Coconut Milk Smoothies: 3 Recipes and Health Benefits!

Coconut milk has been an underrated and overlooked option for several recipes, including creamy smoothie recipes. We use it extensively in many of our smoothies as a substitute for water or dairy.

Not only is coconut milk tasty but it’s full of health benefits. The oil, the milk, and even water has been extracted from coconuts for centuries by India and Southeast Asia. Eventually, coconuts were carried over by water to other subtropical countries.

Using coconut milk in food for the numerous health benefits isn’t a new concept.

We decided to share 3 delicious smoothie refcipes that incorporate coconut milk into the mix and all the benefits from using this special milk.

Health Benefits of Coconut Milk

Coconut Nutrition:	1 Cup Serving:
Calories:	552
Fat:	57 grams
Carbs:	13 grams
Fiber:	5 grams
Vitamin C:	11% of RDA
Folate:	10% of RDA
Iron:	22% of RDA
Magnesium:	22% of RDA
Potassium:	18% of RDA
Selenium:	21% of RDA
Copper:	32% of RDA
Manganese:	21% of RDA
Source: USDA

We’re going to cover all the good stuff in coconut milk that can aid you in many ailments.

Iron

1 cup of coconut milk has about 22% of your daily recommended amount of Iron.

Iron helps your body transport oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body using hemoglobin. Lack of blood cells or hemoglobin causes both fatigue and anemia.

Since iron carries oxygen through your body, this includes the oxygen needed by your muscles. If there isn’t enough iron in your body, your muscles can’t contract properly and lose their tone.

If iron isn’t carrying oxygen around your body, you’re losing oxygen to your brain.  This loss of oxygen causes an improper function of your brain and cognitive abilities.

Lauric Acid

High cholesterol: Lauric acid is a saturated fat but in small amounts, it can support lower high cholesterol. Lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid, is half of the saturated fats found in coconuts and coconut milk.

This fat boosts your high density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol, while lowering the bad cholesterol (HDL). It helps transport this bad cholesterol to your liver to be broken down and removed from your body.

Be mindful not to go overboard, since too much saturated fat can put you at risk for heart disease.

Weight loss: Another benefit of the medium-chain fatty acid, is that it can promote weight loss. This fatty acid metabolizes differently from other types of fats.

It travels through your digestive tract and it gets moved to your liver. Your liver either burns it into energy or turns it into ketone bodies.

Other types of saturated fat store as fat in your body, causing weight gain if you don’t have a healthy diet and exercise.

This can enhance your physical endurance and burns excess calories in your body. And the ketone created can cause you to feel full and consume less calories.

Magnesium

You hear about the importance of magnesium in passing, you know friends who take supplements, but do you know the actual amazing benefits of it?

This mineral is known to help with over 300 biochemical reactions in your body.

Bones: Magnesium has a been impact on the health of your bones and your joints.

For women who are past menopause and have a high risk ofosteoporosis, magnesium can help lower that risk.

Magnesium helps your bones absorb calcium and Vitamin D, making them stronger and more dense.

Inflammation: This mineral also helps reduce extra inflammation in your body. It works at as calcium channel blocker and too much calcium is one of the biggest causes of inflammation in the body.

PMS: Another plus for the ladies is that magnesium can help control cramps and bloating from PMS.

It’s believed that it calms your nervous system (which is overactive during your time of the month) and stabilizes your hormones.

It also reduces prostaglandins which in turn, relaxes the muscles in your uterus.

Insulin and Blood Sugar: People with higher levels of magnesium in their body are less likely to develop diabeties. Magnesium is crucial to prevent insulin resistance, which causes type 2 diabetes.

Stress: Magnesium cuts down on the activity of they hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. This cuts down on cortisol, lowering both anxiety and stress.

Potassium

Blood Pressure: Potassium is a great resource for your blood pressure if you’re battling high blood pressure (hypertension).

When we ingest too much salt from our diets, our body retains water. This increase in retained water creates a boost in blood pressure.

Potassium helps your body get rid of all that extra salt through your urine.

Muscles: If you do heavy exercise, you know the pain caused from your muscles ripping and repairing themselves to make them stronger.

Potassium (and magnesium) found in coconut milk helps repair these damaged muscles.

3 Coconut Milk Smoothies

Coconut milk (it’s not an actual dairy product) is super smooth and creamy, especially if you buy full-fat coconut milk. It’s made from the flesh of coconuts and will give any smoothie you blend a rich flavor.

Canned unsweetened coconut milk has a sweeter taste than some of the big brand cartons, which are more of a beverage form. If you prefer a sweeter flavor, check out the canned options.

However, keep in mind that there’s BPA in anything that’s canned.

If you can’t find Coconut milk at your local store then we like using So Delicious’ Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk for our coconut milk smoothies.

-> Click Here for So Delicious Coconut Milk Current Price

Berry Blitz 

• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1/2 cup of strawberries
• 1/2 cup of raspberries
• 1 banana
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk

Tropical Vacation 

• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup of pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup of mango chunks
• 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk

Coconut Yum 

• 1 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk 

Final Thoughts 

Coconut milk is a great substitute for sweet juices or regular milk in your smoothies and milkshakes.

Try adding it to your favorite smoothie and let us know what you think. The taste is great and the health benefits are even greater.