Desiccated coconut or dried coconut, is coconut meat, which has been grated and dried. Dried coconut is available unsweetened or sweetened , and is commonly used as as an ingredient in cooked cereal or granola, in baked goods and a topping for curries or other Asian dishes.
Dried coconut contains no cholesterol or trans fats, and is rich in a number of essential nutrients, such as manganese, dietary fiber, selenium and copper.
Health Benefits of Dried Coconut:
1. Boosts Your Immune System
With approximately 5.2 micrograms of selenium, dried coconut helps to boost your immune system.
You just have to add dry coconut into your diet, and in doing this, you can make your immunity power stronger. Selenium produces selenoproteins, which helps in reducing various diseases.
2. Improves Brain Function
The copper content in desiccated or dried coconut maintains your brain health. It activates the enzymes that are responsible for the production of neurotransmitters, which are chemicals your brain cells use in relaying information.
Other copper-dependent enzymes help in producing myelin, which is the fatty coating that sheaths each nerve cell, and that helps the cell to conduct electricity.
Also, the fat content in dried coconut, may help prevent neurological disorders. A study that was published in the “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease“, in October 2013, reported that the oil in coconut helps in shielding the nerve cells from the toxic effects of protein plaques, which causes the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Healthy Heart
Dry coconut is loaded in dietary fibre, which helps in having a healthy heart.
A male body needs at least 38 grams of dietary fibre, while a female body needs aproximately 25 grams. By eating dried coconut, you will get the required amount of dietary fibre in order to keep all the heart-related issues at bay.
4. Prevents Anemia
Iron deficiency anemia is a common health problem which often affects women. Anemia causes bouts of dizziness, that can lead to accidents. Also, it makes it easier for viruses and bacteria to attack your body. You should consider your iron intake when planning your meal, as people rarely receive enough of this mineral from food.
One of the main health benefits of dried coconut is from its its high iron content. Adding dried coconut into some of your foods will help you to reach your daily requirement of iron.
5. Strengthens Your Connective Tissues
Your ligaments, skin, tendons and bones, are categorized as connective tissues. They contain a number of minerals, which means deficiency of any of these elements affects this particular part of your body.
Keeping your connective tissues strong should be included in your health priorities, as any problems with them can endanger your life.
Desiccated coconut have a wide range of minerals which are easy for your body to process and absorb. By adding rin into your diet, it will prevent mineral deficiency and reduce your risk for many diseases, icluding osteoporosis and arthritis.
Health Considerations:
Despite coconut’s impressive nutrient content, you should consume dried coconut in moderation due to it’s high saturated fat content. Each serving of dried coconut contains about 18.3 grams of total fat, including 16.2 grams of saturated fat.
This means that about 1 ounce of coconut contains about three-quarters of your daily saturated fat limit, if you are following a 2,000-calorie diet.
According to Dr. Walter Willett, as written in Harvard Health Publications, while the coconuts’ fat content might not be as harmful as saturated fat from other sources, you should still limit your intake.
How to Use Dried Coconut:
- Dried coconut is one easy way to add flavor to your cold or hot cereal, and it blends well with smoothies.
- You can use toasted coconut as an alternative to breadcrumbs for breading fish or chicken.
- You can also add dried coconuts to frozen bananas and blend until smooth for coconut soft serve.
Sources:
Food to Live
Healthy Eating SF Gate
Live Strong
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3. Is Coconut the Answer to Weight Loss?
photo credit: foodtolive