Coconutflakes from the store - RAW?

[MariaLinn]

Ive been searching for info on the net about coconutflakes and it just says they are 'dried flakes from coconut', but it doesnt say anywhere (that i can find...) HOW they dry theese delishious little flakes

Im not talking about the roasted kind that are available in the US but round here we only have the 'dried' kind. Do you have any idea if they are still considered raw? Or are they dried with heat like non-sundried fruits?

Because I would just love to not have to go and buy me a whole coconut to mess around with. Lazy? of course.

[claireelis]

i've been wondering the same thing as they cause me to want to eat more an d more there's got to be something wrong with them - or that the high fiber content makes it stay in my stomach too long - it's already "slow-emptying" so that my body doesn't think it ate...

but i think the only way to find out is to call the company that produced it.

[MariaLinn]

Yes those little things are devilishly delicious! so I wouldnt either be suprised if they had some kind of magic ingredient.

But, on the bag ive got, wich is from a german company called Atco, it doesnt say anything about nutrients, ingredients, if they are dried or raw, just 'Kokosraspel 200g'.

They are neither crunchy or moist so its damn hard to tell the rawness and not even their webpage seems to have the info. Ill mail them some questions.

[CY]

Conventional coconut flakes and shreds are typically dried at heats above what would be considered safe by a raw food enthusiast. Most that I've encountered in the past undergo processing that reaches between 140 degrees to around nearly 200 degrees Farenheit. To speed the drying process, the shreds are usually pressed before heat is applied, removing moisture, but also draining the nutrient-dense coconut milk which contains many of the minerals of the coconut and a good portion of the beneficial fats.

Also before the flakes are dried, a good majority of producers rinse the flakes in various solutions, including some containing chlorine or formaldehyde (a chemical which is also applied young thai coconuts) to destroy microorganisms and preserve the resulting product (illustrating the need to at least buy organic coconut flakes).

Some companies add sugar or one of several forms of corn syrup to the dried flakes as a flavor enhancer, which should be marked on the label, although I have been notified by one of my friends who is an associate for a company that produces food products from South American countries that many distributors simply omit this information.

Another important reason to buy organic coconut products is that almost all conventional brands add sodium or potassium metabisulfites as preservatives. This includes coconut flakes, canned coconut milk, coconut cream powder, and some coconut oils.

I also greatly enjoy dried coconut, but quality raw products are very difficult to find. It is relatively easy to dry the coconut yourself, but this takes enough time to prepare that I end up just eating the coconut shreds moist. I'm sure the internet has a few specialized sites that sell organic, low-temperature dehydrated coconut flakes, but prices are expected to be high. It all depends on which you would rather sacrifice: money, health, or eating the chips altogether.

[claireelis]

wow thanks for the information! i bet one of the substances used on the coconut flakes (i do buy organic) is what causes that addictive eating of them for me. i don't have that with other organic dried fruits. i thought at first the the high fat + fiber content led my lazy stomach (gastroparesis) to keep it in there rather than pass it on - which means i'd stay hungry because nothing entered the small intestines. but then again i would have had the same problem with fresh coconut flakes (which alas have been proven by endocopy not to pass through) - which i don't. this leads me to another question:

where do these addictive substances get absorbed? is it possible that some of them enter the blood stream in the mouth or stomach? i always thought the intestines did most of the breaking down, but i often notice my reactions by taste alone - and talking about taste - that would mean absorption of certain compounds right?

[CY]

wow thanks for the information! i bet one of the substances used on the coconut flakes (i do buy organic) is what causes that addictive eating of them for me. i don't have that with other organic dried fruits. i thought at first the the high fat + fiber content led my lazy stomach (gastroparesis) to keep it in there rather than pass it on - which means i'd stay hungry because nothing entered the small intestines. but then again i would have had the same problem with fresh coconut flakes (which alas have been proven by endocopy not to pass through)

I apologize for asking if you'd rather not share this information, but do you follow the Wai diet, and if you do, for what reason do you follow it (acne, gastroparesis?), and have you noticed any improvemnt/change in symptoms of gastroparesis since you've started on the diet? Also, do you know what the cause for your case of gastroparesis is? I'm guessing that since you recieve endoscopies you're getting medical help (and treatment?).

this leads me to another question:

where do these addictive substances get absorbed? is it possible that some of them enter the blood stream in the mouth or stomach? i always thought the intestines did most of the breaking down, but i often notice my reactions by taste alone - and talking about taste - that would mean absorption of certain compounds right?

Some chemicals can be absorbed at any point in the digestive process to the surrounding tissue in small amounts. It is in the intestines, though, that harmful chemicals are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Another (usually lesser) concern is that some substances may be absorbed sublingually to the bloodstream in the mouth.

For smell and taste, in order to perceive aroma/flavor, substances must be dissolved into the mucus or saliva in the nasal/oral cavity. This does not necessarily mean the substance is being absorbed. It is merely coming in contact with superficial receptors that trigger a nervous response registering the smell or taste. Just like for digestion, very small amounts may be absorbed in to surrounding tissue, but the greater concern if you smell or taste a harmful substance is how much you've inhaled or swallowed.

[claireelis]

hi cy, i don't mind explaining - i'll post an update under the diet diaries section. cheers, claireelis

[MariaLinn]

Thanks for all that info! Interesting indeed. To me, coconutflakes seems like such a simple product, had no idea how much they actually put those little flakes thru.

The company that I emailed said the same thing in their answer. Tho their flakes had nothing added to them or so they had still been heated, sad to say.