It is difficult to imagine any tropical coast without a graceful frame of coconut palms. No one for certain knows when and where this plant appeared on the earth, as its fruits coconuts, sail to a new “residence” by salt water seas and oceans. However, the absence of this information did not stop the locals to use coconuts for their own good.
Coconut is widely used in cooking. People use white flesh for food and sweet and sour coconut water, hidden under thick skinned walnut. Also, people have learned to get out of the inside part of the coconut oil, and also to cook from it a coconut milk, which is successfully used in cosmetics.
On practice coconut is also very used by people. Out of fiber entangling coconut shell people make ropes, weave carpets, carve other items for household purposes. A coconut shell local craftsmen adapted a coconut shell for the production of souvenirs.
But that’s all they are “natives” :) And what benefit or even harm a coconut can bring us, to people buying coconuts mostly in supermarkets.
Coconut: benefits and harms in detail
Benefits of coconut for the human body
Residents of our latitude recently had the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful fruit. Today you can buy it in stores, as a whole fruit of coconut tree, as separately packed coconut water in sealed bags, and, of course, dried coconut – product obtained from the pulp. And yet to get the maximum benefit of coconut you may directly in the places of their natural distribution.
Benefits and harms of coconut due to its chemical composition. The fruits of this tropical plant contain a significant amount of vitamin B. There is also in large quantities found such as folic acid, pantothenic acid and ascorbic, thanks to which we provide a substantial resistance to colds. Besides, within coconut our body receives antioxidant tocopherol, as well as biotin, required for the implementation of the metabolic processes in the body.
The populations of countries where the coconut trees grow, used a coconut for the medical purposes starting from ancient times. The soft part of coconut was used as a folk remedy for diarrhea, or to recover from poisoning, and there were even attempts with its help to cure a cholera.
Nowadays, the beneficial properties of coconut also find their application: until today from the inside of the nut continued cooking time-tested drugs according to the prescriptions of traditional medicine. Thus, for example, with a help of droplets produced from this raw material, it is possible to get rid of ear pain. And if you burn the coconut shell, you can get an excellent remedy for the treatment of septic wounds.
Coconut juice is very loved and popular in tropical countries. It is drunk as a quenching fluid, and make out of it the different tonic cocktails. In addition to this effect, the water that is inside the coconut is antibacterial and diuretic and also is capable to dissolve stone formation in kidneys.
We can not say that the coconut is an excellent source of vegetable fat. It does not contain any gram of cholesterol. Even more than that – useful properties of coconut are manifested in the ability to reduce the level of cholesterol in the existing blood vessels. So, it may be concluded that continuous use of coconut food can significantly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Harm of coconut
Among the reasons allowing to say, that the consumption of coconut can harm a person, is mentioned a high calorie content. In 100 grams of fresh coconut pulp contained 354 kcal. For those who eat low-calorie foods or try to lose weight, it is advisable to abandon the coconut for a while.
Despite the fact, that coconut is an environmentally friendly product (growing of coconut trees do not require the use of chemicals), it can cause allergic reactions.
How to choose a coconut
Sometimes it is not easy for our unsophisticated consumer to solve: will he get benefit or harm from the coconut if he chooses one or the other nut. Once and forever for not to be disappointed in this fragrant product, it is important to take out of the total mass only those fruits that will not have any external defects. To determine whether walnut is mature that lies in front of or not, you may gently shake it. Unripe fruit will contain too much water inside.
Coconut, you just opened, it is necessary to eat or use immediately. To get the maximum benefit from coconut, and not a harm, it’s flesh should be eaten raw, not filled with oils and sugar sweetening.
Today many people have the opportunity to travel around the world and to enjoy this wonderful fruit literally just off the branches. Do not deny yourself the pleasure and without any fear try this mysterious nut being in its homeland. It is really has a lot of useful elements that will not hurt your health at all.