Consumption of Coconut MilkThe questions below were raised by visitors to the STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print) website in the AskST section of the website. eMenders doctors provided the answers to the questions raised as a public health education project. The information provided below is of a general nature and should not be treated as a replacement for medical advice. You should seek consultation from a medical or healthcare professional about your specific medical condition.
Question:
Too much coconut milk is bad for health. What about eating the flesh of young coconuts? How many young coconuts a week can an average person eat?
Answer:
Mature coconut milk, the expressed juice of grated coconut flesh and water, does have a high proportion of saturated fat and is not particularly considered to be good for your health. However, it contains no cholesterol.
Young coconut water has no fat and is rich in minerals. Its flesh has some fat, but ten times less than that in a mature coconut. As such, eating the flesh of a young coconut is not an immediate health hazard, and you should be able to consume it regularly and in moderate amounts without worrying too much.
Fatty coconut products like mature coconut flesh should be consumed in moderation.
DR. LEE BEE WAH is a Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Paediatric Immunologist/Allergist at the Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, an Adjunct Associate Professor (Department of Paediatrics) at the National University of Singapore, and a Visiting Senior Consultant Paediatrician (Children’s Medical Centre) at the National University Hospital.