Is coconut oil a 'poison'?

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - A food considered to have great health benefits is now being called "poison" by one doctor. 

That food: coconut oil. The doctor, who works at Harvard, says there's no evidence it's actually good for you. 

But that's debatable when you ask those who incorporate it into their diet. 

"As a vegan I need to turn to it as a good fat. It's like eating avocado, you need that good beneficial fat and that's exactly what it is," said Debe Waisman. 

"I think it has great positive properties to it that I use all the time in my cuisine. It's a healthy fat," said Guinevere Aide, a vegan chef from San Diego, "There’s no bad about it for me."

A YouTube video, which went viral Wednesday, is what,s giving coconut oil a bad name. In it, a doctor who works at Harvard, calls coconut oil "poison". 

"Whether it's pure poison remains to be seen but what is certain that there is no way that we can scientifically claim this is a superfood or that we can recommend that someone exclusively cooks with coconut oil," said Dr. Saraj Saggar who works at Holy Name Medical Center. 

Dr. Saggar says calling coconut oil poison may be a bit over the top, but warns, "If someone has a strong family history of heart disease and they're already eating more than 10% of their calories from saturated fat, the risks from adding coconut oil can be very great."

Vegan chef Guinevere Aide urges people to "do a little more research before believing coconut oil is bad." 

Dr. Saggar adds if you're healthy and you don't eat too much saturated fat, coconut oil is fine, but it limited amounts.