NEW ORLEANS -- A Harvard professor's talk about nutrition errors is going viral on YouTube after she called coconut oil "pure poison" and "one of the worst foods."
So Eyewitness News decided to verify if that was true, and look into all the other coconut products, like coconut water and coconut milk.
Why do people cook with coconut oil and put scoops of it in a smoothie as a so called health food?
To verify, Eyewitness News turned to Dr. Lydia Bazzano, a medical doctor and Ph.D. researcher in nutrition at the Tulane Department of Epidemiology. She says there are medium chain triglycerides in it, thought to help the body burn more fat for fuel to help with weight loss. But the studies were not done specifically on coconut oil, and any possible benefit is out weighed by the high amount of the artery-clogging, saturated fat that raises bad cholesterol.
"It's not pure poison. I would say that is incorrect, but it does raise some of the risk factors that we know are related to heart disease, and that we know are related to having a heart disease event or death from a heart attack," Dr. Bazzano said.
Olive oil is the better choice.
So, what about coconut water to rehydrate rather than a sugary sports drink?
"I love coconut water, actually, because its got a lot of potassium in it. What potassium does in the body is to counter balance sodium, which we get a lot of from our diet," she said.
That's good for those with high blood pressure, but not for people with kidney problems.
What about coconut milk for people who are lactose intolerant? Dr. Bazzano says almond milk is the more healthful choice.
What about coconut creams?
"The coconut creams that go into drinks and mixers, those are full of sugar and they also have a fair amount of fat," Bazzano said.
So Eyewitness News can verify, while not exactly "poison," coconut oils, creams and milk are not the most healthful choice, but coconut water is healthful.
Oh and of course, so is being handed a Zulu coconut.
While the doctor likes coconut water for people who have been exercising or working out in the heat and humidity, she reminds us that it does have calories and plain water has none.