What's the Difference Between Coconut Milk And Coconut Cream? Is One More Healthy?

Coconut milk and coconut cream are two of the most used food products obtained from coconut. Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white liquid that you can naturally get from the meat of mature brown coconuts and coconut cream is thick full-fat coconut milk.

Coconut milk and coconut cream are two of the most used food products obtained from coconut. Both of them have long been an integral part of Asian cuisine. People add these to many sweet and savory dishes to give them a creamy texture and a distinct coconut flavor. 

While both are considered healthy food ingredients, they also pose certain risks due to their high fat and calorie content. This is why you should always use them in moderation and never drink them straight, unlike regular dairy milk. 

Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white liquid that you can naturally get from the meat of mature brown coconuts (Cocos nucifera). It has a slightly rich texture, similar to cow's milk. You can make coconut milk at home by grinding the meat of fully ripened coconuts and squeezing it through a sieve-like material such as cheesecloth. This will help you to extract the milky liquid from the fruit's flesh.

Don't confuse coconut milk with coconut water. Unlike coconut milk, As its name suggests, coconut water has a very light consistency, unlike coconut milk. and is found inside less ripened green coconuts. 

Coconut milk is widely used throughout Asia and is especially popular in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and South India. It's used in various recipes, ranging from curries, soups, and sauces to desserts and drinks. Coconut milk is known by different names in different countries. In the Philippines, it's popular as "gata." People in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei call it by the name "santan".

Coconut milk contains high levels of oils and sugars, which give it its distinct taste and color. It's a good source of saturated fats, making it a calorie-rich food.  You can get potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium from coconut milk. 

There are various kinds of coconut milk products available in the market. You can find coconut milk beverages, canned coconut milk, and coconut milk powder. Remember that each of these products offers different nutritional values. You should carefully read the nutritional facts on the package and choose the one that meets your health needs.

May prevent obesity.  Coconut milk contains high levels of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) — fatty acids that give instant energy and are easily absorbed by the body. Research shows that MCTs have the potential to prevent fat buildup and increase sensitivity to insulin, which in turn helps in weight loss.

Moderate amounts of MCT-rich foods like coconut milk keep you feeling full for longer. This helps to reduce food cravings, overeating, and the chances of obesity.

May fasten recovery from sickness. Though not as good a source of electrolytes as coconut water, coconut milk does contain magnesium and potassium. These minerals regulate blood volume, aid in the functioning of the heart, and help with diarrhea and dehydration. This way, foods containing coconut milk can help you recover faster from mild sickness. 

May help keep the heart healthy. Coconut milk can help maintain your cardiovascular health due to its high content of lauric acid — a protective type of fatty acid that has been seen to reduce the risk of heart disorders and stroke. Some studies indicate that consuming foods with coconut milk could help to lower the levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, LDL) and boost the levels of good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, HDL).

However, since coconut milk contains large amounts of saturated fats, more research is needed to understand if they truly benefit human heart health. 

May protect against free radical damage. Research shows that, compared to cow and goat milk, coconut milk shows much higher antioxidant activity. This is due to the presence of high amounts of phenolic antioxidants. Scientists have found that the phenols in coconut milk can protect DNA, fats, and proteins in the body from oxidative stress and free radical damage. This, in turn, can help to prevent medical conditions like metabolic syndrome and cancer. 

Coconut milk can have these negative effects on your body if used the wrong way or taken in more than the recommended amounts:

Weight gain.  Remember that while moderate amounts of coconut milk can help with obesity, large quantities are harmful. Since it's rich in saturated fats and carbohydrates, having too much of it can cause you to gain weight. Moreover, excess coconut milk may increase cholesterol levels in your body, which could further lead to metabolic and heart disorders. 

Digestive issues. You may get constipation if your body lacks dietary fiber and you suddenly consume coconut milk. Taking large amounts of this coconut product could also cause diarrhea and severe bloating problems. You should also avoid ending a fast with a coconut milk-rich meal since that could lead to stomach cramps and abdominal pain. 

Allergies. Even though coconuts are technically fruits, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies them as tree nuts. If you have a tree nut allergy, there's a slight chance that you could also be allergic to coconut milk, especially if you're someone of Asian or Black American descent. 

Research shows that when allergic reactions to coconuts occur, they're usually quite severe. Their symptoms are similar to other food allergies and often lead to wheezing, swelling, and hives in serious cases.

Nutritional deficiency. If you have lactose intolerance or milk allergy, you might consider replacing your dairy products with coconut milk. However, doing so could lead to nutritional deficiency as coconut milk contains far smaller amounts of vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium. So, if you plan to use coconut milk instead of dairy milk, make sure you find a fortified coconut product or consume a diet rich in these nutrients. 

Coconut cream is often described as full-fat coconut milk. While coconut milk is liquid, coconut cream is thicker, richer, and has a more paste-like consistency. You can get canned versions of coconut cream or make it at home. To do so, keep your coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours. This will cause a thick layer of cream to rise at the top. Separate it from the liquid coconut milk below, and you'll get your coconut cream. 

Coconut cream has a rich texture as well as a distinct coconut-like flavor. Due to this, it's used in different kinds of recipes such as smoothies, soups, and desserts like chocolate truffles. Like coconut milk, it forms a staple ingredient in many Southeast Asian cuisines.

Coconut cream has higher fat — especially saturated fat — and calorie content compared to coconut milk. With every serving, you also get small amounts of proteins and carbohydrates. Since coconut cream is unsweetened and dairy-free, it has become a popular choice for those wanting a ketogenic or vegan diet. 

May help with stomach ulcers. While more research is needed, early studies show that coconut cream has the potential to treat stomach ulcers, as it causes a reduction in ulcer size. It has been seen that this effect on ulcers is stronger when thick coconut milk or coconut cream is used but not in the case of coconut water. As per these studies, coconut cream helps with stomach ulcers by protecting the lining of your stomach. 

May increase the levels of good cholesterol. Scientists have found that people with high cholesterol levels can benefit from adding coconut flakes to their diet. This is because such coconut products can increase good cholesterol (HDL) levels and lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, thereby reducing the risk of stroke and heart disorders.

However, these studies are not explicitly done on coconut cream. This is why more research is needed to identify the source of such positive results. 

May reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of medical conditions that result in:

• Increased cholesterol levels
• High waist-to-hip ratios
• High blood pressure

Taking coconut products could help to lower waist-to-hip ratios. This, in turn, could reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. 

Consider these drawbacks of coconut cream before adding it to your diet:

Weight Gain. Just a half cup (90 grams) of coconut cream could add 200 calories to your diet. Coconut cream is such a high-calorie food it increases your chances of gaining weight, especially if you use sweetened coconut cream. If you are trying to lose weight, you could use low-calorie alternatives like almond milk, oat milk, and low-fat yogurt in place of coconut cream. 

Nut allergies. While coconut allergies are rare, they do exist. You should be careful about using coconut cream if you're allergic to tree nuts like cashew, walnut, or almond. This is because many coconut milk manufacturing facilities also process soy products, tree nuts, and other allergens, which increases the risk of cross-contamination with coconut cream. 

Both coconut milk and cream have a rich coconut-like flavor and are similar in many ways. But compared to coconut milk, coconut cream is thicker and has higher amounts of calories and saturated fats. So, if you're concerned about your calorie intake, coconut milk would make a healthier choice for you. 

However, keep in mind that even coconut milk is relatively rich in calories. So, you should only have it in moderate amounts as too much of it could lead to weight gain.