Bonpom newsletter 21 - Coconut Flour by BonPom

Newsletter 21

COCONUT FLOUR

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is made from dried, ground coconut meat. It is gluten free making it suitable for those following a gluten or wheat free diet. It is higher in protein and lower in digestible carbohydrates than most flours whilst also being high in fibre making it popular among those following low grain or grain free diets such as the paleo diet or specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). Although coconut flour is lower in protein than most nut flours the protein in coconut meal is highly usable by the body having a digestibility of around 89% (1). These qualities make it good for curbing cravings and keeping you feeling full for longer. The interest in coconut as a healthy food with potentially therapeutic properties has increased over recent decades. Here is a summary of some of the research findings.

Coconut, the Glycaemic Index and Diabetes Coconut flour may be useful for those aiming to keep their blood sugar levels stable for a number of reasons. One study investigating the effects of the protein from dried coconut kernels on diabetes found that coconut protein reduced the pancreatic damage caused by the diabetic state and had potent anti-diabetic activity probably due to its arginine content (2). Another study determined the glycaemic index (GI) of commonly consumed bakery products supplemented with increasing levels of coconut flour in ten normal and ten diabetic subjects. They found that increasing the amount of coconut flour to the foods decreased the GI. This may be due to the high dietary fibre content of coconut flour. The researchers suggest that the results of this study may form a scientific basis for the development of coconut flour as a functional food (3). Another study compared the effect of different oils on diabetic rats. Rats fed with coconut oil exhibited a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The coconut oil also improved the antioxidant enzymes and glucose tolerance compared to the other oils used in the study (4).

Coconut, Weight and Waist Circumference Although coconuts and their products are relatively high in saturated fats including them in the diet may actually be beneficial to those who are watching their weight. This is partly due to the fact that coconuts contain fats called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). The MCTs in coconuts have been found to be helpful in controlling body weight in the long term (5). In addition, coconut oil has also been shown to reduce waist circumference after 4 weeks of use with no adverse side effects(6). As waist circumference is a key indicator of risk of many diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, anything that helps reduce waist size is a welcome addition to any diet .

Coconut, Cholesterol and Lipids It is also apparent that despite containing saturated fats coconuts may be beneficial for cardiovascular health. The effect of coconut flakes made from coconut flour on people with moderately raised serum cholesterol levels found that the addition of coconut flakes reduced their total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as well as reducing their serum triglycerides (blood fats). The researchers suggest that the reason for these positive results may be that coconut flour is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre, both of which play a significant role in the reduction of these lipid biomarkers (7). Other research into the effects of coconut oil on lipid levels and the regulation of lipid metabolism found that coconut oil significantly lowered levels of total cholesterol, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides in serum and tissues compared to olive oil and sunflower oil. Levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol were raised (8). These 2 studies indicate that both the fibre and fat content of coconuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health.

Coconut and the Liver The results of the above study found that coconut oil also downregulated hepatic lipogenesis (the making of fats in the liver) and enhanced the formation of bile acids (8). Further research into the effect of coconut oil on liver damage found coconut oil to have hepatoprotective effects that reduced liver damage in rats (9)

Coconut , Pain and Inflammation An investigation into the pain reducing and anti-inflammatory activities of coconut oil found the oil to exhibit both pain reducing and anti-inflammatory effects (10).

Coconut and Postnatal Development Stress during pregnancy has been shown to impair the development of the offspring after birth in many mammals, including humans. It is also known that nutritional factors can impact on foetal and postnatal growth. One study looked at the development of baby rats whose mothers had been exposed to prenatal stress. The researchers found that feeding the baby rats a coconut oil enriched diet led to them catching up developmentally with the rats who had not experienced prenatal stress (11).

Coconut and Digestive Health The medium chain triglycerides in coconuts are thought to reduce intestinal inflammation. An investigation into the effect of coconut oil on inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis and Crohn’s disease found that mice fed with a coconut oil enriched diet had a reduced incidence of colitis and damage to the intestines was ameliorated. The researchers conclude that there may be a possible therapeutic role for medium chain triglycerides from coconuts in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disorders (12).

How to Use Coconut Flour Coconut flour can be used in many baked goods, be they sweet or savoury. Due to the different properties of coconut flour compared to grain based flours it is not possible to directly swap coconut flour for other flours in recipes. Here’s what to do for successful cooking with coconut flour: As coconut flour is extraordinarily absorbent very little is needed in most recipes. Adding extra liquid is recommended to avoid the finished product being too dry. In general a ¼ or a 1/3 of a cup of coconut flour can be used in place of 1 cup of grain-based flour. For best results soak the coconut flour in an equal quantity of liquid for 15 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients. In most recipes the number of eggs needed may be increased. A general rule of thumb for baked goods is to use 3 eggs plus ½ cup of liquid for every ½ cup of coconut flour you use. Beat the coconut flour thoroughly into the other ingredients to prevent it from clumping. Cooked, puréed or mashed fruit can also be added to recipes using coconut flour to increase the moisture content. The resulting batter will be thicker than normal cake, bread or muffin batter and may need to be spread, rather than poured, into the baking tin.

Coconut Flour Recipes Coconut Flour Pancakes Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free

Coconut and Blueberry Muffins

¼ cup of coconut flour, sifted

Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free

¼ cup of buckwheat flour ½ tsp of baking powder ½ tsp of cinnamon A pinch of salt 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup of soya milk or almond milk Coconut oil for frying Combine the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Combine the eggs and milk and then mix these into the dry ingredients, stirring well. This can be done in a food processor if preferred. Leave the mixture to stand for an hour or overnight. Heat a pancake pan or skillet oiled with coconut oil over a medium to high heat until it is well and truly hot. Ladle a couple of tablespoons of the mixture onto the hot skillet and cook until the underside is golden before turning over to cook the other side. Apply more oil to the skillet before cooking the next pancake. Serve with fresh fruit, cashew nut cream, yoghurt, guacamole, nut butter or anything else that takes your fancy.

½ cup of coconut flour ½ cup of ground almonds ½ tsp of baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg 1 cup of almond milk or soya milk 1 cup of apple purée 6 eggs, beaten ½ cup of coconut oil or olive oil 2 tbsp stevia or maple syrup (optional) 2 cups of blueberries Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190C. Line a muffin tin with muffin cases. Sift the coconut flour into a bowl and add the ground almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well. Pour in the milk and beat the mixture thoroughly to combine the ingredients. Leave to soak for 15 minutes. Stir in the apple purée, eggs, oil and stevia or maple syrup if using. Beat thoroughly. If the mixture seems too dry or thick add more liquid (milk, oil, water). Stir in the blueberries. Transfer the mixture to the muffin cases, filling the cases quite full.

References Mepba HD, Achinewhu SC. Effects of processing on protein nutritive quality of coconut Cocos nucifera products. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2003 Winter;58(1):15-25. Salil G, Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Arginine rich coconut kernel protein modulates diabetes in alloxan treated rats. Chem Biol Interact. 2011 Jan 15;189(1-2):107-11. Trinidad TP, Valdez DH, Loyola AS, Mallillin AC, Askali FC et al. Glycaemic index of different coconut (Cocos nucifera)-flour products in normal and diabetic subjects. Br J Nutr. 2003 Sep;90(3):551-6 Kochikuzhyil BM, Devi K, Fattepur SR. Effect of saturated fatty acid-rich dietary vegetable oils on lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and glucose tolerance in diabetic rats. Indian J Pharmacol. 2010 Jun;42(3):142-5. Papamandjaris AA, White MD, Raeini-Sarjaz M, Jones PJ. Endogenous fat oxidation during medium chain versus long chain triglyceride feeding in healthy women. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 Sep;24(9):1158-66

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until firm when pressed. These may not look like traditional muffins but they taste delicious, especially served warm. Variations Instead of blueberries add raspberries, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, poppy seeds, jam or any combination of these.

Liau KM, Lee YY, Chen CK, Rasool AH. An open-label pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of virgin coconut oil in reducing visceral adiposity. ISRN Pharmacol. 2011;2011:949686. Trinidad TP, Loyola AS, Mallillin AC, Valdez DH, Askali FC et al. The cholesterol-lowering effect of coconut flakes in humans with moderately raised serum cholesterol. J Med Food. 2004 Summer;7(2):136-40. Arunima S, Rajamohan T. Virgin coconut oil improves hepatic lipid metabolism in rats--compared with copra oil, olive oil and sunflower oil. Indian J Exp Biol. 2012 Nov;50(11):802-9. Zakaria ZA, Rofiee MS, Somchit MN, Zuraini A, et al. Hepatoprotective activity of dried- and fermented-processed virgin coconut oil. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:142739.

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Zakaria ZA, Somchit MN, Mat Jais AM, Teh LK, Salleh MZ, Long K. In vivo antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of dried and fermented processed virgin coconut oil. Med Princ Pract. 2011;20(3):231-6

Borsonelo EC, Suchecki D, Calil HM, Galduroz JC. Supplementation with fish oil and coconut fat prevents prenatal stressinduced changes in early postnatal development. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2011 Aug;29(5):521-7

Written by Josie Cowgill

Mane, Pedrosa E, Loren V, Ojanguren I et al. Partial replacement of dietary (n-6) fatty acids with medium-chain triglycerides decreases the incidence of spontaneous colitis in interleukin-10-deficient mice. J Nutr. 2009 Mar;139(3):603-10.

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