The Health Benefits of Coconut Milk 2016
  • 8 years ago
The Health Benefits of Coconut Milk
In addition to providing nutrients and its awesome taste, coconut milk contains beneficial fat called lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that’s easily absorbed and used by the body for energy. Coconuts’ fatty acids are primarily saturated fats, but don’t think these will raise your cholesterol levels and cause heart damage. Instead, they’re known to actually do the opposite — coconut milk can help you lower cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure, and prevent heart attacks or a stroke.
Since real, full-fat coconut milk is high in calories, it’s better to have a smaller serving than you would of regular milk or coconut water. About 1/4–1/2 cup at once is best, either as part of recipes (for example as “coconut whipped cream”) or on its own combined with other flavors (such as in a smoothie).
Full-fat coconut milk contains all of its natural fatty acids, while “light” coconut milks are strained to remove some of the fat, which creates a thinner, lower-calorie milk. Because coconut milk is completely free from dairy, lactose, soy, nuts or grains, it’s a good option for anyone allergic to dairy and nut- or grain-based milks, plus it’s vegan and good for plant-based eaters.
Creamed coconut and coconut milk are made in a way surprisingly akin to their dairy counterparts. Coconut flesh (the white part) is grated and soaked in hot water. The coconut cream rises to the top and can be skimmed off. The remaining liquid is squeezed through a cheesecloth to extract a white liquid that is coconut milk. By repeating this process, the coconut milk becomes thinner. The thicker version is used for desserts and rich sauces. Thin coconut milk is used for cooking curries and soups. In the UK, fresh coconut milk is unavailable and coconut milk is bought in cans.
When a coconut is cut open, the flesh can be found all along its inner walls. A ripe coconut, ideal for processing into coconut milk, should have thick, creamy white flesh. If the flesh appears yellow, it is most likely rancid. A coconut with relatively thin, dry flesh can still be used to make milk, but the milk may not be creamy enough for certain recipes, particularly curries.
To make coconut milk, the coconut flesh must be finely grated and steeped in hot water. Next, the soaked pieces are squeezed through cheesecloth, and the liquid collected is coconut milk. This process may be repeated once or twice to produce lighter coconut milk, as different consistencies are required for different recipes. When the first pressing is allowed to sit for a while, coconut cream rises to the top. This ingredient is commonly used in desserts or rich sauces.
Coconut milk is immensely rich in vitamins and minerals. Coconut milk contains high levels of some of the crucial minerals like, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It also contains a significant amount of vitamin C and E. One cup of coconut milk (about 240 gm) contains 13 gm carbohydrates, 5 gm fiber, 5 gm protein and 57 gm fats, mainly saturated fats. One cup of coconut milk can provide about 552 calories, which means that coconut milk is high in calories and hence, should be consumed in small amounts.
The fat content of coconut milk is also very high, which too highlights the importance of taking it only in small amounts. Apart from these, one cup of coconut milk also contains about 6.7 mg vitamin C, 0.4 mg vitamin E, 0.2 mcg vitamin K, 1.8 mg niacin, 38.4 mcg folate, 0.1 mg vitamin B6 and 0.1 mg thiamine. The same amount of coconut milk can give about 38.4 mg calcium, 3.8 mg iron, 88.8 mg magnesium, 631 mg potassium, 240 mg phosphorus, 1.6 mg zinc, 2.2 mg manganese, 0.6 mg copper and 14.9 mcg selenium.

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