Coconut milk is one of many edible products available from coconuts, along with coconut meat, coconut oil and coconut juice. Coconut milk is defined as the liquid expressed from the meat of the coconut with water added.
Calories and Fat
One cup of coconut milk, approximately 240g of liquid, contains 552 calories, with 479 of those calories coming from fat. The extremely high calorie level and the high level of fat makes coconut milk appropriate only for occasional indulgence. Of the 57g of fat included in coconut milk, 51g are saturated fat, which is 254 percent of the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat. It also contains 626mg of the essential fatty acid omega-6. Reduced fat versions of coconut milk are available in which some of the saturated fat is removed.
Carbohydrates and Protein
Coconut milk contains 13g of carbohydrates, with 5g of that being fiber. This is 21 percent of the daily recommended intake of fiber. Protein content comes in at 5g, 11 percent of the recommended daily intake.
Micronutrients
Coconut milk is high in iron, with 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance. It also has 110 percent of the daily recommendation of manganese. Coconut milk is also high in magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc, folate and vitamin C. It also contains vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, vitamin B6, niacin, choline, pantothenic acid and calcium.
Health Benefits
Coconut milk may help blood cholesterol levels by raising the levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, while not affecting levels of LDL, the bad cholesterol. This change puts cholesterol levels into a better position for protecting heart health.
Controversy
There is some controversy over whether coconut milk and other coconut products are healthy or unhealthy additions to the diet. The discussion mainly centers around the types of fats in coconut milk. On one side, the high level of saturated fat makes coconut milk seem like something that should be avoided. However, proponents of coconut milk maintain that the type of saturated fat in coconut is different from saturated fats from other sources. Coconut milk contains lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid, unlike the saturated fat in meat and more like the saturated fat found in human breast milk.
Recommendations
With all of the confusion regarding coconut milk, it's difficult to decide whether to include it in the diet or not. In the ABC article "Coconut: Good fat or bad?" author Bianca Nogrady points out that the National Heart Foundation and American Heart Association both promote recipes containing coconut milk, but that these generally are reduced-fat varieties of coconut milk. Also, individuals from cultures that eat a lot of coconut milk and have healthy heart profiles typically eat a lot of fish, chicken, tofu and vegetables in their coconut-milk recipes, which may be a healthy way of including coconut milk in the diet.
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