Coconut benefits are quite extensive. These are some of the most important ones i’ve researched.
But first a little bit about coconuts. Coconut palms are plants distantly related to grasses. Because of their origins, they are extremely tolerant to salt and grow very close to the oceans. They are known to absorb nearly every mineral useful to our nutrition. Coconut translates in Sanskrit as “the tree that supplies all that is needed to live”.
The coconut is one of Mother Nature’s most perfect water filters. Within nine months, each liter of water in the shell is filtered as the water rises up through its fibers that purify the water. Here are some coconut benefits:
1) Anti-aging and Beautifying Properties
Young coconuts in particular contain a soft-meat that has high amounts of a pure saturated fat. This fat has the ability to repair and rejuvenate age-related tissue damage from oxidation. Coconuts are helpful in supporting and regulating a healthy anti-aging hormone production. Coconuts contain pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is an anti-aging hormone compound famous for its beautifying qualities. It improves circulation of the skin, gives faces a lift, aids in restoring sagging skin and reduces bags under the eyes as it promotes muscle like cells to contract. The ancient medicine of india, Aryurveda, as well as the medicinal systems of Polynesia have a long history of using coconut’s therapeutic and cosmetic properties.
When applied to the skin, coconut oil and cream can prevent skin eruptions and rashes.
2) Improved Nervous System Function
The saturated fats in coconuts are vital for the health of growing nervous systems, particularly those of children. Its pregnenolone helps protect the nerves from stress, enhances memory and even has anti-anxiety and anti-fatigue properties.
3) Increased Breast Milk Production
The young meat in coconuts is immediately transformed into breast milk. Besides this valuable benefit, coconut products in general can be very valuable for pregnancy, post-pregnancy and breast-feeding.
4) Improved Metabolism
Unlike long-chain, saturated animal fats from meat and diary products, coconut products contain medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize easily and transform into energy quickly. They also contain compounds in charge of growth. Coconuts help the body by improving muscle size and overall physical growth in children. Regularly consuming coconut products help restore thyroid function and increase metabolic rate that is crucial to weight loss.
5) Improved Cholesterol Levels and Cardiovascular Health
People in tropical regions have lower cholesterol levels than those in the U.S. This is probably related to the fact that coconut oil helps normalize cholesterol levels.
6) Improved Immune System
Coconuts contain antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial saturated fatty acids that are crucial allies in fighting off viruses, bacteria and fungal overgrowth. MCFAs support immune system function and their raw saturated fats and oils contain powerful antioxidants.
7) Improved Absorption of Omega 3s and Omega 6s
Coconuts help digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and amino acids. Coconut oil is higher in lauric acid than any other plant source. Lauric acid is a powerful antiviral substance that helps the body use the essential fatty acids more efficiently. In fact, coconut oil and omega-3 fatty acids have shown to be twice as effective when consumed together.
8) Weight-loss and Detoxifying Properties
Contrary to popular belief, coconuts in fact help accelerate our metabolism because they can’t be stored in the body as fat. This contributes to firing our excess fat-burning metabolism quickly. The presence of medium-chain saturated fatty acids helps increase our metabolism and contributes to weight loss. They also help displace hydrogenated trans-fatty acids that are known to be toxic to us.
9) Effective Against Kidney Stones
Coconut water helps fight calcifications and nanobacteria in the kidneys.
Coconuts can be a fantastic source of nutrition for your everyday life. Do you use coconuts regularly? I’d love to hear back from you so feel free to post your comments below.
Further resources:
Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future, by David Wolfe, 2009
Superfoods List: The 11 Best Nutrient Rich Foods For Increased Immunity, Energy and Longevity, by Andrea Briggs, 2011
