Is coconut milk healthy for you?

Question

I have been drinking lots of fresh coconut milk and I want to know if it is healthy. I make it myself, I do not buy it from the store in cans.

I just told everyone I make it myself. There is no label to read because I make it from fresh coconut. So please quit saying check the label.

I will say one thing, it definitely gets the slow train back to Georgia moving. I have read the entire phone book from front to back while sitting on the pot.

Answer 1

It is healthy for you, yes. Howver you might want to think about the way in which coconuts are caged and kept in order to provide you with that milk. Perhaps consider soya milk instead.

Also remember, that for every female coconut that is bred to give milk, a male coconut is killed, so its not very ethical really.

Obviously i assume you know not to eat the coconut meat, thats not veggie.

Answer 2

It's easy to get confused but it is coconut WATER that is good for you, not coconut milk. Coconut water is the clear liquid that you get inside a coconut and it is very refreshing and low in fat and calories. You can buy it in cartons or cans from many supermarkets (in the UK, it can be found in the ethnic section) and health food stores. It also supposedly has many health benefits, not least being good for hydration if you're in a tropical country with no access to clean water. On the other hand, coconut milk is creamy white and is made up of water and shredded coconut. It tends to be used more for cooking than drinking as it is quite rich in taste.

Answer 3

Yes coconut is high in fat although there is the low fat variety.

A tin of coconut milk is used mainly in cooking i.e. you would not drink it and would be used for two or more people .. the amount of fat gets distributed more so that that it makes up a high proportion of the total fat of the dish but that a serving has only a quanity of that.

Say for Thai Chicken Curry -- The average fat would be 14g to 18g for a large serving if cooked fresh and 3/4 of that would be from the coconut milk.

As Thai Green Chicken Curry is usually eating in the evening this amount of fat in the foood is acceptable and because its eaten with rice.

So you cannot compare the fat in coconut milk to say doughnuts which are highly saturated and are eaten as a snack

Answer 4

Coconut milk IS very high in saturated fat and should NOT be drank every day - especially in large quantities.

Chinrasu said that it has cholesterol. This however is FALSE. The ONLY things with cholesterol are ANIMAL DERIVED. Plants do not produce cholesterol. Some plants do however produce phytoesterol which is different. Only animals create cholesterol. So you don't have to worry about cholesterol, but like I said, it is very high in saturated fats, and unless you are very underweight, you should probably not have that much of it. A little bit every day or every other day isn't bad however. And when I say a little bit, I mean maybe 1/2 cup every other day.. Like I said, it is very fatty, and the bad qualities outweigh the good. I'm sorry. I know that it is tasty, but it is very fatty!

Answer 5

In response to THE WAND: How many fresh coconuts have you seen with labels? READ the question properly!

The CANNED variety is high in fat, but you can buy LITE versions. As for fresh coconut I think it also contains a high level of fats & cholestorol, not as much as the cans as they need to be preserved for longer and they're thick, so they add fats and preservatives. If not they'd be stored in fridge and have a shorter shelf life.

Answer 6

Under the weight watchers guide, coconut milk and all coconut products are the highest value in points possible per 100g, its very very very high in fat content. But all things are fine in moderation.

Answer 7

Coconut water in countries like Sri Lanka is actually used in hospitals as an IV solution, because it is perfectly adapted as a saline as well sterile if you put the catheter right into the coconut.

Answer 8

coconut water is very healthy
coconut oil comes from cococnut milk(when u heat that milk)
use little amount 2 to 3 sppons of milk in curries..it is not fat

Answer 9

coconut milk is very healthy... it was misbelieved to be unhealthy in the past for its high saturated fat content but in recent years it has been discovered that it containts healthy saturated fats. good for you!!!!

Answer 10

If you're working out and trying to add mass, it would be a great thing for you to drink because it is rather high in fat.

http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/12117.html

Otherwise, I'd suggest you keep it for cocktails.