Harvard Professor Claims Coconut Oil Is Pure Poison

Karin Michels, who is a Harvard professor and director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumor Epidemiology at the University of Freiburg, has busted the myth that claims consuming coconut oil is good for health.

Michels has posted a 50-minute long German lecture titled “Coconut Oil and other Nutritional Errors” on YouTube. Her video has already become a viral hit on the video sharing platform accumulating almost 800,000 views.

In the video, the Harvard professor claims that coconut oil is pure poison and is one of the worst foods that a person can consume.

According to Michels, consuming coconut oil is far more detrimental than lard, as coconut oil almost exclusively contains saturated fatty acids that are believed to clog the coronary arteries. This goes against the belief that coconut oil is good for health. The oil was in fact previously hailed as a superfood that can be used as a component of any meal.

The revelation follows American Heart Association’s updated guidelines that advise people to replace the saturated fats in their diets with unsaturated fats instead in order to lower their risk of developing cardiovascular disease later on in life.

Michels also added that other superfoods like chia seeds, matcha or acai are all almost ineffective as the nutrients they’re touted for are available just as readily in other more easily accessible foods items such as apricots, carrots, and cherries.

“We are well and sufficiently supplied,” she said.

Notably, in addition to coconut oil, butter, hard cheese, ghee, sausages and meat pies are also quite high in saturated fats. On the other hand, foods items that are healthier and high in unsaturated fat include oily fish, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and avocados.

While most international dietary guidelines recommend consumption of saturated fats in moderation, they also warn about the harmful implications of overdosing on it. So if you like coconut oil, just make sure not to overindulge.