Coconut oil ‘is pure poison’

IF YOU’RE cuckoo for coconut oil, think again.

That’s the message of a lecture from Dr Karin Michels of Harvard’s School of Public Health, which is currently making the rounds on YouTube.

The 50-minute German-language talk, titled “Coconut Oil and Other Nutritional Errors” debunks the popular belief that the ingredient is a waistline-slimming, brain-boosting superfood.

“Coconut oil is pure poison,” the Harvard professor said, according to a translation by Business Insider. “It is one of the worst foods you can eat.”

This warning could come as a shock to advocates of the thick, fatty stuff, who use it not only for cooking but also blend it into their morning cup of coffee.

Enthusiasts say the resulting beverage — called “bulletproof coffee” — curbs hunger and helps beat post-wake-up brain fog.

Some fans even believe that a spoonful of coconut oil can prevent gingivitis and sinusitis, which is why they spend 10 minutes a day gargling with it — a habit known as “oil pulling”.

Michels isn’t the first expert to come out against the oil’s alleged status as a miracle food.

The American Heart Association advised against consuming too much of it in June 2017, after a study found that all saturated fats — regardless of the source — are damaging to heart health.

Just because it comes from a plant doesn’t mean it’s good for you: The same study pointed out that coconut oil, which is 82 per cent saturated fat, is actually richer than butter. The saturated fat content of that much-maligned ingredient? Sixty-three per cent.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission.