.html *******
Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats
Saturated fats and trans fatty acids are the kinds of fats most likely to cause heart disease. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products (eggs, butter, cheese, whole milk, and whole milk products), and in coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil. Trans fatty acids appear in foods containing hydrogenated fats like margarine and crackers. To reduce the risk of heart disease, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats like canola oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, nuts, avocado, soy products, and nut butters. Choose margarine, cookies, crackers, and snack foods that do not contain hydro-genated fats (read the label).
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/heart.htm*******
Saturated Fat Ups Blood Cholesterol in Vegetarians & Meat Eaters
Nutritionists and dietitians used to think that a person's intake of dietary-cholesterol affected blood-cholesterol levels, but now things are less clear. It appears that saturated fat-intake rather than dietary-cholesterol-intake is more closely related to raised blood-cholesterol levels. In other words, the higher your intake of saturated fat, the higher your blood-cholesterol levels.
http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/cholesterol-vegetarian-diet.htm****
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2526891.stmhttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4777******
A couple of other things. It may not just be her diet. She could have a genetic disorder. Have they checked? It's called familial hypercholesterolaemia. The body just doesn't "process" properly and diet/exercise alone will not do it all - though of course it helps. (
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/familialhypercholesterolaemia.htm)
Also, there is a new super breakdown blood test that breaks down the type of LDL one has. One type of LDL is more prevelant in cardiac events - if she doesn't have a majority of the "bad LDL" then she's not as at much risk than if she had a larger percentage of the "less bad LDL". She should ask her doc about it. Although it is pretty new (my son had it done at the UNC Cardiac clinic) so it's not really "common knowledge" yet.
Soy is good for lowering the 'bad' cholesterol (It helped my son.)