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Health Benefits Of Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco: What The Evidence Shows
Jul
Coconut milk with nata de coco is a dairy-free drink that adds a small amount of fiber and some minerals to your diet, but it is also high in saturated fat and often high in sugar, so it is best enjoyed as a treat rather than as a health food. Its nutrition depends mostly on two choices: rich canned coconut milk or a light coconut milk beverage, and nata de coco in heavy syrup or drained.
This guide explains the nutrients in the drink, its real benefits, the popular health claims that lack evidence, its downsides, and how to make a lighter version. This guide comes from Nico Brands, the brand portfolio of Nico Trading Company Limited, a Vietnamese manufacturer and exporter of nata de coco drinks. This article is for general information and is not medical advice.
Is Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco Healthy?
Coconut milk with nata de coco can fit into a healthy diet in small portions, but it is not a health food, because most of its energy comes from saturated fat and sugar. Nata de coco itself consists of water and cellulose (International Coconut Community), and this bacterial cellulose is a fiber that is safe to eat (Dourado et al., 2017), so the health value of the drink depends on the coconut milk and the sweetener around it. A drink made with a light coconut milk beverage and drained nata de coco is very different from one made with canned coconut milk and nata de coco in syrup.
What Nutrients Does Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco Contain?
Canned coconut milk is rich in fat, a coconut milk beverage is light, and sweetened nata de coco is mostly sugar, as the table below shows.
| Per 100 g (3.5 oz) | Canned coconut milk | Coconut milk beverage (sweetened) | Nata de coco in syrup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 197 kcal | 31 kcal | 146 kcal |
| Total fat | 21.3 g | 2.1 g | 0.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 18.9 g | 2.1 g | – |
| Sugars | – | 2.5 g | 33.5 g |
| Dietary fiber | – | 0 g | 0.8 g |
Sources: USDA FoodData Central, FDC IDs 170173 and 174116 (USDA); Philippine Food Composition Table (DOST-FNRI). A dash means no value is listed.
Canned coconut milk also contains 220 mg of potassium, 46 mg of magnesium, 3.3 mg of iron, and 0.77 mg of manganese per 100 g, but only 1 mg of vitamin C (USDA FoodData Central). About half of its saturated fat, 9.5 g per 100 g, is lauric acid (USDA FoodData Central).
What Are The Real Health Benefits Of Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco?
The real benefits of coconut milk with nata de coco are that it is dairy-free, that nata de coco adds a little fiber, and that canned coconut milk supplies some minerals.
It Is Dairy-Free And Lactose-Free
Coconut milk with nata de coco contains no lactose, because both ingredients come from coconuts, not from animal milk. Lactose is found in milk and milk products (NIDDK), so the drink is an option for people who avoid dairy or have lactose intolerance. A coconut milk beverage is not a like-for-like replacement for cow’s milk, though: the sweetened beverage in the table above contains only 0.2 g of protein per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central).
Nata De Coco Adds A Small Amount Of Fiber
Nata de coco adds fiber, but only a small amount. It is made of bacterial cellulose, which acts as an insoluble dietary fiber (Dourado et al., 2017), and sweetened nata de coco contains 0.8 g of fiber per 100 g (DOST-FNRI). In animal studies, diets with bacterial cellulose lowered serum cholesterol in hamsters and increased stool weight in rats (Dourado et al., 2017), but these results have not been shown in people.
Canned Coconut Milk Provides Some Minerals
Canned coconut milk supplies manganese, iron, magnesium, and potassium, with 0.77 mg of manganese and 3.3 mg of iron per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central). A drink made with diluted canned coconut milk contains a share of these minerals, together with the fat. Light coconut milk beverages contain far fewer natural minerals, although some brands add calcium and vitamins.
Which Popular Health Claims Lack Evidence?
The claims that coconut milk with nata de coco protects the heart, provides probiotics, boosts immunity, or helps with weight loss are not supported by evidence in people.
Does Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco Support Heart Health?
No, the evidence does not show that coconut fat supports heart health. A 2020 meta-analysis of 16 trials found that coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by 10.47 mg/dL and HDL cholesterol by 4.00 mg/dL compared with nontropical vegetable oils (Neelakantan et al., 2020). The American Heart Association concludes that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, lowers cardiovascular disease (Sacks et al., 2017). Coconut milk is high in the same saturated fats, so a heart-health claim is not justified.
Does Nata De Coco Contain Probiotics?
No, packaged nata de coco is not a source of live probiotics. Nata de coco in light syrup is pasteurized at about 98 °C (208 °F) for 20 minutes to kill harmful and spoilage microorganisms (Hafzialman et al., 2014). It is a fermented product, but the finished cubes are a fiber, not a probiotic food.
Does It Boost Immunity Or Help With Weight Loss?
No human studies show that coconut milk with nata de coco boosts immunity or causes weight loss. Coconut milk contains lauric acid, but that alone does not prove an immune benefit. In the 2020 meta-analysis, coconut oil did not significantly change markers of body fat, blood sugar, or inflammation compared with nontropical vegetable oils (Neelakantan et al., 2020).
What Are The Downsides Of Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco?
The main downsides of coconut milk with nata de coco are its saturated fat, its added sugar, and its calories. The World Health Organization recommends that saturated fat provide no more than 10% of total energy intake for everyone aged 2 and older (WHO, 2023). On a 2,000-kcal diet, that limit is about 22 g, and 100 g (3.5 oz) of canned coconut milk alone contains 18.9 g. WHO also recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of energy, and ideally below 5%, or about 25 g (6 teaspoons) a day (WHO, 2015), while 100 g of nata de coco in syrup contains 33.5 g of sugars (DOST-FNRI).
How Can You Make A Lighter Coconut Milk And Nata De Coco Drink?
You can make a lighter drink by using less fat, less sugar, and a smaller glass.
- Use a coconut milk beverage, or mix canned coconut milk with an equal amount of water.
- Drain and rinse the nata de coco to remove most of the syrup.
- Sweeten lightly, or use fruit for sweetness instead of syrup.
- Keep the glass small, about 200 ml to 250 ml (7 fl oz to 8.5 fl oz).
- Treat it as a dessert drink, not as an everyday replacement for water or milk.
How Do You Choose A Bottled Coconut Milk Or Nata De Coco Drink?
Choose a bottled drink by checking three numbers on the label: sugar per serving, saturated fat per serving, and the share of nata de coco. Coconut milk drinks vary widely in fat and sugar, so compare labels rather than relying on words such as “natural” or “healthy”. If you want nata de coco without coconut milk, juice drinks with nata de coco are another option. Nico Brands, the brand portfolio of Nico Trading Company Limited, makes the Nico Nico juice drink with nata de coco and, for the United States and other Zuni Zuni markets, the Zuni Zuni NFC juice drink with nata de coco. Both are juice drinks rather than coconut milk drinks and contain 15% nata de coco and 30% or 55% not-from-concentrate (NFC) juice. Importers can request each product’s specification sheet for sugar content. For recipes, see how to make a coconut milk and nata de coco drink at home.
Coconut Milk With Nata De Coco: Key Takeaways
Coconut milk with nata de coco is dairy-free, nata de coco adds a little fiber, and canned coconut milk supplies some minerals, but the drink is high in saturated fat and often high in sugar. Claims that it protects the heart, provides probiotics, boosts immunity, or helps with weight loss are not supported by evidence in people, and coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol in clinical trials. Choose a light coconut milk beverage, drain the nata de coco, sweeten lightly, and keep portions small. For more, read about the side effects of nata de coco, whether nata de coco is healthy, and the calories in nata de coco.
