As I was enjoying my packet of fresh coconut meat after gulping down the coconut water just now, I was wondering whether coconut meat/flesh is an empty calorie food or otherwise .  I have heard and read so much on the health benefits of extra virgin coconut oil, which is now touted as a super food.   In the past, coconut oil and coconut meat had been reputed as a ‘bad food’.  But in recent years,  there has been so much hype on the myriad of health benefits of  coconut oil and coconut products.

Coconut is one of those foods that seems to ping-pong between the ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ list.  Coconut and the products derived from it like coconut meat have been for years wrongly deemed as an unhealthy type of food because of its long known high saturated fat content. However, a growing body of recent studies have shown that the type of fats present in coconut meat are in fact medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). When you eat coconut meat, the MCTs it contains are transported from the intestinal tract to the liver and immediately transformed into fuel. This then means there is very little MCTs left to circulate and deposit in fat tissues in the body

Meat from young coconuts or (a.k.a green coconuts) is very creamy and gelatinous. It looks and feels like jelly because you can eat it with a spoon. This is the type that is often fed to babies as they are weaned from their mothers’ breast. Young coconut meat spoils more quickly than mature meat. This is why it’s rare to find it outside of tropical locales. However, for those of you living in the States, they can be found in some stores during the summer months.

Meat from mature coconuts is white, much harder and has a slightly sweet and nutty taste. As the coconut matures, the quantity of oil in the meat increases too.   Mature meat has high levels of fiber and oil which help it function like a probiotic. Probiotics are very beneficial for the digestive system because they feed the good bacteria in the intestines.

Fresh meat from coconuts is considered a functional food. By eating it you accomplish two important things for your body. You feed the body a high quality food source.   It functions in specific ways once inside the body (i.e. feeds the good bacteria in the intestines).

A few of the health benefits that can result by consuming fresh meat consistently are:

• It helps to regulate digestion and elimination.
• It assists in weight loss.
• It’s a powerful germ fighter.

Almost half the weight of fresh meat comes from water. It also contains less sugar than meat from other fruits like oranges or apples.

The mineral levels of iron, phosphorous and zinc are high.
While coconuts and coconut liquids are full of saturated fats, not all of it is bad for you. Much of the saturated fat content is lauric acid. This beneficial saturated fat can actually help boost your high-density lipoprotein, the “good” cholesterol that reduces your risk of heart disease. HDL cholesterol tends to bring LDL molecule levels down, by transporting them to your liver for deconstruction and removal. But the maximum amount of lauric acid from coconuts you can have before it stops being beneficial is unknown, the Harvard School of Public Health warns. Because too much saturated fat in general is harmful for heart health, don’t go overboard on your servings of coconut products.

So once again, the rule is take everything in moderation! 🙂