Coconut milk is often a staple fat source for those following a Paleo diet. From a nutritional perspective, it’s an excellent choice. It’s high in saturated fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are both easily burned as fuel by the body. MCTs are particularly beneficial in that they don’t require bile acids for digestion, and they’re directly shunted to the liver via the portal vein.
Coconut milk and fruit can be a great snack for Paleo folks, and coconut milk smoothies make a great Paleo breakfast choice – especially in the summer.
So what could be wrong with coconut milk? Here are three things to consider.
Bisphenol-A
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical that has been used in consumer goods since the 50s. It’s found in reusable drink containers, DVDs, cell phones, eyeglass lenses, automobile parts and sports equipment. While the research on BPA is still mixed (some studies indicating harm and others not), given the uncertainty I think it makes sense to avoid it whenever possible.
So what’s the solution here? In short, if you want to be on the safe side and reduce your exposure to BPA, you have to reduce your consumption of canned foods (including coconut milk) as much as possible. I made this recommendation in 9 Steps for Perfect Health-#3: Eat Real Food. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that families who ate fresh food for three days with no canned food, and using only glass storage containers, experienced a 60% reduction of BPA in their urine. The reductions were even higher (75%) for those with the highest BPA levels at the beginning of the study.
The good news, however, is that there are brands of coconut milk with BPA-free cans or carton packaging. One is Native Forest, which you can purchase on Amazon if it’s not available at your local store.
Coconut milk can also be made quite easily at home, with coconut flakes, a blender and cheesecloth. Here’s a video to show you how (get a load of the soundtrack). I find that blanching the coconut flakes prior to blending improves the results.
Guar gum
It’s primarily the endosperm of guar beans.
Beans and legumes have a variety of compounds in them that make them difficult to digest, especially for people with digestive problems (1 in 3 Americans, from the latest statistics). In my clinical experience, many patients with gut issues improve when they remove guar gum from their diet—including canned coconut milk.
There’s no evidence that guar gum may cause serious harm. So, if you’re able to tolerate guar gum, there’s no reason to avoid it. If it does give you digestive trouble, look for a brand that’s free from guar gum. The other option, of course, is making coconut milk at home.
Fructose malabsorption
Fructose malabsorption (FM) is a digestive disorder characterized by impaired transport of fructose across the small intestine. This results in increased levels of undigested fructose in the gut, which in turn causes overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. Undigested fructose also reduces the absorption of water into the intestine.
Symptoms produced include bloating, gas, pain, constipation or diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue (to name a few). Recent research has also tied fructose malabsorption to depression.
Lest you think this isn’t a common problem, studies have shown that up to 30% of people in Western countries suffer from fructose malabsorption.
Even in healthy people without fructose malabsorption, however, only about 20-25g of fructose can be properly absorbed at one sitting. Glucose assists in transport of fructose across the intestine, so in general foods with equal amounts of glucose and fructose will be better absorbed than foods with excess amounts of fructose (in relation to glucose).
While fructose malabsorption can cause symptoms in anyone, those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are particularly affected. While the prevalence of FM is the same in healthy populations and those with IBS & IBD, the experience of FM appears to be more intense in the latter group. This is probably due to the increased visceral sensitivity common in IBS and IBD patients.
In fact, one of the most promising clinical approaches to managing IBS & IBD right now is the low-FODMAP diet. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides And Polyols. These include:
- fructose (fruits, honey, HFCS)
- fructans (wheat, onions)
- lactose (milk sugar)
- polyols (sugar alcohols like sorbitol, xylitol & mannitol, along with fruits like apples, pears and plums)
- galactooligosaccharides (legumes & beans, brussel sprouts, onions)
- other sweeteners like polydextrose and isomalt
Studies have found that restricting FODMAPs can significantly improve the symptoms associated with IBS, IBD and fructose malabsorption.
What does this have to do with coconut milk, you ask? According to Drs. Gibson & Barrett, experts in fructose malabsorption, coconut milk is a FODMAP and should be avoided by people with digestive conditions like IBS & IBD.
According to NutritionData.com, coconut milk has very little sugar of any kind – including fructose. Nevertheless, I do have patients that cannot even tolerate homemade coconut milk (which has no guar gum in it), even though they are fine with coconut oil. I assume that they are reacting to the fructose in the coconut milk – but I can’t be sure. According to Monash University, small quantities (up to 1/3 of a cup or 80g) of coconut milk may be tolerable for those who are sensitive to FODMAPs.
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Recommendations
Let’s bring this together into recommendations for three different groups of people:
- Women who are trying to get pregnant, pregnant or breastfeeding, children and other vulnerable populations (chronically ill): should avoid canned coconut milk products except for those that are BPA-free, like Native Forest and Arroy-D. Note: Native Forest is organic, but Arroy-D is not.
- People with digestive problems (IBS, IBD, GERD, etc.): may want to avoid coconut products entirely, except for coconut oil
- Healthy people: may be fine with canned coconut milk, provided they don’t react to the guar gum, and provided they’re willing to take the side of industry scientists that claim BPA doesn’t cause harm in humans
Want organic coconut milk – but without the BPA and guar gum?
There are available options to buy organic, guar-gum-free coconut milk in a BPA-free container. Or, with a little extra effort, you can easily make this at home yourself.
- Purchase coconut cream (Let’s Do Organic and Artisana are good choices) and blend with water to make coconut milk.
- Purchase shredded coconut (again, Let’s Do Organic is a good choice), and follow the instructions below for making homemade coconut milk.
Homemade coconut milk instructions
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1.5 – 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Heat water until hot (but not boiling).
- Add shredded coconut and water to blender (preferably a Vitamix!
) If all of the water won’t fit, you can add it in two batches.
- Blend on high for several minutes until thick and creamy.
- Pour through a colander to filter out the coconut pulp, then squeeze through a cheese cloth or nut milk bag
to filter the smaller pieces of coconut.
- If you separated the water into two batches, put the strained coconut back into the blender with the second batch of water.
- Drink immediately or store in the fridge. Fresh coconut milk should be used within 3-4 days of making it for the best flavor and texture.
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I found this article very helpful and I am aware of how complicated the digestive system and related problems are.
I certainly did not get the impression that this was a definitive article on digestion
Thanks Chris
Chris,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. It helps us make more conscious decisions on how to help ourselves heal. I truly wish their were more doctors educated the way you have done so. I also wish there was a way to screen out the undesirable comments. I don’t know why people reply if they are only going to pick at your comments. We are educated enough to pick what applies to us and work with it.
But I was glad that you came back with the CAUSES in bold. That made me take note. I am one of those with IBS and I have been on Paleo a year, but I still suffer, so I am better but need to tweak the program a lot. I am looking around for cheap ways to help myself, so your comments definitely have merit in my book. Thanks,
So according to the FODMAP diet, is it best to pull all fruits of every kind out in cases if IBS/gut dysbiosis, etc??
Yes Bethany, google a man lives on sunlight and water, wonder what skeptics and bloggers will have to find wrong with that. Skin cancer, and hyponatremia, lol.
Hey Chris,
Thanks for this article. I have been drinking coconut milk that comes in half gallon containers from the local “health food” stores. I have been bothered by the long list of additives, especially vitamin D2.
After reading this article I got some creamed coconut and made my own milk with no additives. The best part is the taste! Yes, it is ‘grainy’ which I don’t mind, and I probably need the fiber anyway. But it tastes like a completely different food than the supermarket variety I have been using.
Thanks again!
All the best,
Jeffrey
We have coconut milk almost daily. The organic, BPA-free cans are so expensive so we switched to homemade. I buy organic shredded coconut in bulk from our local market.
We now prefer homemade over canned. It tastes so fresh and creamy. Love it!
hello Heidi, how do you get rid of the sugar that is in shredded coconut. I use coconut cream because it is low carb.
just buy the unsweetened shredded coconut from a health store.
I can’t believe that all these drinks…almond, coconut milk, etc. are touted as being so healthy. Even Dr. Oz, who talks about eating naturally, pushes these drinks, and doesn’t mention the added ingredients. There should only be two ingredients in any of these milks, not twenty. Personally I’d rather drink organic cow’s milk. I believe that most things in nature have benefits, but unfortunately when we Americans hear that something is good for us, that’s all we eat.. there is no moderation. Same with cow’s milk, it’s not unhealthy until you drink too much of it.
Sorry but you are wrong in few ways. There are many brands of almond and coconut milk that only have a couple ingredients. And even the ones with some of the bad ingredients are still healthier for us than cow’s milk. All he – Dr Oz – is doing is giving us BETTER alternatives, not perfect ones. And cow’s milk IS bad for you! EVEN Organic! Raw, grass-fed is the only cow’s milk that is OK, but thanks to our government, big Pharma, greedy farmers, and pasteurization most people don’t realize it. Grain-fed or ‘finished’ is bad for us, and the cows, in so many ways. Pasteurized milk only kills the bad bacteria; it does not get rid of it. Your body doesn’t know the difference and will try to fight it off, resulting in inflammation and many other problems.
Thank you so much for this article. I just switched to a Paleo diet and suddenly my stomach was upset after having my morning coffee (with coconut milk added as a creamer). Your article is very informative, but I had to quit reading the comments. I just can’t understand the hostility over your article! I guess a lot of people were having bad days.
I for one appreciate the information you gave on the possible negatives of coconut milk, and now I know to look for coconut milk in BPA-free cans, and without guar gum or other added ingredients. Thank you so much for your time and research to help us Paleo people out! 🙂
so amazing. I entere google this afternoon to ask if coconut milk can cause stomach upset when i had a running stomach after taking coconut milk. The first article titled ‘3 reasons why coconut milk may not be your friend’ as written by Dr. Charles Kresser, really got me curious. As i took my time to read, i realised he was saying the exact problem i am facing. How i wish i could get daily health tips from this Doctor. Thank you
Banaban coconut products are BPA free and organic.
Thank you for sharing this information. I’m just a bit confused by an apparent contradiction.
Your article contains the following three statements:
1. “The good news, however, is that there are at least two brands of coconut milk that don’t have BPA in them. One is Native Forest, which you can purchase on Amazon if it’s not available at your local store.”
2. “If guar gum does give you digestive trouble, Native Forest has just released a new version of its product that doesn’t contain it”
3. “Native Forest is organic”
And then, you mention:
“As of the time of this writing there is no widely available commercial brand of coconut milk that is organic and free of BPA and guar gum.”
Based on the previous three statements, Native forest is a widely available commercial brand of coconut milk that is organic and free of BPA and guar gum. Am I missing something here?
Thanks
I personally haven’t come across any canned guar-gum free option from Native forest. So I think what he means is (and someone correct me if I’m wrong):
1. Native forest has a canned BPA-free option but it has guar gum in it
2. If you dont want guar gum, Native forest has a carton option which has no guar gum or BPA but other potentially toxic ingredients like caregeenan
I have been making a protein shake everyday (Monday-Friday for lunch for the last month with so delicious coconut milk. I’ve been feeling very bloated and have been waking up with swollen hands and feet every morning. I went to my holistic doctor today and he explained all the ingredients in coconut milk are proven to spike estrogen- which makes you retain water- especially during Ovulation! Great article! I shared on Facebook.
What is your view as to whether coconut milk and coconut oil are high in histamines? I have chronic urticaria and eat a low histamine diet. There seems to be some debate as to where coconut falls with respect to histamine. Would be interested in your views.
I agree with this article. I have milk sensitivities so I drink almond milk but wanted to give coconut milk a try because it was popping up everywhere in grocery stores. I already use cold pressed coconut oil on my skin (which works wonders) and thought coconut milk would be a good “healthy” addition to my diet. Turns out, it made my stomach upset; I couldn’t figure out why until I saw the filler “guar gum” and after looking it up saw that it might be the culprit ( a sensitivity to it) Suffice it to say, I stopped buying and drinking it and stuck to my almond milk (which has NO such filler). Thanks for alerting me to this!
I’ve never been able to find the teets ON a coconut to MILK it !
You r leaving me no options for food what does one eat with glutton and lactose intolerance. I am 98 pounds and can’t eat anything
First off, what I would simply like to say is, this an intriguing report , i try in best to stay on top for great health which are my most important matters in my life, whatever goes into the body better goes out the right way and leaves nothing mysterious behind that could do no harm to any person that doesn’t want to live or deal with for the rest of our lifetime. So thank you for explaining and exposing the truth, that helps greatly, its very important we must know what’s in the making in these manufactured food products, for those who truly care about their body and believes to deserve the best on great health.
Now here’s the thing, I’d never tried coconut milk in a can, after read your report about it I don’t think I ever will, I’m pritty sensitive about what I put in my body, coconut milk in ice cream or container form that I always like. But, I’m not worried about what I put on my body, I found out coconut milk is good as an condistioner to put in hair and some people showed some demonstration on YouTube.com and I see that mostly they’re using the can coconut milk they pick up from the supermarket. So my question is any can coconut milk, when applied on the hair, is as bad as consuming it to what you report about and if so should I buy the coconut milk that you preferred? Just want to be on the safe side :-).
I liked what I could read, BUT, the little rectangle that runs down the right side of my Google Chrome browser is what helps me navigate your site vertically. I checked other pages and that rectangle is much larger on many of those pages & I’m not sure that size matters. However, on The Huffington Post I found the rectangle to be the same size & no problems with navigation. The REAL problem? In trying to navigate vertically it’s perhaps like power steering in a car & I can’t easily move down the page. I want to go down far enough to read the end of say, the guar gum section (or any other section) & I can’t do it because it navigates too far down the page. I think what you have to say is valuable, but I’m not interested in wasting my time this way in the future (including not being able to finish the article because of the huge “skips”). Good luck!
I tried Kara coconut milk for the first time yesterday. I added it to two teas and this morning woke up feeling very tired. after 30 mins I started to get stomach cramps like I sometimes have done in the past when my body has eaten something toxic like a non washed non organic apple. after the stomach cramps I stayed in the bathroom for 30 mins.
Now I am drinking nettle tea with peppermint to calm my stomach and bowels….
this prompted me to go over what I ate yesterday and checked allergy to coconut milk and i found your article.
For my body, It looks like coconut milk creates an allergic reaction in the gut, so I will not have Kara coconut milk and will try to make my own from your recipe. Thank you for the very informative article.
We buy Golden Star Coconut Milk which comes in cans that are not lined with BPA. The 2 ingredients are coconut milk and water. We find it at our Super-Walmart. It is not organic.
Nothing kills more people than stress. All stress is ultimately related to the fear of death. Seems to me: This page is filled with folks who are inadvertantly killing themselves with dietary related stress in a hilarious attempt to “live longer”. Egged on by the Chicken Little efforts of the individuals who’s “heathy living” agenda is in fact driven by the acquisition of gold under the guise of altruism. This is accomplished through establishing of a market of guided consumption based on the creation and exploitation of FEAR. The fear of death, the fear of the pain of dying, the fear of any range of maladies, real or imagined… Or better yet, one’s purposefully invented and perpetuated. Anything that leads the fearful mind repeatedly back to those entirely avoidable entropic cogent paths which destroy the quality of of “now”, by diverting the mind to consistent address of the specter of human mortality stalked by the persistence of TIME. The irony is beautiful. Have at it. I’ll be out by the pool, smoking a cigar, sipping some cold coconut milk… Outliving all of you. If not in YEARS. In QUALITY OF LIFE. Without even trying. This post will be taken down. Surely. But if even ONE of you poor misguided sots sees it before it is… I’ll see you over there. There will be laughter and good cheer. Do THAT enough and you WILL live BETTER… Which will ALWAYS trump living LONGER. Sadly, it’s not a mindset you can create in a “approved” brand organic blender. Vitamix indeed. Ship of thieves and fools. One that should be towed out to sea and sunk with naval gunfire. Cheers!
Standing ovation!!!!!! I don’t understand why people let themselves get all worked up, especially when attacking someone who is helping everyone.