Coconut milk

Coconut milk has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is a tasty alternative to milk and could also have a whole range of health benefits.

What is coconut milk?

Coconut milk is made from the flesh of the ripe brown coconut. Coconut milk has a thick consistency and a creamy texture. Coconut milk is widely used in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisine. It is also very popular in Hawaii, India and certain South American and Caribbean countries. Coconut milk should not be confused with coconut water, which is found in unripe, green coconuts. Unlike coconut water, coconut milk does not occur naturally in the coconut. Instead, it is the solid flesh of the coconut that is mixed with water to produce a type of milk that is 50% water. In contrast, coconut water is about 94% water and contains much less fat and much fewer nutrients than coconut milk.

How is coconut milk made?

Based on its consistency and degree of processing, coconut milk is classified as thick or thin.

Thick coconut milk: Solid coconut flesh is finely ground and boiled or simmered in water. This mixture is then filtered through cheesecloth to produce thick coconut milk.
Viscous coconut milk: The ground pulp remaining in the cheesecloth after the production of viscous coconut milk is simmered again in water, after which the filtering process is repeated to yield viscous coconut milk.

In traditional cooking, thick coconut milk is used in desserts and thick sauces. Low-viscosity coconut milk is used in soups and low-viscosity sauces. Most canned coconut milk consists of a mixture of thick and thin coconut milk. It is also very easy to make your own coconut milk at home and adjust the consistency to your own taste.

The nutritional content of coconut milk

Coconut milk is a high-calorie food. Around 93% of these calories come from fat, including saturated fats known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Coconut milk is also a good source of several vitamins and minerals. 250 grams of coconut milk provides (1):

Kcal: 552
Fat: 57 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 13 grams
Dietary fiber: 5 grams
Vitamin C: 11% of the daily requirement
Folate: 10% of the daily requirement
Iron: 22% of the daily requirement
Magnesium: 22% of the daily requirement
Potassium: 18% of the daily requirement
Copper: 32% of the daily requirement
Manganese: 110% of the daily requirement
Selenium: 21% of the daily requirement

In addition, some experts believe that coconut milk contains unique proteins that may have health benefits. However, more research is needed in this regard.

The effects of coconut milk on body weight and metabolism

There is evidence that the MCTs contained in coconut milk may have positive effects on weight loss, body composition and metabolism. Lauric acid makes up around 50% of the fatty acids contained in coconut oil. This fatty acid can be classified as both a long-chain fatty acid and a medium-chain fatty acid, depending on the definition, and its effects on metabolism are somewhere in the middle of these two categories (3). However, coconut oil also contains 12% true medium-chain triglycerides - capric acid and caprylic acid. Unlike longer chain fatty acids, MCTs pass from the digestive tract directly to the liver where they are used for energy production or to make ketones. They are also less likely than long-chain fatty acids to be stored as body fat (4). Scientific research also suggests that MCTs may help to reduce appetite and lower calorie intake compared to other fats (5, 6, 7, 8). A small study found that overweight men who consumed 20 grams of MCTs for breakfast ate 272 kcal less at lunch than men who consumed corn oil for breakfast instead of MCTs (8). In addition, MCTs can - at least temporarily - increase calorie consumption and fat burning (9, 10, 11). However, the small amounts of MCTs found in coconut milk are unlikely to have a significant effect on body weight and metabolism. However, a few controlled studies in obese subjects and subjects with heart disease suggest that coconut oil consumption may reduce waist circumference. However, coconut oil had no effect on body weight (12, 13, 14). There are no studies to date that have directly investigated the influence of coconut milk on weight and metabolism. Further research is therefore required before any meaningful conclusions can be drawn in this regard.

Summary: Coconut milk contains small amounts of MCTs. Although MCTs can stimulate metabolism and help to reduce abdominal fat, the amounts of MCTs contained in coconut milk are probably too low to have a significant effect on fat loss. The effects of coconut milk on cholesterol levels and heart health

Since coconut milk is very high in saturated fat, many people may wonder if it is a good choice for heart health. While there is very little research that has looked at coconut milk directly, one study suggests that it may be beneficial for people with normal or high cholesterol levels. A study of 60 men found that coconut milk porridge lowered levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol more than soy milk porridge. Coconut milk porridge also increased levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol by 18%, while soy milk porridge only increased levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol by 3% (15). Most studies conducted with coconut oil or coconut flakes showed improvements in LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, as well as triglyceride levels in the blood (12, 13, 14, 16, 17). In other studies, both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels increased in response to coconut oil, while triglyceride levels decreased compared to other fats (18, 19). Lauric acid, the primary fatty acid found in coconut oil, may increase levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol by reducing the activity of receptors responsible for removing LDL cholesterol from the blood (20). Two studies with similar populations also suggest that the cholesterol response to lauric acid may vary from person to person. It may also depend on the amount of lauric acid in the diet. In one study of healthy women, replacing 14% of monounsaturated fats with lauric acid increased levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol by about 16%, while replacing 4% of these fats in another study had very little effect on cholesterol levels (20, 21).

Summary: Overall, coconut consumption appears to improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In cases where levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol increased, an increase in levels of "good" HDL cholesterol was typically observed.

Other potential health benefits of coconut milk

Coconut milk may have the following additional health benefits:

Reduction of inflammation: Research conducted with animals concluded that coconut extracts and coconut oil can reduce inflammation and swelling in injured rats and mice (22, 23, 24).
Reducing the size of stomach ulcers: In one study, coconut milk reduced the size of stomach ulcers in rats by 54% - a result comparable to the effects of drugs used to treat stomach ulcers (25).
Fighting viruses and bacteria: Studies conducted in test tubes suggest that lauric acid can reduce levels of viruses and bacteria that can cause infections. This includes oral bacteria (26, 27, 28).

It should be kept in mind that not all of these studies were conducted specifically with coconut milk.

Potential side effects of coconut milk

As long as you are not allergic to coconuts, it is unlikely that coconut milk will cause any adverse side effects. Compared to nut allergy and peanut allergy, coconut allergy is relatively rare (29). However, some digestive disorder experts recommend that people suffering from FODMAP intolerance limit their consumption of coconut milk to 120 ml per serving.

Many canned coconut milk products also contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that can leach into food from the packaging. BPA has been linked to reproductive problems and cancer in animal and human studies (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35). Some manufacturers offer coconut milk in BPA-free packaging.

How best to use coconut milk

Although coconut milk is nutritious, it is also quite high in calories. This should be kept in mind when adding coconut milk to food or using it in recipes.

Ideas for including coconut milk in your diet

Add a few tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) to your coffee
Add half a cup (120 ml) to your protein shake
Pour a small amount over berries or sliced papaya
Add a few tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) to oatmeal or other cereals

How to choose the best coconut milk

Here are a few tips for choosing the best coconut milk:

Pay attention to the label: whenever possible, choose a product that contains only coconut and water.
Choose BPA-free cans: Only buy coconut milk from manufacturers that use BPA-free cans.
Choose the light version: For a lower calorie option, choose the light version of coconut milk. This is thinner and only contains around 100 kcal per 100 ml (36).
Make your own coconut milk: For the freshest and healthiest coconut milk, mix 350 to 500 ml of unsweetened grated coconut with one liter of hot water and filter through cheesecloth.

Conclusion

Coconut milk is a tasty, nutritious and versatile food that you can make at home. Coconut milk is packed with important nutrients such as manganese and copper. By including moderate amounts of coconut milk in your diet, you can boost your heart health and reap other health benefits.