The popularity of coconut doesn't end with coconut water. A variety of coconut derived ingredients from coconut oil to coconut flour and coconut milk are increasingly being used in home kitchens, restaurants and packaged foods. But can a food so rich in calories and laden with saturated fat be healthy? Here are the health benefits and cons of coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut flour, coconut water, coconut meat and coconut flakes. Plus get delicious coconut recipes to use them.
Coconut oil was once a heart-health "don't" thanks to its 87 percent saturated-fat content. Solid at room temperature, it's making a comeback in some packaged foods and for cooking and baking. While it may be marketed as helpful for cholesterol levels, some nutrition experts disagree about the health benefits of coconut oil. "Coconut oil contains a mixture of saturated fatty acids, some of which don't adversely affect cholesterol levels," says Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "But while its predominant saturated fat lauric aciddoes raise beneficial HDL cholesterol, it also raises harmful LDL cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease." Look for coconut oil, in jars or tubs, near other cooking oils in large supermarkets, in the natural-foods section, or in natural-foods stores.
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