Raw, unsweetened grated coconut adds flavor and texture to cereal, baked goods and even main courses or side dishes, and it may seem like a healthy food because it is plant-based and unprocessed. However, many other foods are more nutritious choices than coconut. In moderation, coconut can be part of an overall healthy diet, but you should save it for an occasional treat.
Weight Control
Coconut may increase your chances of gaining weight because it has a high amount of calories in a small serving size. Obesity increases your risk for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and raw grated coconut has 283 calories in each cup, which is a serving size of less than 3 oz. A diet with lower-calorie foods can help decrease your hunger so that you can eat fewer calories to prevent weight gain or lose weight. Fresh fruit is a lower-calorie alternative to coconut, with about 80 calories in a cup of berries.
Saturated Fat
Eating raw coconut can be unhealthy for your heart because each cup of grated coconut provides 24 g saturated fat. Saturated fat raises levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood, which may increase your risk for heart disease. You should not get more than 7 to 10 percent of your total calories from saturated fat, which means a limit of 15 to 22 g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet, according to MayoClinic.com. Nuts and seeds are better choices than coconut because they are high in healthy, unsaturated fats.
Blood Pressure
Raw, unsweetened coconut meat can be good for your blood pressure if you eat it instead of high-sodium, low-potassium foods. A high-sodium diet may cause high blood pressure and an increased risk for stroke and kidney disease, and each cup of grated coconut provides only 16 mg sodium. It also has 285 mg potassium, which is an essential mineral for regulating blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fruits, vegetables and beans are all higher in potassium than coconut.
Essential Nutrients
A benefit of eating raw, unsweetened grated coconut is that it can help you increase your dietary fiber consumption, since each cup has 7 g fiber, or 28 percent of the daily value. Fiber helps control blood sugar levels and reduces your risk for constipation, and most Americans get less than half of recommended amounts, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, other high-fiber foods have more essential nutrients than coconut. For example, nuts are higher in vitamin E, and many fruits are higher in vitamin A or vitamin C.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Nuts and Seed Products
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Nuts; Jane Higdon; December 2005
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fats: Know Which Types to Choose
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