How is coconut nutritious? Do you drink coconut water with high blood sugar?

In the scorching summer, coconut is a favorite fruit of 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 refreshing natural drink.

Coconut meat has a rich coconut aroma, and when used to stew a pot of chicken or make desserts, the taste is endless.

Today, lets talk about the nutrition and characteristics of coconut, so that everyone can eat coconut clearly.

How is coconut nutritious?

Coconut belongs to the palm family and the coconut genus. It is a typical tropical plant, originating from Indonesia to the Pacific Islands, Asia, and southeastern regions. Its main production areas are Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, the Philippines, and others. There is a small amount of cultivation in Hainan, southern Yunnan, southern Guangdong islands, Leizhou Peninsula and other areas of China, with Hainan being the main one.

Coconut flesh and coconut water are the edible parts of coconut. Coconut meat can be eaten fresh, while coconut water can be used as a sweet and delicious cooling drink. Studies have shown that coconuts that are seven or eight months old are the best harvest period for fresh coconut fruits, and this is when the taste is optimal.

01 Coconut Juice

The coconut water in a mature coconut fruit accounts for about 15% to 30% of its weight, and the average amount of coconut juice is about 300 milliliters. Coconut water has very low calories, only 19 kcal/100g, and its sugar content is lower than most fruits, only 3% to 5%, composed of fructose, glucose, and sucrose. It also contains 1.1 grams/100 grams of dietary fiber, 24 milligrams/100 grams of calcium, 25 milligrams/100 grams of magnesium, 250 milligrams/100 grams of potassium, and 105 milligrams/100 grams of sodium, with excellent nutritional value. Because coconut water has a light sweetness and natural coconut aroma without additional sugar, and also contains nutrients such as potassium and sodium, it is very suitable as a supplement to fluids after sweating heavily in summer.

However, it is recommended to control the single consumption amount of coconut water within 400 grams (1 coconut of coconut water). It is not recommended to use coconut water as a substitute for sports drinks. Coconut water can be chosen to replenish water after short-term exercise, but it is not suitable for long-term and large-scale exercise that requires a large amount of water supplementation. In addition, due to its high potassium content, it is recommended that people with poor kidney function and those with hyperkalemia consume it with caution.

02 Coconut Meat

Coconut meat has a high calorie content, about 354 calories per 100 grams, which is nearly 7 times the calorie content of apples (53 calories per 100 grams). If you show off uncontrollably, it may make people unable to escape gaining weight!

Moreover, coconut meat has a high fat content, approximately 33.5 grams per 100 grams. The coconut meat of one coconut is about 400 grams. If eaten entirely, the intake of fat can reach nearly 130 grams, which is equivalent to nearly 150 grams of pork fat.

In addition, the fat in coconut meat is mostly saturated fatty acids, and eating too much may not be very friendly to cardiovascular health. In general, a single consumption of coconut meat should not exceed 100 grams.

Do you drink coconut water with high blood sugar?

Coconut water is a refreshing summer drink, and many people with high blood sugar are also eager to try it, but they are worried that it will raise their blood sugar.

In fact, people with diabetes can drink coconut water in an appropriate amount. The sugar content of coconut water is very low, and the carbohydrate content is only 3.71g/100g, about 1/4 of that of apples. The GI value is 55, which belongs to low GI drinks.

However, it should be noted that if purchasing packaged coconut water, be sure to check the ingredient list and choose 100% coconut water without additional added sugar.

What are coconut juice, coconut milk, coconut fruit, coconut treasure, and coconut paste?

Coconut juice, coconut milk, coconut fruit, coconut treasure, coconut paste... There are many "coconut brand" products on the market, and many people cannot distinguish the differences between them, only thinking that they are probably related to "coconut".

So, what is the difference between them?

01 Coconut Juice

Most coconut juice on the market is a completely different beverage from what we call coconut water.

Coconut water is a liquid that exists in the coconut fruit cavity, with a clear color and can be consumed directly by inserting a straw. Due to different maturity stages, some may have a sour and astringent taste. Coconut water from 7 to 9 months old coconuts is called tender coconut water, and at this time, coconut water is the sweetest.

Coconut juice products on the market have a better taste, with a sweet and rich coconut aroma. However, most ingredients generally contain coconut meat juice, white sugar, and other ingredients, which belong to coconut juice beverages. For example, the popular coconut juice shown in the picture below.

Of course, there are also some products that are 100% coconut water without any added substances. If you want to drink pure coconut water, please pay attention to the ingredient list when purchasing.

02 Coconut Milk

The name coconut milk makes people feel that drinking it is equivalent to 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 fruits or dried coconut through processes such as crushing, pressing, filtering, blending, homogenization, filling, sterilization, and cooling, and mostly contains added sugar.

Artificially synthesized coconut milk mainly utilizes natural coconut oil, protein, and sugar, and is compounded with appropriate emulsifiers to create a protein beverage with a rich coconut aroma and delicate taste. Even thick coconut milk doesnt have much milk, the basic ingredients are water, coconut meat juice, white sugar, coconut water, emulsifiers, salt, and other ingredients.

Coconut milk/thick coconut milk has lower calcium and protein content than milk, so dont drink them as milk.

03 Coconut Fruit

Coconut fruit is often found in canned fruits and milk tea, but it is not directly cut into pieces from coconut flesh.

Although there is no national mandatory standard for coconut, there is an import and export industry standard, which stipulates that coconut is a kind of cellulose gel material, also known as coconut fiber, coconut nata or high fiber coconut, which is fermented with coconut water or coconut milk (milk) as the main raw material and is made by acetobacter xylosuccinate.

So, coconut fruit is a product further processed from coconut water or coconut juice, not coconut meat.

04 Coconut Treasure

Coconut treasure is only found in partially ripe coconuts, also known as coconut cake or old coconut core. It forms a white ball when the solid endosperm absorbs coconut juice (liquid endosperm) before the coconut sprouts, and you can see it when you knock open the coconut.

The color of Yebao and the color of coconut meat are both white, resembling white spherical ice cream in appearance. The taste is crispy and fluffy, slightly sweet with a strong milk aroma and coconut fragrance.

05 Coconut Paste

Coconut paste is a byproduct of fresh coconut meat crushed and extracted from coconut milk, which is then dried and dehydrated (with a moisture content of 2.5%). Coconut milk is a high calorie, high-fat food with a fat content of 42.6%, protein of 4.1%, carbohydrates of 19.2%, and crude fiber of 23.2%.

Coconut can be eaten all over the body except for the shell. But it should be noted that coconut meat is high in calories, so if you want to control your weight, dont eat too much. Coconut water has a low calorie content, but it has a high potassium and sodium content, as well as a small amount of sugar. It should not be consumed as water, and people with poor kidney function and hyperkalemia should drink it with caution.