2015's favourite superfood has been slammed by a Harvard Medical Professor saying, 'even lard is better' than the 'pure poison'.
According to a lecture given by a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dr Karin Michels, the popular food is 'pure poison,' and 'it is one of the worst foods you can eat'.
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The 50-minute talk but the professor gained over 400,000 viewers online and sparked a fiery debate among the superfood fans and those questioning the oil's nutritional properties - many have turned to coconuts as a guilt-free fat, but lovers of the oil have been urged to restrict use, by the American Heart Association.
Coconut oil rose in popularity among the rise of the superfoods - such as kale, sweet potatoes and avocados - it had its profile boosted in by health food advocates who claim it to be healthier than other forms of fat.
Some people claim to have a spoonful of it in their coffee or their smoothie because of the alleged health benefits or replace butter with it when cooking vegan meals and cakes.
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Dr Michels just simply doesn't agree - she says it's even worse than lard (that thing you might remember from your granny's pantry, made from fat from the abdomen of a pig - gross we know).
Unfortunately, if you've been swapping butter out for it to keep you healthy during breakfast it turns out coconut oil is about a shocking 86 percent saturated fat - about a third more than butter, which is 52 percent.
Good news for lovers of the alleged superfood - although some institutions have warned against over-consumption, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says there just isn't enough not enough 'good-quality research' to provide a clear answer to the debate over coconut oil being better for you than other saturated fats.
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It does say the healthier choice would be to opt for an unsaturated fat, such as vegetable oil or sunflower oil - if you have been scared off your good ol' coconut oil though.
Dr Michels also added that other 'superfoods' like acai or chia seeds contain the same nutrients you can get much more easily by eating carrots, cherries or apricots. "We are well and sufficiently supplied," she said.
This could be good news for those more inclined to use the more readily available ingredients - but bad news for foodies out their keen on their superfood concoctions.
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Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Food, News, Community, UK, Health