Coconut oil enthusiasts use it in their shampoos, skin creams, smoothies and even to polish furniture.
However, a Harvard Professor recently made controversial remarks during a lecture that has been viewed over a million times on You Tube.
The professor is claiming coconut oil to be poison and unhealthy for humans.
Coconut oil is everywhere.
A quick look on social media or the web comes up with claims that coconut is healthy, improves weight-loss, and lowers cholesterol. All these benefits are because coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs.
Research shows that these fats are processed by the body differently than other dietary fats and can increase metabolism.
Coconut oil also has a higher proportion of MCTs than most other fats or oils; however, there is a catch to the research.
The oil used in the research is a special 100 percent medium-chain coconut oil.
Most coconut oils that consumers buy in stores typically have 13% to 14% of the medium-chain triglyceride; therefore, people would have consume 150 grams or about 10 tablespoons a day to replicate the results.
Coconut does have some unique qualities that explain its alleged health benefits, but the evidence to support those claims is very thin.
The reality is, one tablespoon of coconut oil adds up to more than 11 grams of saturated fats--the type of fat that is considered unhealthy.
That is nearly the total daily limit of 13 grams recommended by the American Hearth Association. Coconut oil tends to raise beneficial HDL cholesterol more than other fats do, but there is no evidence that consuming coconut oil can lower the risk of heart disease.
Coconut oil proponents point to studies of populations in parts of India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Polynesia, whose diets include copious amounts of coconut.
Doctors say this comparison is not valid because their traditional diets also include more fish, fruits, and vegetables than typical American diets.
Despite the saturation fat, health experts say there is no need to completely avoid coconut oil if you like the flavor, just use it in moderation or as an occasional treat.