Health Facts

Why coconut milk instead of ordinary dairy milk?

The old saying ‘eat fat get fat’ does not apply to coconut milk as it does to dairy ice cream, which is mostly made from animal fat. This does not suggest that animal fats are bad and should be avoided. In fact animal fats which are derived from grass fed cows, goats and sheep produce good sources of fats which are nourishing for our body. In the contrary, animal fat can be bad when the animals are fed a diet that they are not created to eat, i.e. grains. When ruminant animals, cows, goats and sheep eat grains they get sick and sick animals get pumped up with antibiotics and steroids to keep them alive until slaughter. Therefore, dairy milk produced from animals fed a grain diet are best to be avoided. The wise thing to do is to consume certified organic grass fed meats or dairy products.

So be aware and choose wisely the next time you are standing in front of ice cream shelves at your local supermarkets. They are saturated with many attractive commercial ice cream brands. Stop and take a minute to read the ingredients carefully and see if you understand the numbers next to the ingredients, stabilisers and emulsifiers. This applies equally to non dairy, gluten free products which are too often claimed as healthy alternatives or healthy products.

Ideally you will consume either certified organic non dairy products or grass fed organic dairy products.

What’s so special about Cocofrio?

Cocofrio subscribes to the proven belief that we are what we eat. After years of health and dietary research, we really began to understand the extraordinary properties of coconuts.

We love a healthy way of life. But we hate having to sacrifice enjoyment and flavour in our favourite treat. That’s what led us to product trials and recipe and flavour experiments using coconut milk as the basis for a delicious new range of dairy free, gluten free and certified organic coconut milk ice cream.

We figured that if you eat what you love, love what you eat AND know it’s miles healthier than any other form of ice cream, you’d leap at the product.

Cocofrio coconut milk ice cream products are crammed with what are known as Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs.

If you don’t have the right mix of a healthy diet, including good fats, rigorous exercise then potentially preventative drugs, animal fats like those in dairy ice cream can place you at risk of high cholesterol, arterial flow reduction and coronary disease.

Rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs)

The main health feature of Cocofrio coconut milk ice cream is that our products are rich in MCFAs. Research shows your body processes these differently from other saturated fats, especially animal fats found in dairy products.

In simple terms your body sends MCFAs directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat. And that means reducing the artery-clogging effects of other types of fats that are traditionally associated with heart disease.

The MCFAs found in coconut milk and coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following qualities:

• MCFAs actually help stimulate your body’s metabolism, leading to weight loss
• MCFAs are smaller, which allows ease of permeating cell membranes which in turn enables effective absorption by the body as there is no longer a requirement for special enzymes
• MCFAs are easily digested, therefore putting less strain on your digestive system
• Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
• Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid glands

Misconception and fear about saturated fat in coconut milk

All saturated fats are not created equally. Yes, you heard it loud the word “created”, because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits the shelf life of processed food and corporate profits.

The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.

Therefore the saturated fats found in coconut milk are naturally occurring, and not a man-made process. The type of saturated fats in coconut milk are Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs) as explained above. Since MCFAs are directly utilised as a source of instant energy by your body, they function in the same way as simple carbohydrates. However, although they are a source of energy for your body, they differ in one crucial respect. The saturated fats in coconut milk do not cause an insulin spike in your bloodstream. In fact they act like carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption.

Naturally occurring saturated fats are not to be feared as they are in fact good fats and your body needs them as a source of energy to function normally in everyday life and to perform simple tasks such as breathing, walking, talking and even eating!

What other benefits does coconut milk have?

The list is long:

• Coconut milk also contains omega 6 fatty acids associated with improved heart health.
• Coconut milk is also high in lauric acid, an active component in human breast milk. Lauric acid is known for its contribution to the immune system and blood elasticity.
• An average serving of coconut milk can provide 22 percent of daily iron needs and contains above average levels of vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6 as well as iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.
• With its anti-oxidant compounds, coconut milk also helps protect you against harmful free radicals.

Where can I buy Cocofrio?

Click HERE to go to our Stockists page for your nearest outlets.

I hear from some sources that coconut milk is high in saturated fats that contribute to cholesterol. Who should I believe?

No one denies that coconut milk is high in saturated fat, but that’s only half the story. The saturated fats in coconut milk are different from animal derived fats. They are medium chain fatty acids. Research suggests that our body processes these differently from other saturated fats and they provide our body with energy and help to maintain weight by increasing satiety, or the sense of being full.

Coconut milk raises cholesterol levels, but its lauric acid boosts HDL (good) cholesterol, which improves the HDL-LDL (bad) cholesterol ratio. So while the better option may be to reach for an unsaturated fat, if choosing among saturated fats, coconut milk is by far the best option.

If it’s so good for you, why has coconut milk ice cream taken so long to catch on?

Australians have a long history of supporting ‘traditional’ products. Today, though, we’re a lot more sophisticated in our tastes. we’re also more conscious of healthy eating choices and the impacts our decisions make on the environment. Cocofrio organic coconut milk ice cream answers all of those demands.

Who can eat Cocofrio organic coconut ice cream?

The great news is: everyone. Coconuts are such a versatile ingredient, and our formulations and recipes are very innovative. This means Cocofrio products are perfect for even the most sensitive of ages, diets and beliefs, without sacrificing any of the exotic flavours that come with coconut-based products.

How is Cocofrio ice cream sweetened?

Cocofrio is committed to peak human health. We are moving away from sweeteners which contain high fructose levels (45 percent and above) such as Agave syrup, refined sugar, or natural sucrose type sweeteners (coconut sugar, panella sugar and rapadura sugar).

All components of our ice cream are certified organic by Australia’s leading organic certification agency, Australian Certified Organic (ACO). These include our organic brown rice malt syrup and stevia with which we sweeten our products.

Brown Rice Malt Syrup

Our brown rice malt syrup is organically pure, fructose-free and low GI. It comprises of 50 percent soluble complex carbohydrates (maltotriose), 45 percent maltose, and 3 percent glucose.

Your body digests the maltose in 1.5 hours and the complex carbohydrates in 3 hours. You absorb the small quantity of glucose immediately. That means a slow and controlled energy release, consistent blood sugar levels, and an even energy flow, with none of the adverse effects on the bloodstream that can be caused by other sweeteners.

Stevia

We also add a certified organic plant based sweetener, Stevia into our products in order to boost the sweetness profile without affecting the calorie intake. Stevia has zero calories and is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. This means we only use a very small amount of Stevia to achieve the correct level of sweetness. Stevia has been scientifically proven to possess health benefits. It is diabetic friendly, suppresses cravings, non addictive unlike sugar, lowers high blood pressure, regulates blood sugar levels and has a high digestive tolerance.

Why combine Brown Rice Malt Syrup and Stevia?

Our philosophy is to deliver simply the best quality products whilst caring for your well-being.

This means by consuming Stevia alone it would not provide you with the correct level of energy that your body needs since it has zero calories. We still need the correct level of carbohydrates in order to function normally, i.e breathing, walking, working or even running to catch your bus. If you are an active person you would definitely need energy to maximise your training.

Brown Rice Malt Syrup is less sweet than any other sweetener. However it provides low GI carbohydrates to sustain your energy levels.