Coconut Oil is ‘Pure Posion’ Says a Harvard Professor Busting the Myths that It is Good for Your Health

For generations people have been using coconut oil for various mediums such as cooking, hair growth and beauty benefits. It turns out, the popular coconut oil is not so amazing after all. A 50-minute German lecture on YouTube by Karin Michels, the director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumour Epidemiology at the University of Freiburg and a professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health has caused a stir online, as reported by Business Insider. In the talk, titled ‘Coconut Oil and other Nutritional Errors’, Karen described coconut oil as ‘pure poison’ and ‘one of the worst foods you can eat’.

Underlining the dangers of coconut oil, Karen clearly states that the favourite superfood oil is not actually healthy at all and revealed that no scientific study proved that it is healthy. Last year, coconut oil had already come under scrutiny after the American Heart Association (AHA) updated its guidelines which recommended that people avoid the saturated fatty acids found in coconut oil. According to Karin, coconut oil is more dangerous than lard because it almost exclusively contains saturated fatty acids, ones that can clog the coronary arteries.

To identify fats that contain large quantities of saturated fatty acids, you can check by seeing whether they remain solid at room temperature, as is the case with butter or lard. As an alternative, experts recommend olive or rapeseed oil and flaxseed oil. Although it cannot be used for cooking, flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and is just as good for the body. As for other superfoods like acai, chia seeds or matcha, the Harvard speaker doesn’t consider them as harmful, but she considers them ineffective. Reason being, the nutrients they’re marketed for are available just as readily in other foods that are more easily accessible such as carrots, cherries and apricots. “We are well and sufficiently supplied,” she said. Cheese And Butter For Weight Loss? 6 Healthy Fats That You Should Include In Your Diet.

According to the AHA report ‘The Skinny on Fats’, the new guidelines urge consumers to limit both saturated and trans fats. The group said to ‘opt for naturally occurring unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil’. As with most things, coconut oil also should be consumed in moderation and one should not overindulge.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2018 01:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).