Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is a versatile and natural ingredient that is often utilized in Asian and Indian cuisines. It's an oil-in-water emulsion made from coconut flesh aqueous extract. The coconut kernel is fragmented with a rotary wedge cutter, then pressed and squeezed to remove the milk from the kernel with hot water. Following extraction, the milk is filtered to remove solids before being pasteurized to kill microorganisms. Increasing the temperature of the water during extraction has no significant effect. Repeated extractions increase the amount of milk produced. Coconut milk can be used as a substitute for cow milk by lactose intolerant individuals.The fresh coconut milk serves as a valuable food for children suffering from nutritional deficiency. It has more vitamin A content than the coconut itself and has adequate minerals. It was found that the coconut milk extracted with water at 80°C and having pH of 8 was yielded milk with highest total solids. Coconut milk can be taken raw or used as a milk substitute in coffee, tea, and as a yoghurt alternative when blended with fruits. Coconut milk contains a variety of nutrients that have several health benefits. Magnesium modulates blood sugar levels, phosphate strengthens bones, selenium decreases joint inflammation, and manganese helps to prevent osteoporosis. Lauric acid in coconut milk functions as an antiviral and antibacterial agent. A daily dose of 10 to 20 grams of lauric acid is recommended, which can be acquired from 6 to 12 ounces of good quality coconut milk. Coconut milk also helps to lower the risk of heart disease.
Coconut milk is an oil-protein – water emulsion extracted from fresh grated coconut kernel. It is obtained by manual or mechanical extraction of comminuted coconut meat, with or without water. Coconut milk is healthy, vegan alternative to dairy milk. Coconut milk does not contain lactose and is lower in carbohydrates than dairy milk, which can be consumed by people who are lactose-intolerant or just don't enjoy the taste of dairy milk.
Although regular canned coconut milk is higher in calories and fat than whole dairy milk, the plant-based saturated fat in coconut milk may provide health benefits not found in the animal-based saturated fat in dairy milk. The composition of coconut milk depends on the amount of water used for the extraction, affecting significantly moisture and fat content. Freshly extracted coconut milk has a pH of 6. Coconut milk is rich in proteins such as albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutein.
Coconut milk also has several nutritional advantages and serves as a superior source of several essential nutrients. Coconut milk serves as a much richer source of niacin, also called vitamin B-3, than regular milk. Dairy milk contains lactose, a type of sugar that is difficult for many people to digest. Niacin along with other B-complex vitamins helps in metabolizing the nutrients in food. It is also a rich source of Iron and Copper. Furthermore, coconut milk is lower in sugar than dairy milk, which is beneficial to limit carbohydrates in diet.
Coconut milk has tremendous importance especially in Ayurvedic traditional medicinal purposes. It is generally used to maintain the electrolyte balance and to rule out dehydration losses. Also, it is used for treatment of ulcers in the mouth. Some recent studies have suggested that coconut milk has anti-microbial properties in the gastrointestinal tract, hyperlipidemic balancing qualities and useful for topical applications. In addition, the coconut milk contains lauric acid as saturated fat which has medicinal utilities in the cardiovascular system. Coconut milk also possesses lauric acid in appreciable quantity. It is a saturated fatty acid which elevates high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in blood. It has been proven through research that the coconut oil is much better in comparison to saturated fats due to the health risks imposed by the latter. Coconut milk is rich in medium chain fatty acids. Medium chain fatty acids do not increase the cholesterol level in the blood and yet helps in body weight maintenance.
