“He who plants a coconut tree, plants food and drink, vessels and clothing, a home for himself and a heritage for his children.” ~ South Seas saying

Chances are, you pass right by an amazing, versatile, and nutritious item in your local market without giving it much thought – the coconut.

Commonly referred to as a fruit, a nut, or a seed, the furry-looking coconut is botanically classified as a drupe, which is a fruit with a hard covering enclosing the seed. Other drupes include peaches, plums, and cherries.

[amazon asin=B000LL0R8I&template=*lrc ad (left)]Coconuts are often called the “Tree of Life” because every part of the drupe and tree can be used.  An ideal sustainable food crop, the roots, trunks, leaves, husks, fiber, fruit, water, sap, oil, milk and meat all are useful. The plant not only supplies food for millions of people, but also can be used to make skincare products, household cleaners, toys, instruments, furniture, housing, bowls, utensils, lighting fixtures, baskets, utility boxes, gardening planters, mattresses, draperies, upholstery, chicken feed, carbon-based water filters, and bio-diesel fuels.

In emergency situations, coconut water has been used for intravenous rehydration:

A 2000 report tells of a stroke patient in the Solomon Islands who was too ill to drink or use a nasal tube but was successfully rehydrated with a coconut-water IV when no other fluids were available. Emergency [amazon asin=B002I6DZ92&template=*lrc ad (right)]coconut IVs were reportedly used by the British and Japanese during World War II, and they’ve been clinically tested on humans several times to see how well they’d be tolerated. Answer: overall, pretty well.

And, according to a study in the Journal of Endodontics, coconut water is even better than milk for keeping a knocked-out tooth viable while on route to the dentist.

In addition to all of its practical uses, the coconut has many nutritional benefits:

• [amazon asin=B008RJMXPQ&template=*lrc ad (left)]Fifty-five to 65 percent of the saturated fats in coconut oil are medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called MCTs. MCTs are small molecules that are easily digested and quickly used by your liver for energy without the insulin spike associated with some carbohydrates. MCTs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy instead of storing it, which may help you become leaner.
• Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid. Studies have shown that lauric acid may help the body fight viruses, fungi, and bacteria – even the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus (a very dangerous pathogen). It also can kill Candida Albicans, a common source of yeast infections in humans.
• Coconut meat is rich in phytosterols, cholesterol-like compounds found primarily in nuts and legumes. Phytosterols have been shown to naturally reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Fresh coconut meat is an excellent source of fiber. A 1-cup serving provides about 29 percent of the daily recommended amount of dietary fiber.[amazon asin=B004RGKZVM&template=*lrc ad (right)]
• Both raw coconut water and freshly squeezed coconut milk are rich in a host of minerals, including potassium, manganese and magnesium.
• Pacific Island populations get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil. Multiple studies have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease among them.
• Coconut oil consumption can help the body increase its production of ketone bodies — beneficial compounds produced when fatty acids are broken down for energy. Because these compounds are used to advantage by the brain,researchers are currently studying coconut oil as a possible treatment for people with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Lou Gehrig’s and multiple sclerosis, as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

There are several ways to incorporate coconut into your diet:

Coconut water: This is extracted from young, green coconuts that have not reached maturity. It contains electrolytes, and has more potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium than most juices – for less calories. Coconut water is a great choice for hydrating after hard work or exercise.

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