Nutrition: Coconut Milk - is it good for you?

Coconut milk and oil is often berated because its fat levels contain about 90% saturated fat. It is often dismissed as a high-fat food and thus eliminated from many diets or viewed as an occasional unhealthy 'treat'.

It is a staple of many Caribbean dishes (as well as Thai, Indian dishes) for its unique flavour.

But is it really bad food?

Well there is growing evidence that a diet containing these fats actually have numerous health benefits and are not contributors to high levels of blood cholesterol.

The benefits include:

• improved lung function;


• reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases - by unclogging arteries;


• boosting the immune system, due to it's anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties;


• aids in digestion;


• its short and medium chain fatty acids being readily converted to energy, rather than being stored as fat;


• a rich source of Vitamin A, E, potassium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc;


• excellent at providing hydration;


• lactose free, therefore a good substitute for milk;


• high in antioxidants;


• contains less sugar and more protein than bananas, apples or oranges;
• Coconut oil has the ability to act as an antimicrobial and antiviral agent 

Well worth incorporating into your diet, whether you follow a strict Paleo lifestyle or not.

If you're in the UK, you can order Organic Coconut Oil here

Comments

[WordVixen]

I've been trying to find out if coconut milk has all of the health benefits of coconut oil- particularly the raising the metabolism part. Some days it's difficult to get coconut oil into my diet, and I can't STAND eating it off of a spoon. But a shot of coconut milk, or a cube of frozen coconut milk dropped into a cup of tea I could do. Thoughts?

[Darryl Edwards]

In simple terms yes, coconut oil is prepared by removing the water content so is essentially the same thing. I would use Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil whilst you cook, if that is an easier method for you to get it into the diet. A cube of coconut milk in your tea sounds like a great idea too.

I tend to drink a lot of coconut water too. A great way to replenish electrolytes!

Let me know how you get on!

-Darryl.

[WordVixen]

Thanks Darryl! I'd heard a similar discussion before, but no one had come right out and said that one is as healthy as the other and a Google search didn't give me much to work on. :-) I love cooking with virgin coconut oil, but some things just call for butter- especially because I have to cook for my husband as well, who isn't on the Real Food bandwagon. This way, I can get my coconut in without having to put him off certain foods. Thanks again!

[Jenn]

So I've been taking massive advantage of coconut milk as a staple of my diet since starting the Whole30 plan. It's a decent way to eat paleo on a budget, since I just can't afford to eat meat every single day (let alone multiple times a day), so last night I made a soup with homemade broth, coconut milk, squash, kale, and some curry paste, and it was filling, delicious, and kept me going right up through my run this morning.

[Jonathan Cannovan]

What about cooking with coconut oil vs virgin olive oil?? I've heard that at high temperatures the olive oil can be cancer causing, etc - so best to cook (especially if frying, using a grill, etc) with coconut oil??

Any theories on this?

Thanks

[Darryl Edwards]

Only refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point (the point where the oil breaks down into glycerol and fatty-acids) than extra virgin olive oil.

I would tend to use extra virgin olive oil for dressing, virgin coconut oil for medium temperatures like roasting/grilling and(for flavouring)

I use Avocado oil for frying. It has a much higher smoke point than either coconut or olive oil.