January 2021
In 2019 when Jon and I visited New Zealand, we sampled many dairy-free yogurts that were not available anywhere else in the world, especially those with a coconut base.
Rich, creamy, delicious, nutritious, flavorsome and, sadly, exclusive to Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud in the South Pacific ocean.
Still, we were inspired to develop a bespoke coconut yogurt for like-minded consumers living in Hawaii who had chosen to reduce or completely eliminate dairy from their diets.
Why coconut yogurt over diary?
Many people can’t eat dairy for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they have chosen a plant-based lifestyle for health, ecological or to protect the rights of animals. Or perhaps they have adverse reactions to products made from the milk of mammals; they are clearly lactose intolerant or have a mild allergy to foods containing lactose like milk, yogurt and cheese.
Eat or drink something with dairy and they become bloated, nauseous, or get stomach cramps, maybe experience diarrhea or emit enough wind to power a small boat!
An estimated 65% of the world’s population struggle with lactose, hence the great swing to non-dairy based products in recent years, including coconut yogurt. Unlike other plant-based alternatives such as soy, allergic reactions to eating coconut are rare.
We embarked on our big coconut yogurt journey at Koko Kai because coconuts have so many life-affirming properties. Coconuts are high in fiber, contain antiviral and antibacterial properties and it are loaded with vitamins. Coconuts also contains a high concentration of lauric acid.
The magic of Lauric
Lauric acid is a medium-length long chain fatty acid, also known as a lipids, and makes up about half of the fatty acids in coconut oil. It is incredibly versatile. Lactic acid is used in health and beauty products such as face creams, but also in medicine for treating viral infections, like flu and the common cold.
It is used to treat blisters, cold sores, genital herpes, genital warts, bronchitis, gonorrhea, yeast infections, chlamydia and intestinal infections caused by the Giardia lamblia parasite.
Coconut yogurt is made from fermented coconut milk, starch and live bacteria cultures, excellent for your gut. While most commercially produced coconut yogurt is full of sugar and stripped of nutrients, Koko Kai is a probiotic-rich formula, packed with good bacteria, which supports the digestive system.
These are:
Lactobacillus Bulgaricus: Draws away toxins
Lactobacillus Thermophilus: Fights respiratory infection
Lactobacillus Acidophilus DDS1: Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, while enhancing the immune system
Lactobacillus Casei: Inhibits inflammatory response
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus: Enhances immune system
Bifidobacterium Lactis: Breaks down carbohydrates, safeguards the urogenital tract
A dollop of probiotic-dense Koko Kai can improve the health of your gastrointestinal microbiome, essential for human development, immunity and nutrition. According to the University of Washington., “We humans are mostly microbes, over 100 trillion of them.” They outnumber our human cells 10-1 and the majority live in our gut.
This alone gives coconut yogurt – if made unsweetened and without the many additives commonly used in commercial brands – the edge in yogurt selection.
Aside from containing less protein than a serve of dairy yogurt, Koko Kai yogurt’s beneficial custom probiotics, its anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, natural fruit flavors from locally sourced producers together with easily metabolized fatty acids that make you feel full for longer, give it high ratings for health benefits and taste.
Read more
