Here’s why coconut oil is ‘pure poison’, according to a Harvard professor

A Harvard Professor, Karen Michels, has explained that coconut oil is not healthy for consumption and recommended that people avoid it, describing it as pure poison.

In a 50-minute video posted on YouTube titled "Coconut Oil and other Nutritional Errors," Michels made herself very clear with regard to dietary recommendations and underlined that coconut oil is not healthy.

Michels, the director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumor Epidemiology at the University of Freiburg and a professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, has caused a stir online as her Youtube video continues to go viral.

She said "coconut oil is pure poison" and "is one of the worst foods you can eat."

Why is it poisonous?

Michels said coconut oil is more dangerous because it almost exclusively contains saturated fatty acids, ones that can clog the coronary arteries.

In 2017, the American Heart Association recommended limit to the intake of saturated fats as research has proven that it can raise “bad” cholesterol and put one at higher risk of heart disease.

In Nigeria, the coconut oil has grown more popular in recent years, with many people putting it forward as a cosmetic item often used on skin and hair.

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