One of the most popular and sought after coconut products in the global market is dried coconut or known as copra. As Indonesia’s mainstay export commodities, copra has thousands of benefits, both in terms of health and as a raw material for the products we use every day.
For example, we can find copra that has been processed in body care products such as shampoo, soap, and body lotion.
You may be wondering, are there any health benefits too? So, can we eat copra? Of course, we did!
But not directly, we can only consume dried coconut after it is processed and becomes an ingredient in dishes. We can find dishes with a mixture of processed copra in Asian specialties such as gulai, curry, or stews.
Now we know that humans can also consume copra. However, before adding it to our dishes, let’s first find out the nutritional content in dried coconut.
Nutritional Content in Dried Coconut or Copra
Copra provides mostly fat in the form of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). More than 50% of the fat content in copra comes from MCTs.
But don’t worry, the good news is that although desiccated coconut is rich in fat content, MCTs are easier to digest because of these fat chains are shorter than the long-chain fatty acids found in many other foods
Here are the nutrition facts for 1 cup (100gr) of dried coconut meat:
Calories : 650
Protein: 7.5 gr
Fiber : 18 gr
Fat: 65 gr
Carbs: 25 gr
Copper : 40% of the DV (Daily Value)
Manganese : 137% of the DV
Selenium : 26% of the DV
Iron : 18% of the DV
Magnesium : 23% of the DV
Phosphorus : 21% of the DV
Potassium : 16% of the DV
- Selenium is a mineral which helps the body in producing enzymes that can improve the immune system and thyroid function. The recommended daily amount is 55 micrograms, and one ounce of dry coconut can provide 9.4% of this requirement.
- Copper can increase energy, the metabolic processes, and help in formation of red blood cells and collagen. In addition, copper also has natural antioxidant properties. One ounce of desiccated coconut provides 25% of the daily value.
- One ounce of copra provides 5 grams of fiber which is useful for maintaining blood pressure and heart function. The recommended amount for daily needs is men consume 38 grams, while women consume 25 grams.
5 Benefits of Copra You Need to Know!
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Become a raw material in daily products
The existence of copra can be found easily in our everyday products. Especially for women, who doesn’t wear lipstick to complete your perfect look? Lipstick contains VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil) to hold the color, so it doesn’t melt.
In addition, because of the perfect content to moisturize, this dried coconut oil has also become raw material for making soaps, shampoos, and body lotions.
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You can include dried coconut to your dishes
Another benefit of copra is that it can be an ingredient for cooking. There are so many ways to include desiccated coconut to your dishes.
To mix it, you can shave or grated it. Asian specialties such as curries, gulai, and stews usually use desiccated coconut that is shaved and processed into coconut cream to add a savory taste and thicken the dish.
You can also put in desiccated coconut into your cake, muffin, and bread dough to increase the sweetness and also it can help moisten the dough naturally.
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Another benefits of copra is it can help your diet program
Dried coconut is an ideal source of healthy fat that does not contain cholesterol. And the MCTs in it can help you lose excess body fat.
MCT can reduce body weight by releasing two hormones that can increase satiety and help reduce appetite, namely peptide YY and leptin. Studies have found that people who consume two tablespoons of MCT oil as part of breakfast eat less at lunch.
Besides the MCT from coconut oil, another coconut product that can help your diet program is coconut flour. In the process of making cakes, coconut flour can replace wheat flour because this flour is gluten and nut free.
Because it is free from grains, coconut flour is also good for those who are on a paleo diet that does not allow you to consume products that contain grains such as wheat flour.
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Prevent heart disease
Studies have found that people who frequently eat coconut meat have lower rates of heart disease than those who follow a Western diet. Moreover, another study conducted on 1,837 Filipino women found that coconut oil had a neutral effect on cholesterol levels.
Coconut meat contains polyphenols that can prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, so LDL is less likely to form plaque in the arteries that can increase heart disease.
Consuming virgin coconut oil can also reduce belly fat. This is very beneficial because excess belly fat can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
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Controlling blood sugar levels
The advantages of coconut with low carbohydrate levels, high fiber and fat can help stabilize blood sugar in the body.
A study conducted on rats found that coconut has anti-diabetic effects, this is due to the arginine content. Arginine is an amino acid that is very important for improving the function of pancreatic cells. This content releases the hormone insulin which can regulate blood sugar levels.
The high fiber content in coconut meat also participates in slowing the digestive process and increasing insulin resistance which can also help control blood sugar levels.
How to Store Copra at Home
Because copra is coconut that has been dried and has less water content, so its shelf life is longer compared to fresh coconut. You can stored dry coconut in a plastic bag and refrigerated, it will last well for 6 months.
Dried Coconut Cake Recipe For Snacks at Home
This dry coconut cake is perfect to accompany your days while at home. Let’s see how to make it!
Ingredients:
- 500 gr medium protein flour or coconut flour
- 200 gr grated coconut, roasted
- 250 g butter, melted
- 250 gr powdered sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 2 tbsp milk powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
How to make:
- Combine eggs, vanilla powder, powdered sugar and butter. Stir the four ingredients until it is soft and evenly mixed.
- Add flour or coconut flour, roasted grated coconut, milk and salt. Mix well.
- Preheat the oven. Prepare a baking sheet and lightly grease with margarine.
- Round and flatten the dough. You can use a fork if you want to give it texture.
- Place the dough that has been formed on the baking sheet and give a distance between one cake and another. Do this until the dough runs out.
- Bake the shaped dough for about 20 minutes, or see if it’s done. Turn off the oven and let it cool down. Then take it out of the oven
- If the cake is solid and cold, then the dry coconut cake is ready to be served. Store the desiccated coconut cake in a closed container or jar.
