Is coconut healthy? The pros and cons.
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Coconut, you read and hear more and more about it. And there is a good chance that you have something made of coconut in your kitchen cupboard. What is coconut actually and is coconut healthy? Is it good for your health to cook with this? We will take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of coconut.
What is coconut actually?
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Coconut is extracted from the coconut, which is probably not unknown to you. These fruits only grow in tropical areas. That is why we always immediately associate this with sun, sea, beach and waving palms.
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In commercials you regularly see someone with a cocktail served in a coconut. Although a coconut has the name of a nut, it is actually a drupe, just as a pear is a drupe. The pulp is a bit fibrous.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
When are coconuts harvested?
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Coconuts are always picked very early, even before they are ripe, because coconuts contain even more coconut water at that time. At that moment the skin will have a green color.
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This color changes to brown because the fruit is dried. The pulp then changes from pink to white. If the coconut itself falls off the tree, it is of course completely ripe. You can also see this process with other fruit, such as apples.
The different coconut products
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Many different products are made from coconut. You can think of coconut milk, but also coconut oil. The most famous products are:
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
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Of course there are also many products where the coconut meat has already been processed into, for example, sandwich fillings, such as coconut bread.
Is coconut healthy?
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Today we are much more concerned with a healthy lifestyle than before. We choose more consciously and check the nutrition label more often. With almost every product there are both advantages and disadvantages for health and that also applies to coconut.
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Coconut is mentioned as one of the superfoods. Other superfoods include cinnamon, green tea and cocoa. In Ayurvedic medicine, coconut has been praised for many centuries for its healing properties in the field of therapeutic and cosmetic problems.
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti -
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos -
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
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Here are quite a few benefits that make coconut healthy:
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But there are also disadvantages that partly determine whether you think coconut is healthy or not. One of the best known drawbacks is the fat content. Coconut consists of about 85% percent saturated fat.
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Saturated fat does not have a good reputation, which is why coconut is often under discussion. The risk of cardiovascular disease would be increased by a regular intake of saturated fats.
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In coconut fat, more than half of the saturated fat consists of lauric acid. Opinions are divided on this too. This would provide the â € goodâ € ™ cholesterol, namely HDL cholesterol. However, it cannot be excluded that the lauric acid may nevertheless have harmful effects on the heart.
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Coconut water should be healthier, you may think. After all, it does not contain saturated fats. Now coconut water is indeed a lot healthier, because it consists of 95% water.
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It contains only 19 kilocalories in 100 milliliters of coconut water. Coconut water is isotonic, which means that it contains the same concentration of carbohydrates and minerals as in the blood.
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Coconut milk is a combination of coconut meat and coconut water. The coconut meat does contain saturated fat. There are also light versions of coconut milk.
Conclusion
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Coconut is not a product you should take every day. But that actually applies to everything. If you enjoy it in moderation, it will benefit your varied diet. If you love coconut or coconut milk, then you certainly don't have to leave this alone.
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Is coconut healthy? Coconut has both negative and positive effects. Above all, choose a varied diet. You can certainly find a number of healthy coconut recipes on the internet. For example, smoothies are often made based on coconut water. And how about a curry based on coconut milk?
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You can buy coconut in organic and specialty stores, but the supermarket around the corner also has coconut-based products. Enjoy your meal!