From the flesh to the water to the milk to the oil the coconut has been used in various cooking recipes around the world and has now also made its place in the world of beauty when being used as one of key ingredients in skin and hair care.
Coconut is a good source of Fat unlike other fruits which are higher in carbs. They are rich in minerals like copper, iron and manganese - good for bone health, form red blood cells and helps metabolise carbs, protein and cholesterol.
They also have selenium, an antioxidant that protects your cells and had anti-ageing properties.
Though you might think that dry and raw fruits might have same nutritional benefits, this is not quite the case with coconut.
Dry coconut though higher in calories is more nutritious than raw coconut in its % of essential minerals and macro-nutrients.
If we talk about its association with gut health and weight-loss, the fat in coconut is in the form of medium-chain triglycerides, meaning they are absorbed directly and quickly from your small intestine and used for energy which in turn promotes body fat loss when compared to long chain triglycerides from animal fat. This should still be consumed in moderation.
Other health benefits include improving cholesterol levels and stabilise blood sugar level due to high fibre content in the coconut flesh/ meat. As mentioned earlier it is a good source of some powerful antioxidants like - gallic acid, caffeic acid etc.
With respect to the fat content - Coconut water is least fatty, then the coconut meat, then coconut milk and lastly the coconut oil which is the most fatty of the four.
Comments