Let me tell you a little about young coconut. It is an amazing eat. You might have seen these special fruits (or seeds or nuts, whichever you prefer to call it, because they’re all correct) at the grocery store, but been intimidated by the fibrous fortress that protects the treasure inside.
First, it really isn’t all that hard to open as long as you have a decent chef’s knife or cleaver. You can find a quick instructional video here.
One of the most satisfying things to do with a young coconut is open it up, drink the juice and then scoop out the meat. That is one serious treat, right there.
But what about other forms of coconut? Milk, dehydrated, freeze dried? They’re all super tasty AND good for you!
So, why do you want to consume coconut? According to the Coconut Research Center in Colorado Springs, here’s a list of reasons:
Digestive Benefits
- Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
- Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
- Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
- Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
- Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
- Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
- Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
- Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
- Improves digestion and bowel function.
Skin and Hair Benefits
- Supports tissue healing and repair.
- Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
- Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
- Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
- Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
- Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
- Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
- Provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
- Helps control dandruff.
Seasonal Benefits
- Reduces inflammation.
- Supports and aids immune system function.
- Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
Antimicrobial Benefits
- Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
- Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
- Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
- Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
Healthy Weight Benefits
- Is lower in calories than all other fats.
- Supports thyroid function.
- Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
- Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
- Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
- Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
- Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
- Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
- Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
- Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
Additional Amazing Benefits
- Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
- Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
- Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
- Functions as a protective antioxidant.
- Helps protect against osteoporosis.
- Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
- Does not deplete the body’s antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
- Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement).
- Reduces epileptic seizures.
- Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
- Dissolves kidney stones.
- Helps prevent liver disease.
- Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
- Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
- Is completely non-toxic to humans.
Need I say more? This really is a super food.
I will tell you that one of the main concerns that modern, western dietitians have with consuming large amounts of coconut is it’s saturated fat content (100%). Do not fret, dear readers. Saturated fat is not the big bad wolf that the dietary authorities have led us to believe. Here is a fantastic article on healthy fats.
Over the next several weeks I’m going to do a series of Coconut Themed Friday Food Posts! Stay Tuned! In the mean time, go get yourself a couple of those Young Coconuts. Delish!
