Coconut oil is "one of the worst foods you can eat" and is "pure poison", a Harvard professor has said.

In a speech at the prestigious American university, Dr Karin Michels warned against consuming it.

The speech was called Coconut Oil and other Nutritional Errors.

Dr Michels also said consumption of so-called superfoods was unnecessary because we already get enough nutrition from everyday foods like carrots, cherries and apricots.

"We are well and sufficiently supplied," she said, according to a translation of her German address.


Coconut oil has had its profile boosted in recent years by health food advocates who claim it is healthier than other forms of fat.

Some people even have a spoonful of it in their coffee or their smoothie because of the alleged health benefits.

It has also replaced many oils used in cooking.

People even feed it to their pets.

However, Dr Michels isn't the only one to have bad things to say about coconut oil.

Although not as strongly, other institutions have warned against over-consumption.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says there is not enough good-quality research to provide a definitive answer as to whether coconut oil is better for you than other saturated fats.

It says the healthier choice would be to opt for an unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oil or sunflower oil.

Coconut oil is about 86% saturated fat - about a third more than butter, which is 52%.

Excessive amounts of saturated fats in a diet increases cholesterol, which can lead to blocked arteries and heart disease.

UK guidelines encourage people to swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats.

BHF says you should swap butter, lard, ghee and coconut and palm oils with small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads.