Contents
- 1 Nutritional Values of Coconut Milk:
- 2 Benefits of Coconut Milk:
- 3 Helps to maintain blood sugar places:
- 4 Keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic:
- 5 Aids in building strong bones:
- 6 Helps to prevent anemia:
- 7 Relaxes muscles and nerves:
- 8 Helps in Controlling Weight:
- 9 Decreases the risk of joint inflammation:
- 10 Helps in lowering high blood pressure:
- 11 Helps in maintaining healthy immune system:
- 12 Promotes the health of prostate gland:
Coconut milk is extracted by grating mature coconuts and squeezing them by using cheesecloth or both bare hands. This milky white liquid is called santam in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and gata in Philippines. It is used in several food recipes like sauces, delicious curries and desserts. Apart from making foods tastier and creamier, coconut milk is also a healthy addition to various food preparations.
Nutritional Values of Coconut Milk:
Following are the nutritional values present in 100 grams of fresh coconut milk:
- Calories – 230
- Proteins – 2.3g
- Fat – 23.8g
- Carbohydrates – 5.5g
- Dietary fiber – 2.3g
- Sugar – 3.35g
- Vitamin C – 2.8 mg
- Vitamin E – 0.15 mg
- Vitamin B1 – 0.026 mg
- Vitamin B6 – 0.033 mg
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) – 0.183 mg
- Folate – 16 mcg
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – 0.76 mg
- Iron – 1.64 mg
- Selenium – 6.2 mcg
- Sodium – 15 mg
- Calcium – 16 mg
- Magnesium – 37 mg
- Phosphorus – 100 mg
- Potassium – 260 mg
Benefits of Coconut Milk:
Following are some of the health benefits of coconut milk:
-
Helps to maintain blood sugar places:
Glucose intolerance may cause manganese deficiency in your body. Coconut milk is a rich source of manganese. Whole grains, legumes and nuts are some other excellent sources of manganese.
-
Keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic:
Copper is a very important mineral for most of the bodily functions. Copper and vitamin C help to maintain the flexibility and elasticity of the skin and blood vessels.
-
Aids in building strong bones:
Coconut milk is not rich in calcium, but it is rich in phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient that the body needs for strengthening bones. It is must to take phosphorus with calcium particularly to prevent bone loss because it supplies phosphate to the body.
-
Helps to prevent anemia:
Lack of iron is the most common nutrient deficiency among the people throughout the world. Iron deficiency in body does not allow the body to develop enough hemoglobin for keeping sufficient oxygen levels in red blood cells, resulting in anemia. Each cup of coconut milk supplies the body with nearly a quarter of daily value of iron.
-
Relaxes muscles and nerves:
Whenever you feel muscle cramps or muscle soreness, have some food along with coconut milk. It is rich in magnesium and can help you in relieving the problem. One of the functions of magnesium is it acts as a gate block in many nerve cells. If magnesium is not present in body, nerve cells become very active because of calcium that activates nerves. Excess contraction of muscles is caused by over-active nerve cells.
-
Helps in Controlling Weight:
This can be good news for people who are trying to reduce weight. Coconut milk makes you feel full very quickly because of high concentrations of dietary fiber.
-
Decreases the risk of joint inflammation:
Selenium is an important antioxidant. It controls the free radicals and thereby helps in relieving the symptoms of arthritis. It is observed that people with low levels of selenium may suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
-
Helps in lowering high blood pressure:
People who are concerned about their blood pressure will not face any problem consuming foods containing potassium. Potassium helps in lowering blood pressure levels in the body.
-
Helps in maintaining healthy immune system:
Coconut milk helps in warding off colds and coughs by keeping the immune system healthy. It supplies vitamin C to the body which boosts the immune system.
-
Promotes the health of prostate gland:
Zinc plays a vital role in promoting the health of prostate gland. A preliminary study showed that it slows down the activities of cancer cells.
I hope the above mentioned information helps you in understanding the relation between health and coconut milk. It can also be consumed by people with cow’s milk allergy. It is free from gluten and soy. Hence people who are allergic to these substances can also use coconut milk.
Related posts:
what about dry coconut chip that contain 15% artificial sugar
I’d skip it as it is processed and artificial sugar isn’t good for you. It makes you crave more or real sugar that has no nutritional value at all. I’d only eat this if I was an olympic athlete that needed numerous calories. Even then I’d have to think twice about consuming it.
I’ve been drinking coconut milk for about a week and notice more energy and a little lower body fat.
How much are you consuming in a day
Coconut milk retains most of the nutrients and essential fatty acids that make it so beneficial to our health.
It is also great to add to recipes especially Thai dishes.
Has anyone heard anything about coconut milk helping maintain healthy cholesterol?
Have a look at this link and then decide. Confusion – well you be the judge.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2008/09/25/2372372.htm
Admittedly it was published some 3-4 years ago – but the references are good.
Best of health to us all
in a week how much time should we apply
I had some chocolate coconut milk today, now I have diarrhea, has anyone experienced this problem?
Just emptied liquid from recently downed
Coconuts. It is clear and tastes good but
It is not milky white but clear. Is this also
Coconut milk?
Clear liquid from younger coconuts is called coconut water. It is rich in electrolytes but doesn’t have the same properties as coconut milk.
Nope, that is coconut water, the fluid inside and apart from opening up the coconut not a lot of work to get to it. The milk, however requires a bit of work because it is squeeze from the white meat of the coconut
As far as I know, that clear liquid inside the middle of the coconut isn’t coconut milk, its coconut water. And it doesn’t have a high fat content like coconut milk has. Coconut milk is made by squeezing the white meat of the coconut and straining the liquid (this becomes white and looks like heavy cream but whiter).
No. That’s coconut water. It is very good for hydration. Good after a work out. C’nut milk is made by processing the white coconut.
lol that’s just coconut water. Coconut milk is made from what is call the meat of the coconut. You would also have to have a more mature coconut to make this because that’s when the “meat” becomes thick. You can find it in most stores.
I think most people refer to that as coconut water. From what I understand, coconut milk is strained from the actual meat of the coconut after it has been grated. Coconut water is also very good for you though.
hi Larry,
the clear liquid is coconut water.
if U squeeze the white fleshy part, U get the
coconut milk.
cheers!
The clear liquid is called coconut water. When you take the meat of a coconut and the water and blend them together this gives you coconut milk.
i felt it has lot of calories,too ,, so what is the right amount to take for weight loss??
I drink 1/2 cup per day and the weight has been falling off. It’s not the fat that you consume in a diet as long as it’s a good fat. The sugar in your diet will put weight on you. You need good fat to lose fat. Good fats include avocado, olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil and coconut milk. Check all your labels for sugar. Don’t eat any grains, rice, pasta, breads or alcohol and you will lose weight. These all turn into sugar in your body which turns into fat. Also only eat berries and green apples. All other fruits are too high in sugar making you fat. Or if you have to have them, eat them occasionally. Google Maximized Living. There are lots of good recipes on that site.
@Larry
That’s coconut water not milk
Coconut water comes from a young coconut and coconut milk comes from a much more mature coconut.
In Malaysia, old folks called Coconut tree as The Tree With Thousands of Usage. It truly is! Btw, it is called “Santan” not Santam.
LOL. That picture with the white coconut milk pouring out of the nut is misleading. Clear coconut water/juice is what you get when you crack open a coconut and pour it like that. Obviously, the person who made that photo just bought coconut milk from a can. Coconut milk is MADE when you grate the white coconut meat and squeeze the juice out with water. Coconut milk DOES NOT come out of the coconut instantly. Just believe me, I lived in the tropics where coconuts grow everywhere.
Cocnut water come from the inside not the white skin inside,I should know I been drinking the water since childhood.
where can I get coconut milk? Can you get it without having to open a coconut?