Coconut Milk and its Benefits
Coconut milk is obtained from the thick, white flesh or meat found inside a ripe coconut. To extract coconut milk, the white flesh of the coconut is first grated and then soaked in hot water for some time. The grated coconut meat is then squeezed through a cheesecloth. Coconut milk is of two types, thick and thin milk. The thick coconut milk is obtained by squeezing the grated coconut only once, while for getting thin coconut milk, the squeezed coconut meat is re-soaked in warm water and then again squeezed for the second or the third time. This is used in several food recipes like sauces, delicious curries and desserts. Apart from preparing foods tastier and creamier, coconut milk is also a healthy addition to various food preparations.
Nutritional Values of Coconut Milk:
Following are the nutritional values present in 100 grams of fresh coconut milk:
Calories – 230
Proteins – 2.3 g
Fat – 23.8g
Carbohydrates – 5.5 g
Dietary fiber – 2.3 g
Sugar – 3.35 g
Vitamin C – 2.8 mg
Vitamin E – 0.15 mg
Vitamin B1 – 0.026 mg
Vitamin B6 – 0.033 mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) – 0.183 mg
Folate – 16 mcg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – 0.76 mg
Iron – 1.64 mg
Selenium – 6.2 mcg
Sodium – 15 mg
Calcium – 16 mg
Magnesium – 37 mg
Phosphorus – 100 mg
Potassium – 260 mg
Benefits of Coconut Milk:
Coconut milk has been widely acknowledged as the miracle liquid which help people to build up and support the immune system effectively. Fortunately, you have many options in your hand. You can buy the canned coconut milk from the local grocery store or even trying out to make it at home. However, the homemade coconut juice is fresh and much more beneficial than the canned one.
Coconut milk contains vitamins, electrolytes and minerals. Those are the essential for human body to support their needs of advantageous substances to live a healthy life. The electrolytes in coconut juice are such as potassium, chloride and also calcium. Besides, the coconut milk provides people with lauric acid which great functions inside the body, from anti-viral, anti-microbial up to anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
Helps to maintain blood sugar places:
Glucose intolerance may cause manganese deficiency in your body. Coconut milk is a rich source of manganese. Whole grains, legumes and nuts are some excellent sources of manganese.
Keeps skin and blood vessels flexible and elastic:
Copper is very important mineral for most of the bodily functions. Copper and vitamin C help to maintain the flexibility and elasticity of the skin and blood vessels.
Aids in building strong bones:
Coconut milk is not rich in calcium, but it is rich in phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient that body needs for strengthening bones. It is must to take phosphorus with calcium particularly to prevent bone loss because it supplies phosphate to the body.
Helps to prevent anemia:
Lack of iron is the most common nutrient deficiency among the people throughout the world. Iron deficiency in body does not allow the body to develop enough hemoglobin for keeping sufficient oxygen levels in red blood cells, resulting in anemia. Each cup of coconut milk supplies the body with nearly a quarter of daily value of iron.
Relaxes muscles and nerves:
Whenever you feel muscle cramps or muscle soreness, have some food along with coconut milk. It is rich in magnesium and can help you in relieving the problem. One of the functions of magnesium is it acts as a gate block in many nerve cells. If magnesium is not present in body, nerve cells become very active because of calcium that activates nerves. Excess contraction of muscles is caused by over active nerve cells.
Helps in Controlling Weight:
This can be a good news for people who are trying to reduce weight. Coconut milk makes you feel full very quickly because of high concentrations of dietary fiber.
Decreases the risk of joint inflammation:
Selenium is an important antioxidant. It controls the free radicals and thereby helps in relieving the symptoms of arthritis. It is observed that people with low levels of selenium may suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
Helps in lowering high blood pressure:
People who are concerned with their blood pressure will not face any problem for reaching the foods containing potassium. Potassium helps in lowering blood pressure levels in the body.
Helps in maintaining healthy immune system:
Coconut milk helps in warding off colds and coughs by keeping the immune system healthy. It supplies vitamin C to the body which boosts the immune system.
Promotes the health of prostate gland:
Zinc plays a vital role in promoting the health of prostate gland. A preliminary study showed that it slows down the activities of cancer cells.
It is not a dairy products, thus it is good for everyone who are lactose intolerant. This group of people cannot stand with animal milk and they commonly suffer from particular type of allergy It is free from gluten and soy. Hence people who are allergic to these substances can also use this. The fresh coconut milk is a vegan drink with extremely low cholesterol, therefore very recommended for those who look for low fat food product.
Benefits of Coconut Milk for Hair
Coconut milk can have benefits for hair as well. In fact, it is increasingly used for hair care of late. It contains vitamin E and fats, which can prove effective in moisturizing hair. Fresh coconut milk can nourish hair and promote hair growth. It can be used for controlling excessive hair fall as well.
Benefits of Coconut Milk on Skin
Along with hair care, coconut milk can be used for skin care as well. It can be used for cleansing the skin pores by removing dirt and excess sebum. When used for skin care, coconut milk can give soft and supple skin and a radiant complexion. Coconut milk can also remove the dead cells from the skin by acting as a gentle exfoliating agent. At the same time, it helps to keep the skin well hydrated and moisturized as well.
