Arsenic is a poison. Black widow spiders definitely poisonous. But who knew that coconut oil is also poisonous? I sure didn’t. According to adjunct professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Karin Michels, the go-to health food for millennials is “pure poison.”
In Michels lecture titled “Coconut Oil and Other Nutritional Errors” at the University of Freiburg in Germany, she said consuming coconut oil poses a major health risk. According to Business Insider, she even called it “one of the worst foods you can eat” and said it was “pure poison” because of its saturated fat content.
She went on to say that no study proves the health benefits of coconut oil, and that it increases risk of heart issues. The video of the lecture, which was posted on YouTube in July, has since amassed close to one million views and has caused a major debate online.
Step 1: claim coconut oil is poison & kill market
Step 2: sell us some junk substitute
Step 3: patent coconut oil
Step 4: say oops, junk substitute is actually toxic
Step 5: sell us coconut oilWe've seen this kind of cycle before. Wiser now https://t.co/5cgCiPeIjh
— Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) August 22, 2018
Coconut oil has been a controversial debate for years now. The tropical oil has become a staple for wellness trends like keto and Whole30. It’s claimed to be a “miracle food” that can help you to lose weight and even lower your cholesterol. According to USA Today, though, the American Heart Association advised against the use of coconut oil in 2017 because the saturated fat can contribute to heart disease. The American Heart Association data reports that 80 percent of the fat in coconut oil is saturated. As USA Today reports is way beyond the amount of saturated fat in butter, which is 63 percent. So while not exactly “poisonous”, it still can cause a ton of damage to your body. Michels says in her lecture that the saturated fats in coconut oil can clog our coronary arteries.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, they found that those who regularly ate products high in saturated fats like cheese and whole milk were at no higher risk of a heart attack, stroke or other illnesses than those who don’t consume those type of products.
Is it time for us to close the lid on the coconut oil craze? Possibly, but more research really needs to be done before we all willingly give up our go-to coconut oil jars. It’s all about moderation, I guess.