WHAT
ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF DESICCATED COCONUT?
Desiccated coconut is simply coconut meat that has
been grated and dried. Available sweetened or unsweetened, it is commonly used
as a topping for curries or other Asian dishes, as an ingredient in cooked
cereal or granola, and in baked goods. It contains no cholesterol or trans fats
while being rich in a number of essential nutrients, including dietary fiber,
manganese, copper and selenium. Be aware that a 1-ounce serving of desiccated
coconut is high in saturated fat, providing over 80 percent of the amount of
saturated fat an adult should consume daily. If you’re concerned about your fat
intake, you can safely include desiccated coconut in occasional meals if your
diet is primarily focused on lean proteins, whole grains and fresh fruits and
vegetables
MANGANESE
A 1-ounce serving of desiccated coconut contains
0.778 milligrams of manganese. This amount supplies nearly 34 percent of the
Food and Nutrition Board’s recommended daily allowance of manganese for adult
men and 43 percent of the RDA for women. Manganese plays a role in energy
metabolism and is required for the synthesis of blood coagulation proteins,
bone tissue, hormones and the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. It also
promotes the absorption of calcium and helps regulate your blood sugar levels.
If your diet doesn’t include enough manganese, you may be more likely to
develop diabetes, arthritis or osteoporosis.
DIETARY FIBER
Adult men should consume about 38 grams of dietary fiber
daily, while women require 25 grams each day. A 1-ounce serving of desiccated
coconut has 4.6 total grams of fiber, fulfilling 12 percent of a man’s
requirement and 18 percent of a woman’s. A 2009 study published in the medical
journal “Nutrition Reviews” reported that a high intake of dietary fiber from
foods like coconut could help prevent stroke, high blood pressure, heart
disease, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and digestive disorders like
hemorrhoids, constipation, duodenal ulcers and colon cancer.
COPPER
Desiccated coconut contains 226 micrograms of copper
in every 1-ounce serving, or 25 percent of the 900 micrograms that adult men
and women should consume daily. Your body doesn’t require much copper, but
copper does play a crucial role in the production of collagen and red blood
cells and in promoting the absorption of iron. Copper also aids in energy
metabolism and acts as an antioxidant. Adequate copper intake may help you
avoid osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and arthritis. According to the University
of Maryland Medical Center, you need to regularly consume foods rich in zinc
and manganese for your body to properly use copper. A diet containing a wide
variety of plant- and animal-based foods should meet this need.
SELENIUM
Every 1-ounce serving of desiccated coconut has 5.2
micrograms of selenium. Men and women over 19 years old need 55 micrograms of
selenium each day, and a serving of dried coconut supplies 9.4 percent of this
requirement. The body uses the mineral selenium to produce selenoproteins,
enzymes that support thyroid and immune system function and inhibit free
radical compounds from damaging DNA and cellular tissue. A diet rich in
high-selenium foods may help lower your risk of cancer, recurrent infections,
heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also prevent infertility in men.
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