Coconut oil has been in the news lately because Karin Michels, an epidemiologist at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has called it “one of the worst things you can eat” and “pure poison”. Her comments are based on the high proportion of saturated fat found in it that can cause LDL cholesteral to rise. A video of her speech is on YouTube has gone viral. Alas, it is in German so some of us cannot understand her.
Coconut oil has over 80% saturated fat in it – more than what you would find in beef drippings and lard. Some people like to fry with it because it has a high smoke point. Some use it as a butter substitute in baking to make items dairy-free or to cut back on butter. It is also used in stir-fry. You will also find it in beauty products and hair care products.
Sources
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/aug/22/coconut-oil-is-pure-poison-says-harvard-professor
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/benefits-of-coconut-oil_us_59105f7de4b0104c73505c5a