We all hear that coconut has cholesterol and advice people not to eat much of it. Well, I am told that when the coconut is boiled/cooked with the curry, it gives out choleswterol causing compounds. So when eaten, like coconut chutney where it is not boiled or cooked, should be ok. When making curries, sprinkle coconut powder on it. Dont mix and boil/cook.

DIO,

75% of the cholesterol is produced in the liver and the body absorbs the remaining 25% from food. Having said that coconut contains a large amount of saturated fat that can be used by the body to make cholesterol. Because of the saturated fat content, the calorie count for coconut is high - about 350 Kcal per 100gm. But otherwise it's a poor source of nutrients. Unlike other nuts, levels of vitamin E and minerals are low.

I don’t think any form of coconut products is good for the health be it coconut chutney or in curries. I was born in Udupi and coconut cream and oil is widely used in everyday food because it imparts that special taste be it sambhar, curries, chutneys or sweets. Even fried snacks are made using coconut oil. But quite a few relatives of mine have high cholesterol problems. I haven’t eaten any coconut-based products for around 6 years and the only chutney that I eat is tomato chutney. I avoid rice, sweets and fried snacks too because it is better to eat healthy then regret later on in life. Remember we are sent to this world without any replacement parts and operating manual. I would rather play it safe than being sorry, after all it’s my life and my body

Thanks,

Nikhil

Nikhil,
To an extent your statement is true.
People from a near by state to TN (Kerala) use Coconut oil for everything. They even use Coconut oil for cooking but as far as i can see, Keralites enjoy a sound health when compared to any of the Southern States of India. Keralites also drink a lot of Wines, Spirits etc...
Maybe Senior Keralite members of this forum can explain to us about the effects of Coconuts in life better to us.
TK A
Sidenote : Tamils also use moderate amounts of coconuts in everything but end up having a lot of colestrol problems.

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

TK,

Thanks for your reply and I find your observation interesting. Do Keralite’s enjoy a better health because they include a lot of fish in their diet? If that is true then even people living in coastal places of Karnataka like Udupi and Mangalore should be healthy because fish is abundantly found there and is a major part of the diet. Going by the same argument then even Bengalis should have a sound health.

The American Heart Association recommends that you eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids twice a week in order to reap specific healtht benefits. The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Women's Health and Nutrition position paper suggests consuming two to three fish meals per week, along with a low-fat diet, for heart health. http://ific.org/publications/brochures/fishbroch.cfm

Nikhil

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Originally posted by Nikhil
I avoid rice, sweets and fried snacks too because it is better to eat healthy then regret later on in life.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by Nikhil
Remember we are sent to this world without any replacement parts and operating manual.

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Fish can only provide so much benefits. As TK said, Keralites eat plenty of coconut based products. Again it all comes down to lifestyles. If u dont exercise, say walk, and travel by scooter and car all the time, health is bound to be upset.

People in coastal areas such as Udipi and Mangalore, are pretty healthy, based on my observation (BTW I was there this summer to catch up with old college buddies). They still walk a lot.

Kerala has a very high level of literacy than all the other states that are mentioned here. High literacy leads to better awareness about health. Of this female litreracy has a direct relation to better health in addition to many other things....

other factors that help keralites... Greater fish consumption, and alcohol intake...
Alcohol!!!! yes, it has protective role on the heart....but remember the consumption should be in MODERATION. The AMA recomendation is given here

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4422


Some recent studies show that coconut may infact be beneficial, though not recommended by doctors.....

http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/cocgood.html