Benefits of Coconut that You Didn’t Know

The coconut palm tree’s fruit can be consumed in different ways, but above all its (very refreshing) water and pulp can be prepared in various ways. You can also buy grated coconut for desserts. It has various uses in your diet, to make crafts, or in medicine. Learn more about coconut in the following article.

Properties of Coconuts

In tropical countries, coconut is used for its antibacterial, antioxidant, anti parasite, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, and immunostimulant properties. The main benefits of this fruit are in its seed, which at maturity contains many vitamins, minerals, and oligo elements, which are all essential nutrients for human beings. It also contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, selenium, iodine, zinc, fluoride, manganese, and other elements.

Coconut is a nut. You eat its seed. It’s large in size and it has water or milk inside. The inner color is white and the outer is brown. It is a food used for anti-stress diets, weight gain, osteoporosis, cardiovascular health, and to prevent fluid retention.

Coconut: The Fruit for Athletes

Anyone who plays sports daily should drink coconut milk or water because it offers a wide range of properties:

• Hydrating: It has a high percentage of water and minerals that prevent dehydration. It is a good ally for training and competitions. Since it is low in fat and sugars, it doesn’t have any calories. It is the favorite drink in very hot places because it instantly quenches thirst.
• Mineralizes: It helps regulate muscle tone and improves heart functions.
• Antioxidant: Some of the minerals that coconut is made up of (selenium and zinc) have antioxidant functions. That is why it is also used often in beauty treatments, creams, and sunscreen.
• Energetic: It is best to eat after a hectic day, after a lot of physical activity, or in very hot places. You can add coconut to smoothies or fruit juices (orange, grapefruit, banana, etc.).
• Blood pressure regulator: This is because its saturated fats are a great energy reserve for the body. They are found in coconut pulp and milk.

Coconut Does Your Heart Good

Coconut water, the liquid that this fruit contains when it isn’t fully ripe, has been shown to have a low content of sugar and fat and is rich in minerals and oligo elements. In tropical countries, where there are plenty of coconut trees, they drink the water fresh, after cutting it from the tree. There are also places that sell it in bottles.

Drinking coconut water helps reduce blood pressure, reducing triglycerides in people who suffer from high cholesterol. It also has anti diabetic and hypoglycemic properties.

Coconut Oil: What to Know

Another way to consume coconut is as an essential oil. It is the source that has the highest amount of fatty acids after breast milk. It boosts your immune system and helps your body fight diseases, bacteria, infections, and viruses.

There is still not a lot of information in regards to coconut oil, which is why it is not used as much in today’s world. If you use the natural and not the hydrogenated kind that has modified its original form, you will improve your health and even reduce cholesterol. It will also speed up metabolism, which will help you lose weight and prevent side effects like thyroid disorders. It protects your heart cells and improves the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

More Properties of Coconut Water

Besides being very good for cardiovascular health, coconut water is almost equivalent to breast milk if you compare its detoxifying power, which also cleanses the kidney from any malignant substances. It is also good for the internal hygiene of the body and recommended for children because it contains vitamin C, natural sugars, and many minerals. It can relieve vomiting, gas, and urinary problems. It is also used as a diuretic and for cleansing the kidneys.

It helps maintain kidney functions, digestion, and liver functions. It prevents infections, helps control diabetes, and boosts intestinal regulation. It relieves tension in the pancreas and the enzyme systems. It is used to treat bladder diseases and keeps your skin hydrated, smooth, and soft.

Benefits of Coconut for Pregnancy

Eating coconut, both its pulp and milk or water, is recommended for women who are in the gestation period. It is very good for a future mother and baby. It contains a large amount of nutrients and properties that help pregnancy go a lot better by providing energy and vitamins.

Because it is a natural isotonic beverage, it replaces liquids and also prevents ankle swelling, which is so frequent in pregnant women. It is an excellent idea for staying hydrated during pregnancy.

On the other hand, it doesn’t have cholesterol and is fat free. When you eat it, you won’t gain any more weight than what doctors recommend for the 9 months.

It strengthens your immune system, preventing you from getting sick (as everyone knows that pregnant women can’t take almost any medication) and it also reinforces the fetus’s defenses.

It prevents and treats stomach acid and vomiting, which are so common in the first few months of gestation. It helps constipation (another common problem) as well.

Images courtesy of Chandrika Nair, Celine Nadeau, Jeffery Wong, John Revo Puno, Montse PB