Coconut Products: Are They Really Health Foods?

Products from the coconut palm tree might enter your kitchen in many forms—the fresh fruit, (whole, shredded, or grated), coconut milk, coconut water, and/or coconut oil.  Lately, two of these products have become quite trendy: 1) coconut water as a popular sports drink and  2) coconut palm sugar, the newest of many promoted natural sugars. These products (along with coconut oil) have been touted for their supposed health benefits. But should you believe the claims?

Coconut water:

Coconut water is the thin liquid that’s inside young, green coconuts.  (Don’t confuse it with coconut milk or coconut cream, which are made from the white flesh of mature coconuts.)  No, you don’t need to go out and find a young coconut in order to enjoy this sweet, low-calorie, fat-free beverage.  You’ll find it bottled and on sale in many stores and online.  But if you want to drink your coconut water right from the coconut, fresh coconuts are available all year round and are in peak season from October through December. 

According to the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, coconut water has become extremely popular among athletes and others who are physically active.  Why?  On the exercise bike or the hiking trail, it’s refreshing, rehydrating, and healthful; it contains more potassium than a banana and several other electrolytes as well.  Because coconut water has an electrolyte balance similar to blood, during World War II it sometimes substituted for intravenous plasma.  But, says the newsletter, “Unless you work out intensely for more than an hour, you don’t need any sports drink or extra sodium—plain water is just fine. “

The article does give coconut water some points in these areas:  it may be helpful in treating mild diarrhea and may have positive effects upon blood pressure. However, the article goes on to say, “Don’t believe claims that it can control diabetes, fight viruses, speed metabolism, treat kidney stones, smooth your skin, stop dandruff, or prevent cancer.” 

Coconut milk:

Food process engineer Dr. Timothy Bowser makes the following comments about coconut milk: One obvious advantage for those that have problems with lactose is that coconut milk is dairy-free. One possible disadvantage: Some people claim that coconut milk can pick  up BPA from a cane liner. The easy solution for avoiding this risk is to purchase a brand without BPA.  Which brands are BPA free? Check this article: http://chriskresser.com/3-reasons-why-coconut-milk-may-not-be-your-friend

Furthermore, Dr. Bowser points out, coconut milk is easy to make at home. You tube has this how-to video: "Homemade Coconut Milk Recipe from Dried Coconut."

Food scientist Dr. Karin Allen points out that there are no FDA standards of identity for coconut milk (as there is for dairy milk). Therefore, what is labeled "coconut milk" might actually be a blend of coconut milk and coconut water (or plain water). If the container says "lite," that means the contents is a blended product. If  consumers want to know what they're buying, they can also check the nutrition facts on the container. One cup of canned coconut milk contains 450 calories, 430 calories from fat, and 43 grams of saturated fat.  (Comparable figures for cow's milk are 150 calories, 70 fat calories, and 4.5 grams of saturated fat.) Coconut milk blends create a thinner product with less saturated fat, healthier but probably a bit less tasty. 

Coconut milk is higher in iron and phosphorus than dairy milk but doesn't have as much calcium (4% of daily value compared to 30%  in cow's milk).

Coconut Palm sugar:

One of the newest products to enter the natural sweetener market is coconut palm sugar, the watery sap found in flower buds that grow at the top of palm trees. No, you don’t have to climb a palm tree to get some.  Palm sugar is sold in bags like brown sugar. (In fact, you can use it as a substitute for brown sugar in most recipes.) Its light brown granules taste something like caramel.  

What about the health benefits?  According to the newsletter Environmental Nutrition, there is little research to support claims that there are any.  Although unrefined palm sugar is higher in antioxidants than refined cane sugar, there’s no evidence that these antioxidants will benefit the human body.  Palm sugar contains the same amount of calories per teaspoon (about 15) as the familiar white stuff sitting in your sugar bowl. 

To read more about coconut palm sugar, go to "Three Sweeteners You May Want to Try: Advantame, Coconut Palm Sugar, and Agave."

Coconut Oil:

In your supermarket, you're likely to find two types of coconut oil: virgin and refined. Virgin oil is removed from fresh coconut meat without high heat or chemicals.  Therefore, it has the taste and scent of coconut.  It also has more nutrients than the refined product, which  (according to the Chicago Tribune) has been made from dried coconut that is then bleached and deodorized.  It can withstand higher temperatures than virgin oil, so it's useful as a replacement for butter and can be used for baking and sautéing.  But use it in moderation; it's 90% saturated fat--though some of this fat actually increases good cholesterol.

Have you heard the claim that coconut oil can combat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s?  The rumor is widespread but probably wrong. Snopes.com classifies the claim as “undetermined.” The site says the following:  “There is no verifiable support for coconut oil as a therapy for Alzheimer’s disease outside of some non-scientific anecdotal evidence, which is a long, long way from the type of research necessary to establish it as a documented and effective treatment.”

Now, what about the attacks on coconut oil, the claims that it’s unhealthy because it contains so much saturated fat?  Those attacks, which began in the 1970s and 80s, led many manufacturers to switch to trans fats, no improvement we realize today.  Nowadays, coconut oil has a somewhat better reputation. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say on the subject:  “Because much of the saturated fat of coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid [which  is found only in coconut oil and breast milk], coconut oil may be a better alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oil when solid fats are required.  In addition, virgin coconut oil is composed mainly of medium-chain triglycerides, which may not carry the same risks as other saturated fats.  Early studies on the health effects of coconut oil used partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which creates trans fats, and not virgin coconut oil, which has a different health risk profile.”   The point about the triglycerides is echoed in the website Quality First International Inc., which also claims that coconut oil “is rich in fatty acids that have natural antiviral and antibacterial properties.”  Still, many sources recommend consuming this oil sparingly because of the saturated fat. 

Coconut oil is often used for many purposes having nothing to do with food.  For example, it’s good for lubricating the skin, treating hair loss, making soap.  In many tropical island countries, it’s used for fuel.  Acids derived from coconut oil can be used as herbicides. 

Shelf life and handling tips on coconut products:

A whole coconut, unopened, can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Once opened, it should be refrigerated.  When coconut meat starts to turn yellow, it is getting rancid.  (Sources: answers.com; food.com)

Grated fresh coconut should be tightly covered and refrigerated. It will last 1 week in the fridge and about 6 months in the freezer.  (Source: food.com)

Packaged shredded coconut is shelved with baking ingredients. Unopened, it should last for a year in the pantry. Opened, it will last 6 months in the pantry, 8 months in the fridge, and 1 year in the freezer.  (Source: Virginia Cooperative Extension “Food Storage Guidelines for Consumers”)

Coconut oil: Refined coconut oil will last about 18 months without turning rancid.  Purified, unrefined coconut oil will last indefinitely.  (Source: Quality First International, Inc.) 

Source(s):

Environmental Nutrition, “Get the Facts on Palm Sugar Sweetening” March 2012.
http://www.environmentalnutrition.com/issues/35_3/asken/Palm-Sugar-Sweetening_152280-1.html

University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter  “The coconut water craze” March 2012
http://www.healthcommunities.com/healthy-drinks/is-coconut-water-a-healthier-drink_ucbwl.

Wiki.answers.com  “How Long Is a Coconut’s Shelf Life?”
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_is_a_coconut's_shelf_life

snopes.com “Coconut Oil”
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/coconutoil.asp 

food.com “Kitchen Dictionary: coconut”
http://www.food.com/library/coconut-107

answers.com “How long is a coconut’s shelf life?”
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_is_a_coconut's_shelf_life

Chicago Tribune, "Coconut oil takes on new image as health, beauty aid" June 26, 2014.

Timothy J. Bowser, Ph.D. , Oklahoma State University, Dept. of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Karin E. Allen, Ph.D., Utah State University, Dept. of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences