Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils on the planet. A lot of people in tropical regions are using coconut oil in both diet, medicine, and cosmetics. However, coconut oil health benefits are no magical spell. Could this be the reason a Harvard-trained professor says it is a pure poison?
Karin Michels, an adjunct professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says in a recent nutrition talk that coconut oil is unhealthy and calling a poison. The lecture is available on YouTube. But, unfortunately, it is not in English. The USA Today says that Michels call coconut oil a poison at least three times in lecture.
I can only warn you urgently about coconut oil. This is one of the worst foods you can eat.
Her talk stirs a lot of people particularly those who are coconut oil consumers and benefiting from it. But why?
Why Coconut Oil Is A Poison?
It would be interesting to listen to the entire talk. Unfortunately, it is not in English. So, we can only rely on people who can understand the language and translate it to us in English.
Fortunately, Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist who also debunked the recent study on low-carb diet shortens life has reviewed Karin Michels lecture. Here’s what Dr. Malhorta says;
But why Karin Mischels came up with that comment that coconut oil is a poison and urge people to stay away from it? Well, the Business Insider says, it’s all about saturated fats.
It’s obvious that coconut oil contains up to 90% of saturated fats. And, for decades, we’ve been educated that saturated fats are bad and unhealthy. However, not all fats are created equal and the saturated fats from coconut oil are one of the healthiest oil available.
Another health expert who debunks Mischels comment on coconut oil is Dr. Eric Berg.
Part of the reasons saturated fats are vilified as they can raise cholesterol level. Definitely, as Dr. Berg says in the video, there are studies on coconut oil lowering the bad cholesterol levels.
And, another myth is that cholesterol is not the real enemy.
Another health expert who expresses her views about Michels comment is Dr. Nick Zyrowski, author of the Heal Yourself Cookbook.
Coconut Oil Studies
Here are the studies that Dr. Nick Zyrowski compiled proving coconut oil is not a poison.
- An open-label pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of virgin coconut oil in reducing visceral adiposity.
- Virgin Coconut Oil and Its Potential Cardioprotective
- A Coconut Extra Virgin Oil-Rich Diet Increases HDL Cholesterol and Decreases Waist Circumference and Body Mass in Coronary Artery Disease Patients
- Soybean Oil Is More Obesogenic and Diabetogenic than Coconut Oil and Fructose in Mouse: Potential Role for the Liver.
- Test of effect of lipid lowering by diet on cardiovascular risk. The Minnesota Coronary Survey.
- Change in dietary saturated fat intake is correlated with change in mass of large low-density-lipoprotein particles in men
- The Sydney Diet Heart Study: a randomised controlled trial of linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death
- Saturated fat does not clog the arteries: coronary heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition, the risk of which can be effectively reduced from healthy lifestyle interventions
- Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation
This is not the first time that coconut oil has been touted as unhealthy. In 2017, the American Heart Association1 also published their paper about coconut oil has never been healthy.
But, again, those who are true users and consumers of coconut oil react and feel sad about it.
What About Saturated Fats?
There is an ongoing debate about it. Saturated fats have been vilified due to its connection to cholesterol. But is it really bad, or otherwise?
In 2014, ABC Catalyst aired the documentary “The Heart of the Matter” where healthe experts including cardiologist reveal the true identity of saturated fats.