Health Benefits Of Coconut
Throughout the centuries in tropical countries, such as the Philippines, the health benefits of coconut have been well-known. In these countries where it is grown, the coconut has many uses, including food, fuel, timber, drink, medicine and more. The coconut there is often referred to as the “tree of life.”
In traditional medical uses, the health benefits of coconut water were said to include reduction of kidney stones, recovery from diabetic coma, stomach problems, urinary infections, worms, smallpox, measles, chickenpox, and skin conditions.
Because the coconut has a high amount of saturated fat, for many years the health benefits of coconut were questioned and it was routinely discarded as part of a nutritious diet. Studies lumped all saturated fats together with animal fats and high cholesterol and failed to consider that the coconut’s high concentration (over 50%) of lauric acid made it a natural healer for diseases and conditions caused by of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Plus, the anti-oxidants in a coconut actually help to fight heart disease and cancer, rather than cause them.
Today, the health benefits of coconut oil include aiding in the prevention and treatment of kidney problems, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high cholesterol, HIV, osteoporosis, pancreatitis, digestive, immune and metabolic difficulties. While coconut oil is a manufactured product from the coconut that cannot be made at home, the flesh and water of the coconut itself also have their own health benefits.
The health benefits of coconut flesh include its vitamin and mineral content, which consists of large amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as some of the B complex vitamins and natural electrolytes. Coconut water, which is the liquid you hear when you shake a coconut, is also just as good for you if not more so. The coconut contains plenty of fiber which helps with digestion and the treatment of constipation.
Coconut is used by people trying to lose weight because it is said to speed up the body’s metabolism or the rate at which calories are burned. The fat content of coconut has its own health benefits--it makes you feel full so you don’t overeat or crave between-meal snacks. It has 3.3 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 27 grams of saturated fat.
In order to get the most benefits from your coconut, make sure to pick one that is heavy and makes the loudest sloshing noises when shaken. Some people think that this liquid is coconut milk but it is not. It is coconut water. Coconut milk does not occur naturally but is made. A simple method to make coconut milk is to grate 5 ounces of coconut--you want it to be a fine texture. Then pour 3 cups of hot water over the grated coconut. It should sit in the water for 5 minutes. Next, puree it in a blender and then strain out the liquid with a strainer or cheesecloth. That’s it! You now have coconut milk you can drink or use in cooking.