Coconut oil labeled ‘pure poison’ by Harvard professor

That's us told.

Over the past few weeks, we've done nothing but smearing coconut oil all over our bodies. It's been constant, it's been wet, and it's been incredibly difficult to stop. The stuff just feels so good, you know? And while the coconut oil debate has been raging on for many years now, we didn't really have any definitive proof as to whether the stuff was a help or a hindrance when it comes to delicious skin and healthy eating. A Harvard professor has some pretty strong opinions on it though and has even gone so far as to call coconut oil "pure poison." Right so. Dr Karin Michels, director of the Institute for Prevention and Tumour Epidemiology at the University of Freiburg, was giving a talk all about coconut oil the other day. She said that the oil is full of saturated fats and essentially “one of the worst foods you can eat." Jeez. In general, coconut oil tends to be known as a bit of a superfood, hailed as the 'healthy' alternative to regular cooking oil, olive oil, and the like. However, according to Dr Michels, it's actually pretty awful. A study conducted last year shows that over 80 percent of fats in coconut oil are saturated, meaning that eating a lot of the stuff could lead to increased chances of cholesterol. Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, showed that the oil is “predominantly saturated fat,” and that it's not necessarily healthier than its alternatives. That being said though, we need a mix of fats to survive so using a bit of coconut oil to cook here and there isn't going to do a whole load of damage. Just keep an eye on exactly how many spoonfuls you're using.