For several recent years coconut oil has been praised as the answer to all your health griefs.
Dry skin? Coconut oil is the answer! Lacklustre hair? Use coconut oil! Overweight? Coconut oil!
It became the cooking oil of choice for healthy foodies, with bloggers eulogizing the virtues of the oil across the internet.
However, the tide has turned, as US heart experts have spoken out to say that coconut oil is as unhealthy as beef dripping.
Although the general consensus nowadays is that fat isn’t bad for you, it’s crucial to pick the right sources.
Whilst avocados and nuts are good fats, coconut oil is a saturated fat and thus no better for us that butter, the American Heart Association says in its updated advice.
They say it can raise “bad” cholesterol, even though it is often marketed as a health food.
The jury is still largely out as to whether saturated fat is wholly bad for you, but the AHA says too much of it in the diet can result in clogged arteries and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
82 per cent of the fat in coconut oil is saturated, which is more than butter (63 per cent), beef fat (50 per cent) and pork lard (39 per cent).
The AHA also says there’s no solid evidence that backs up people’s claims that coconut oil has health benefits.
They recommend people limit their saturated fat consumption and replace it with unsaturated vegetable oils and spreads.
Likewise, Public Health England says men should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat per day, and women no more than 20g.
Make sure you don’t cut out all fat though as it is still an important part of a healthy diet, containing essential fatty acids.