There is no cholesterol in coconut milk, or in any vegetable/fruit/nut. Cholesterol is only found in animal products.

However the saturated fat content of coconut milk is quite high. This is probably bad news, since saturated fats can raise your cholesterol levels,, but there are some people who have been saying that the saturated fat in coconut milk is different from the saturated fat in other things, and even go so far as to say that it's good for your circulation. The most unbiased opinion I've ever seen on this stuff says that the jury is still out. Not enough testing from either side - it's mostly just the "it's bad" group pointing out the saturated fat content, and the "it's good" group pointing out anecdotal evidence of healthy Somoans.

The best advice seems to be to use coconut milk in moderation - so, what else is new?

Here's a pretty good answer from Dr. Andrew Weil:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA316479

As far as coconut milk and cream, it's really just marketing of different qualities of coconut milk. Coconut milk is made by taking the meat, pureeing with water and squeezing out the milk, just like with other nut milks. As far as I can tell, coconut cream is just the extra fatty part that rises the top of the milk, after it's settled. You'll usually find it sticking to the top of the can. You can get lighter coconut milk that has less of this stuff and has a lower fat content. It works just as well in most recipes.

I believe there are also some products that are marketed as coconut cream that have less water content then our standard coconut milk.

Hah, I love how "taking the meat" is a phrase in the Vegetarian Forum. Just sayin!

Just wait, later I'm going to slowly tear the SKIN off of a BLOOD orange, dice several RIBS from a celery (oh yes, with their VEINS!), cut the EYES out of several FINGERling potatoes and leave them on a pile of old corn EARS. I'll finish off my evening by consuming an entire HEAD of lettuce and the HEART of an artichoke... with fava beans and a nice chianti. slurp slurp slurp.

Ahhhhh, you made my day finkledink. I love the puns.

I know this is an old post but if anybody else looks I figure it might help. Yes coconut milk is high in saturated fats but it is the kind that is good for you, yes there is such a thing. I realize not all studies are conclusive but some have found that colonies which use coconut in their diet have been found to have little to know heart disease as well as some studies have found it helps with proper brain development as well as old wives remedies such as a mild laxative and to help break down proteins. My advice is do as much of your own research as possible to come up with a solution but I find coconut to be beneficial.

It may be better than other saturated fats, but it is in huge excess: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/nut-and -seed-products/3113/2

However, I agree that there are studies coming out that disprove the old statements that all saturated fats are bad. The study used to test coconut milk was using hydrogenated coconut milk, meaning that trans fats were involved. Thus, the coconut oil and milk you eat is likely better.

I am sure that the SF in the coconut oils are in plenty of excess, as evident by the Nutrition Info you provided. I still do prefer coconut milk as a base fatty for some recipes I do due to its good flavor and it good properties as compared with other oils and creams.