In the hot summer, coconut is a favorite fruit for many people!
Coconut water is sweet and refreshing, not only low in calories, but also rich in dietary fiber and minerals, making it a healthy and natural drink to relieve the heat.
The coconut meat has a strong coconut aroma, and it can be said that it is also delicious to stew a pot of chicken or make desserts.
Today, let's talk about the nutrition and characteristics of coconut, so that everyone can eat coconut clearly.
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How nutritious is coconut?
Coconut belongs to the palm family coconut genus, is a typical tropical plant, from Indonesia to the Pacific Islands, Asia, southeastern regions, the main production areas are Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, the Philippines and so on. A small amount of cultivation is found in mainland Hainan, southern Yunnan, southern islands of Guangdong, Leizhou Peninsula and other areas, of which Hainan is the main plant.
Coconut pulp and coconut water are edible parts of coconut, coconut meat can be eaten fresh, and coconut water can be used as a sweet and delicious drink to relieve the heat. Studies have shown that seven or eight months of coconut is the best time to pick fresh coconut fruits, and the taste is best at this time.
1. Coconut water
The coconut water in a ripe coconut fruit accounts for about 15%~30% of its weight, and the average amount of coconut water is about 300ml. Coconut water is very low in calories, only 19 kcal/100 g, and the sugar content is lower than most fruits, only 3%~5%, and is composed of fructose, glucose, and sucrose. It also contains 1.1 g/100 g of dietary fiber, 24 mg/100 g of calcium, 25 mg/100 g of magnesium, 250 mg/100 g of potassium, and 105 mg/100 g of sodium.
Because coconut water has a faint sweetness and natural coconut fragrance without additional sugar, and it also contains nutrients such as potassium and sodium, it is suitable as a liquid supplement after heavy sweating in summer. However, it is recommended to control the single consumption of coconut water within 400 grams (coconut water for 1 coconut), it is not recommended to use coconut water instead of sports drinks, you can choose coconut water to replenish water after a short period of exercise, if it is a long time after a lot of exercise, it is not suitable to replenish a lot of water. In addition, due to its high potassium content, it is recommended for people with poor kidney function as well as people with hyperkalemia to consume it with caution.
2. Coconut meat
Coconut meat is high in calories of about 354 kcal/100 g, which is nearly 7 times the calories of apples (53 kcal/100 g). If you don't "show off" uncontrollably, it may make people "can't escape a fat"!
And, coconut meat has a high fat content of about 33.5 g/100 g. The coconut meat of 1 coconut is about 400 grams, and if you eat it all, the fat ingestion is as high as nearly 130 grams, which is equivalent to nearly 150 grams of pork fat.
In addition, the fat of coconut meat is basically saturated fatty acids, and eating too much may not be very friendly to cardiovascular health. In general, it is best to consume no more than 100 grams of coconut meat in a single serving.
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Can you drink coconut water with high blood sugar?
Coconut water is a refreshing drink in summer, and many friends with high blood sugar are also eager to try it, but they are worried that it will raise blood sugar.
In fact, diabetics can drink coconut water in moderation, the sugar content in coconut water is very low, the carbohydrate content is only 3.71 g/100 g, about 1/4 of apples, and the GI value is 55, which is a low GI drink.
However, it is important to note that if you buy coconut water with packaging, you must look at the ingredient list and choose 100% coconut water with no added sugar.
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What are coconut milk, coconut milk, coconut fruit, coconut treasure, and desiccated coconut?
Coconut water, coconut milk, coconut fruit, coconut treasure, desiccated coconut...... There are many "coconut brand" products on the market, and many people can't tell the difference between them, and can only think of a little relationship with "coconut". So, what exactly is the difference between them?
1. Coconut water
Most of the coconut water on the market and the coconut water we call are two completely different drinks.
Coconut water is a liquid that exists in the cavity of the coconut fruit, with a clear color, and can be drunk directly with a straw, and some may be accompanied by a sour taste due to the different ripening periods. The coconut water of 7~9 months old coconut is called tender fruit coconut water, and the coconut water is the sweetest at this time.
The coconut water products on the market have a better taste, sweet taste and strong coconut flavor, but most of the ingredients generally contain coconut juice, white sugar and other ingredients, which belong to coconut water drinks, such as the popular coconut water in the picture below.
Figure: E-commerce platform
Of course, there are also some products that are 100% coconut water without any added substances, if you want to drink pure coconut water, pay attention to check the ingredient list when buying.
2. Coconut milk
The name "coconut milk/coconut milk" makes people think that drinking it is the same as drinking milk, but in fact it is completely different from milk. Coconut milk is not a dairy product, but a type of beverage.
Natural coconut milk is an important coconut processed product made from fresh coconut fruit or copra, through crushing, pressing, filtration, blending, homogenization, filling, sterilization, cooling and other processes, and most of them also contain added sugar.
Synthetic coconut milk mainly uses natural coconut oil, egg whites and sugars, and adds an appropriate amount of emulsifier to compound into a protein drink with rich coconut flavor and delicate taste. Even thick coconut milk doesn't have much milk, and the basic ingredients are water, coconut juice, sugar, coconut water, emulsifier, salt and other ingredients.
Figure: E-commerce platform
The calcium and protein content of coconut milk/thick coconut milk is not as good as that of milk, so don't drink them as milk.
3. Coconut
Coconut fruit is often found in canned fruit and milk tea, but it is not made from the pulp of the coconut.
Although there is no national mandatory standard for coconut fruit, there are import and export industry standards, which stipulate that coconut fruit is a cellulose gel substance made by fermentation of Acetobacterium xyglucoate with coconut water or coconut water (milk) as the main raw material, also known as coconut fruit, coconut nata or high-fiber coconut fruit.
Therefore, coconut fruit is the product of further processing with coconut water or coconut water as raw materials, not coconut meat.
4. Coconut Treasure
Coconut treasure is only found in partially ripe coconuts, and is also known as coconut cake and old coconut core. It is a white ball formed after the solid endosperm absorbs the coconut water (liquid endosperm) before the coconut sprouts, and it will be seen when the coconut is cracked.
The color of the coconut treasure and the color of the coconut meat are white, the appearance is like a white ball ice cream, the taste is crispy and creamy, and the slight sweetness has a rich milky aroma and the fragrance of coconut.
Figure: E-commerce platform
5. Desiccated coconut
Desiccated coconut is a by-product of crushing fresh coconut meat and squeezing coconut milk, which is dried and dehydrated (moisture to 2.5%). Desiccated coconut is a high-calorie, high-fat food with a fat content of 42.6%, protein 4.1%, carbohydrates 19.2%, and crude fiber 23.2%.
summary
Coconut can be eaten all over the body except for the shell. However, it should be noted that coconut meat is high in calories, so don't eat too much if you want to control your weight. Coconut water is very low in calories, but it is high in potassium and sodium, and also contains a small amount of sugar, so it cannot be drunk as water, and people with poor kidney function and hyperkalemia should be cautious when drinking.
bibliography
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Planning and production
Audit丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center
Planning丨Zhong Yanping
Editor丨Zhong Yanping
Reviewer丨Xu Lai Linlin