What Are The Benefits Of Young Coconut Meat?

What Are the Benefits of Young Coconut Meat?

Jun 14, 2011 | By Andrea Cespedes

Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm tree. Young coconuts refer to ones that are still green and have not yet developed a hard, brown outer shell. They contain coconut water, which is lauded for its low-calorie, high-electrolyte content. The meat of the young coconut, which is softer than that of older, brown coconuts, offers multiple dietary benefits.

Healing Properties

Coconuts are native to tropical countries where they have been used for hundreds of years to treat health conditions. The Coconut Research Center says coconuts have antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and may be used to treat a range of problems ranging from abscesses and asthma to nausea, skin infections, ulcers, weakness and toothaches. Much of the healing properties in young coconut meat is due to the high amount of lauric acid contained in it.

Medium-Chain Fatty Acids

Coconuts have been maligned for their saturated fat content. However, the saturated fat in coconuts is largely made up of medium-chain fatty acids, which are better digested than animal fats and are used by the body for energy, say researchers in the June 2006 issue of "Ceylon Medical Journal." Penni Shelton, author of "Raw Food Cleanse," says the fat in young coconut meat can help improve the body's immune system and anti-inflammatory responses.

Raw Diets

People who follow raw diets do not eat food heated to temperatures above 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Eating salads and crudite for every meal can become monotonous, so rawists have come up with creative ways to add texture and flavor to their diet. Young coconut meat can stand in for noodles or pasta squares for those following a raw diet.

Open the coconut with a cleaver or chef's knife and scoop the soft flesh out with a spoon. Lay the flesh flat and cut into strips to use as coconut noodles. Young coconut may also be blended into raw smoothies.