There has been some controversy over the past few years on coconut products being unhealthy. I decided to do a little research for myself.
I first wanted to investigate coconut oil. According to Harvard Health Publishing back in 2018 “ Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%). Too much saturated fat in the diet is unhealthy because it raises bad LDL cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. So, it would seem that coconut oil would be bad news for our hearts. But what’s interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives good HDL cholesterol a boost. Fat in the diet, whether it’s saturated or unsaturated, tends to nudge HDL levels up, but coconut oil seems to be especially potent at doing so.” As you can see, they suggest using it sparingly. You can read the full article by going to the link below.
Coconut milk can be used in desserts or even be had with cereal. But does it have health benefits? According to an article from Medical New Today, it does. Coconut milk can promote weight loss, promote heart health, and it can boost your immune system. There are also some risks. The article explains that too much coconut milk can contribute to weight gain and digestive issues such as diarrhea or constipation. For more information, you can check out the article by going to the link below.
What I really wanted to look up was the health benefits and risks of coconut aminos. Coconut aminos is fermented coconut palm sap. It can be used as a soy sauce replacement. It seems that there hasn’t been enough research on coconut aminos to know if there really are benefits or risks to eating it. The only true thing we know is that it contains less sodium than soy sauce. You can find more information about this in the article Coconut Aminos: Is It the Perfect Soy Sauce Substitute? from healthline. It’s linked below.
What I learned is that even though there are some health benefits to coconut products there also health risks and they should be used in moderation.
Harvard Health Publishing. “Ask the Doctor: Coconut Oil and Health.” Harvard Health, Harvard Health Publishing, 22 Aug. 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/coconut-oil.
Eske, Jamie. “Coconut Milk: Benefits, Nutrition, and Risks.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 20 Nov. 2018, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323743.php#summary.
Hill, Ansley. “Coconut Aminos: Is It the Perfect Soy Sauce Substitute?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 21 June 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-aminos#health-benefits.
