Coconut
OTHER NAME(S): Coco da Bahia, Coco da Praia, Coconut Milk, Coconut Palm, Cocotero, Cocotier, Copra, Coqueiro, Coqueiro da Bahia, Coqueiro da Praia, Kalpavriksha, Kokosnuss, Kokospalm, Kokospalme, Mnazi, Noix de Coco, Tree of life, Cocos nucifera, Coco, Noix de coco
Overview
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is the fruit of the coconut palm, which grows in tropical places around the world. It can be eaten as food or used as medicine.
Coconuts contain a high amount of a saturated fat called medium chain triglycerides. These fats work differently than other types of saturated fat in the body. They might increase fat burning and reduce fat storage. Coconut flour, which is made from coconut, contains high amounts of dietary fiber.
People use coconut for diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don’t confuse coconut with coconut oil or coconut water. These are not the same.
Uses
We currently have no information for Coconut overview.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Coconut is commonly consumed as food. Coconut is possibly safe when used as medicine, short-term. In some people, eating coconuts might cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms might include skin rashes and difficulty breathing.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Coconut is commonly consumed as food. Coconut is possibly safe when used as medicine, short-term. In some people, eating coconuts might cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms might include skin rashes and difficulty breathing.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Coconut is commonly consumed as food. There isn't enough reliable information to know if coconut is safe to use as medicine when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.
Allergy to coconut oil or related plants: Coconut might cause serious allergic reactions in people who are allergic to coconut oil, coconut palm pollen, components of coconut, or other members of the Arecaceae plant family.
High cholesterol: People who eat large amounts of coconut have higher cholesterol than those who eat less. But eating foods with coconut flour might actually decrease cholesterol levels. This might be due to the type of coconut product used. Whole coconut contains coconut oil, which is made up of saturated fat. But coconut flour is processed to remove fats. Use whole coconut cautiously if you have high cholesterol.
Surgery: Coconut might interfere with blood glucose control during and after surgery. Stop using coconut at least two weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Interactions
Moderate Interaction
Be cautious with this combination
- Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with CoconutCoconut might lower blood sugar levels. Taking coconut along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely.
Dosing
Coconut is commonly eaten as food.
As medicine, there isn’t enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of coconut might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.
References
- Teuber SS, Peterson WR. Systemic allergic reaction to coconut (Cocos nucifera) in 2 subjects with hypersensitivity to tree nut and demonstration of cross-reactivity to legumin-like seed storage proteins: new coconut and walnut food allergens. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;103:1180-5.
- Reiser R, Probstfield JL, Silvers A, et al. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein response of humans to beef fat, coconut oil and safflower oil. Am J Clin Nutr 1985;42:190-7.
- Feranil AB, Duazo PL, Kuzawa CW, Adair LS. Coconut oil is associated with a beneficial lipid profile in pre-menopausal women in the Philippines. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2011;20:190-5.
- Ng SP, Tan CP, Lai OM, Long K, Mirhosseini H. Extraction and characterization of dietary fiber from coconut residue. J Food Agric Environ 2010;8(2):172-177.
- Trinidad TP, Mallillin AC, Valdez DH, et al. Dietary fiber from coconut flour: A functional food. Innovative Food Sci Emerg Technol 2006;7(2006):309-317.
- Trinidad TP, Loyola AS, Mallillin AC, et al. The cholesterol-lowering effect of coconut flakes in humans with moderately raised serum cholesterol. J Med Food 2004;7(2):136-40.
- Trinidad TP, Valdez DH, Loyola AS, et al. Glycaemic index of different coconut (Cocos nucifera)-flour products in normal and diabetic subjects. Br J Nutr 2003;90(3):551-6.
- Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies. Am J Clin Nutr 1981;34(8):1552-61.
- Rosado A, Fernandez-Rivas M, Gonzalez-Mancebo E, et al. Anaphylaxis to coconut. Allergy 2002;57(2):182-3.
- Couturier P, Basset-Stheme D, Navette N, Sainte-Laudy J. [A case of coconut oil allergy in an infant: responsibility of "maternalized" infant formulas]. Allerg Immunol (Paris) 1994;26(10):386-7.
- Karmakar PR, Das A, Chatterjee BP. Placebo-controlled immunotherapy with Cocos nucifera pollen extract. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1994;103(2):194-201.
- Macfarlane BJ, Bezwoda WR, Bothwell TH, et al. Inhibitory effect of nuts on iron absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 1988;47(2):270-4.
- Grimwood BE. Coconut Palm Products: Their Processing in Developing Countries. Rome, Italy: Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1975.
- Murray DB. Chapter 14: Coconut Palm. Ecophysiology of Tropical Crops. Ed. Alvim P de T, Kozlowski TT. New York, NY: Academic Press, 1977.
- Anagnostou K. Coconut Allergy Revisited. Children (Basel). 2017;4(10). pii: E85.
- Cifuentes L, Mistrello G, Amato S, et al. Identification of cross-reactivity between buckwheat and coconut. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2015;115(6):530-2.
- Michavila Gomez A, Amat Bou M, Gonzalez Cortés MV, Segura Navas L, Moreno Palanques MA, Bartolomé B. Coconut anaphylaxis: Case report and review. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2015;43(2):219-20.
- 21CFR170.3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services. Updated April 1, 2017. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=170.3
- Alatawi KA, Alshubaily FA. Coconut products alleviate hyperglycaemic, hyperlipidimic and nephropathy indices in streptozotocin-induced diabetic wistar rats. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021;28(8):4224-4231.
- Kruse L, Lor J, Yousif R, Pongracic JA, Fishbein AB. Coconut allergy: Characteristics of reactions and diagnostic predictors in a pediatric tertiary care center. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2021;126(5):562-568.
- Pathmanandavel K, Kaur N, Joshi P, Ford LS. Anaphylaxis and allergy to coconut: An Australian pediatric case series. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2020;8(10):3657-3659.
- Mamadapur R, Naik Z, Kumar SL, Bagewadi A. Comparative efficacy of topical coconut cream and clobetasol propionate ointment for the management of oral lichen planus: A double-blinded randomized control trial. Indian J Pharmacol 2022;54(2):84-89.