If you had to guess what the latest hot superfood is, you'd probably go down the green route. Mega-kale? Ultimate quinoa? Lembas bread? (Oh, no, that's only available in Middle Earth.) But you'd be wrong. This year, it is all about black pudding.
That's right, that divisive, Marmite-coloured, slightly bizarre sausage that your nan probably gave you with a fry up is now hot health news. A number of publications have hailed it as akin in nutrients to buckwheat and grass juices, but the original source seems to be MuscleFood.com. The sausage, which is made from animal blood (usually pigs) and oats is high in iron, zinc and protein, and low in complex carbohydrates.
However, before you all race down to your local greasy spoon, black pudding is still relatively high in fat, and in calories, usually weighing at between 250 to 300kcal per 100g. The salt content's not to be sniffed at, with about 2g per 100g on average.
We asked a clinical nutritionist, Kamilla Schaffner, what her take on it was. Kamilla told us, "I think the main proponents of black pudding being a superfood are probably people who spend a lot of time at the gym pumping iron. It is basically blood and animal fat with a little bit of oats - anyone who is following a paleo or primal diet can eat it as part of their plan.
"Low GI oats and pork blood (which has protein as well as iron, zinc and calcium) and suet, which is a special type of fat that has less fat content than coconut oil, is nothing short of perfectly healthy food. Also, anyone who is in recovery after surgery, with chronic illness, anaemia or someone who wants to gently stimulate their immune system will benefit from eating black pudding. It is as good and healthy as eating chicken or beef liver once in a while."
So there you have it - black pudding could well be this year's unlikely superfood hero. Everyone loves an underdog - just do yourself a favour and don't make a smoothie out of it.