Coconut: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Coconut is the large seed-fruit of the coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, in the palm family (Arecaceae). The white inner flesh (the "meat") is eaten fresh, shredded or dried; the clear liquid inside is coconut water, and milk and oil are made from the flesh. People eat coconut for its taste, its fiber and its minerals. This page covers the meat first, then notes coconut water, milk and oil separately. It keeps the food apart from products and from hype, and says what the research does and does not show.

Read this first

• Coconut meat is very high in saturated fat: about 24 g in one cup of shredded coconut, which is more than the whole Daily Value (USDA). [1] The World Health Organization advises that no more than 10% of energy should come from saturated fat, and names coconut oil among its sources. [2]
• Coconut allergy is uncommon but real. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or throat, call 911. In the US, coconut is no longer on the FDA tree nut list, but it must still be named in the ingredient list. [6][7][13]
• Coconut meat gives a lot of fiber, manganese and copper (USDA). [1] Coconut water has some small trials, and coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol in a meta-analysis. [3][8]
• Evidence summary: coconut meat is a food worth knowing about for its nutrients, but we found no trial showing that eating it prevents or treats a disease.

What is in it (USDA values)

Source: USDA FoodData Central, "Nuts, coconut meat, raw" (FDC 170169, SR Legacy) [1]. USDA household portions: 1 cup shredded (80 g); 1 piece, 2 by 2 by 1/2 inch (45 g); 1 medium coconut (397 g). Per-cup figures are the per-100 g values scaled to 80 g. % Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage.

USDA lists no vitamin A (beta-carotene is zero) and almost no vitamin K for coconut meat. [1] We did not find a source we read that describes specific plant compounds in coconut meat, so we do not name any here.

What research says

Observational findings and a nutrient being present in a food are not proof that eating the food prevents or treats a disease. The coconut water results above come from small trials and are not advice to drink it.

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. The cholesterol results above are for coconut oil, a concentrated fat, not for the meat. The rehydration and colitis trials used coconut water. Results for one form do not carry over to another.

Coconut water, milk and oil, briefly

• Coconut water is the thin liquid inside a young coconut. Researchers describe it as rich in potassium. [8] It is not the same as the meat. We did not find a source we read that gives a safe limit for people who must limit potassium; see the safety section.
• Coconut milk and cream are made by pressing grated meat. We did not read USDA values for them, so we give no numbers. Check the label for saturated fat and added sugar.
• Coconut oil is a fat pressed from the meat. WHO lists it among sources of saturated fat. [2] The AHA advisory and the 2020 meta-analysis above are the sources we read on its effect on cholesterol. [3][5]

How much is a normal serving

• The USDA household portion in our data is 1 cup of shredded coconut (80 g), or one 2 by 2 by 1/2 inch piece (45 g). [1] This is information, not a prescription.
• Because the meat is energy-dense (354 kcal per 100 g), a small piece has a very different effect on fat and calories than a cup of most other fruits. For comparison, the WHO fruit and vegetable goal is at least 400 g a day for people over 10, from a mix of foods. [2]
• Dried or sweetened shredded coconut is not in our USDA data; check labels for added sugar. See fruit juice vs whole fruit and fresh, frozen and canned produce.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Saturated fat. One cup of shredded meat has about 119% of the Daily Value for saturated fat (USDA). [1] WHO advises keeping saturated fat under 10% of energy and names coconut oil as a source. [2] The AHA advisory and a Cochrane review support replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat. [4][5] People with high cholesterol or heart disease should ask their care team how coconut fits their plan. See foods for cholesterol and heart health.
• Allergy. In a US survey of 78,851 people, about 0.39% had convincing coconut allergy (roughly 1 in 260), and almost half of those reported reactions in more than one body system. [6] A case report notes coconut allergy is rare and not directly linked to nut allergy. [11] In 2025 the FDA removed coconut from its tree nut allergen list; coconut still has to be named in the ingredient list, but not in a "Contains: tree nuts" statement. [7][13] People with a coconut allergy should read the ingredient list. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911. See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Potassium and kidney disease. Coconut meat has 285 mg per cup (6% of the Daily Value, USDA). [1] Coconut water is described as potassium-rich. [8] People told to limit potassium should ask their care team; see foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.
• Medicines. We did not find a source we read describing a medicine interaction with coconut as a food, so we make no claim either way. A pharmacist can check: see foods and medicine interactions.
• Diabetes. The meat has about 5 g of sugars per cup (USDA). [1] We did not find trials of coconut meat and blood sugar. People on diabetes medicines should ask their care team.
• Pregnancy. We did not find a coconut-specific caution in the sources we read. See foods in pregnancy.
• FODMAPs and bloating. We did not read a source on coconut and FODMAPs, so we make no claim.
• Pesticide residues. Not checked; we did not read a source on this for coconut.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Rinse the outside of a whole coconut under running water before cracking or cutting it, even though you will not eat the husk; this keeps dirt and germs off the flesh. Do not use soap, detergent or produce wash. [12]
• Refrigerate cut coconut and any opened coconut water or milk at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. [12]
• Throw away coconut that looks rotten or smells off. [12]

Related pages

• Foods for cholesterol and heart health
• Added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce
• How much fiber per day and fiber side effects