“We Are In Love With Coconut Oil,” Say These Malayali Grandmas

“We are in love with the Coconut oil”, say Kerala’s devout coconut oil-worshipping Malayali women.

Coconut Oil ‘Poison’? 3 Ammachis Rave about Kerala’s Magic Ingredient

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

You know how your grandmother jumps to your defence every time someone in the family is out to get you?

Well, that’s exactly the bond Kerala’s old ‘Ammachis’ have for their beloved coconut oil. And they have NOT taken kindly to Harvard professor Karin Michels for having likened the coconut oil to ‘poison’.

According to Michels, coconut oil is “pure poison”, and also “one of the worst foods you can consume.”

Three women from God's own country have come out, guns blazing, against Michels allegation.

75-year-old Seetha Venkatachalam, says:

Everyone in Kerala uses coconut. My grandmother, my aunt everyone has used it for years. We use it for bathing, cooking and other things. None of them had any heart disease. 90% of people in Kerala use coconut oil. They have no health problems because of it.

71 year-old Ramani Ray, another devout coconut oil-loving Malayali, concurs with Seetha’s view.

Frying things, cooking vegetables, non-vegetarian food, we cook everything in coconut oil. There is no problem at all. We are healthy

As for 66-year-old Sundari Unnikrishnan – well, she has challenged Michels to use the oil for a year, before coming up with such allegations.

You are against coconut oil, but I want to ask you to use it for a year. Pure coconut oil, the one that is home-made. Use it for a year and no other oil and then you will understand the benefits of it. After that, you tell me that it is ‘bakwaas’. 

Uh-oh, Professor Michels. Looks like you might not be getting Kerala’s sadhya anytime soon.