This post will discuss the many health benefits of coconut and why it is a great addition to your diet. We will explore the different ways in which you can use it to improve your health, from adding it to your smoothies to using it as a cooking oil. We will also discuss the different types of it available on the market and how to store them properly. Finally, we will provide some delicious recipes that you can try out at home. By the end of the post, you will understand why it is an essential part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Coconut Nutrition Facts and Calories Chart
Coconuts are a nutritional powerhouse, containing a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. They are a rich source of fiber, manganese, copper, iron, and selenium, and are especially high in Vitamin C and folate. Coconut meat is also a good source of healthy fats, containing medium-chain fatty acids that can help support a healthy heart. In addition, coconuts are low in calories and carbohydrates, making them an excellent choice for those watching their weight. Whether you choose to eat it fresh, dried, or processed, it can be a delicious and nutritious addition to any diet. Nutritional value per 100 g coconut:
- Biotin: 0.33 μg
- Calcium: 14 mg
- Carbohydrates (Carbs): 9.3 g
- Chloride: 16 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Choline: 0.9 mg
- Chromium: 0.4 μg
- Copper: 0.4 mg
- Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
- Energy (Calories): 354 kcal
- Fat: 33 g
- Iodine: 0.2 μg
- Iron: 2.7 mg
- Magnesium: 35 mg
- Manganese: 1.1 mg
- Molybdenum: 6.3 μg
- Pantothenic Acid: 0.3 mg
- Phosphorus: 119 mg
- Potassium: 356 mg
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Saturated fat: 28 g
- Selenium: 0.9 μg
- Sodium: 13 mg
- Sugars: 6.2 g
- Vitamin A: 0 IU
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B9 (Folate / Folic Acid): 16 μg
- Vitamin B12: 0 μg
- Vitamin C: 0 mg
- Vitamin D: 0 IU
- Vitamin E: 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K: 0.2 μg
- Water: 3.3 g
- Zinc: 1.3 mg
Coconut In India
- Scientific Binomial: Cocos nucifera
- Common English: Coconut Palm
- Ayurvedic: Naarikela / Naalikera / Laangali / Tunga / Skandhaphala / Sadaaphala / Trnaraaja / Kuurchshirshaka
- Unani: Naarjeel / Naariyal
- Sanskrit: Nalikera / Kalpa Vriksha
- Hindi / Urdu: Nariyal
- Bengali: Narikela
- Marathi: Shriphal / Naral
- Telugu: Kobbari Chettu / Kobbari Kaya
- Tamil: Tennai / Thenkai / Kopparai
- Gujarati
- Kannada: Thengina Kai / Kobbari / Temgu
- Malayalam: Thengu
- Oriya
- Punjabi / Sindhi
- Assamese
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Manipuri
- Dogri
- Bhojpuri
Home Remedies
Coconut is rich source of chlorine, potassium. Chlorine is essential for the proper distribution of carbon dioxide and the maintenance of osmotic pressure in the tissues. Potassium is essential to the life of every cell of a living being and is among the most generously and widely distributed of all the tissue minerals. In simple cases of potassium deficiency, drinking plenty of tender coconut water daily, can make up for it.
- Gastritis: Coconut water is an excellent food remedy for gastritis. It gives the stomach necessary rest and provides vitamins and minerals. The stomach will be greatly helped in returning to its normal condition if nothing except this water is given during the first 24 hours.
- Colitis: A valuable remedy for colitis is tender coconut water, it is soothing to the soft mucosa of the colon. This water with its seemingly endless benefits is also an excellent tonic for calming indigestion. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a cup of coconut water and take a sip every 15 minutes to settle your stomach.
- Stiffed Joints: Warm coconut oil mixed with camphor, should be massaged in case of stiff and aching joints.
- Eczema: Coconut oil may be applied to the portions with eczema. It will help the skin to stay soft.
- Intestinal Worms: Among the numerous home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of intestinal worms, this is most effective. It is an ancient remedy for expelling all kinds of intestinal worms. A tablespoon of the freshly ground coconut should be taken at breakfast followed by a dose of castor oil after three hours. The process may be repeated till the cure is complete.
- Best Massage Oil: Coconut oil has cooling properties, and regular massage with it will help to keep your body in balance. Try a soothing light massage with this oil. It works great as a cooling medium for massage. Start by gently rubbing this oil into your temples, under your eyes and down around your neck. If you are able, continue with a full body massage. If time or circumstances do not allow for a full massage then at least treat yourself to ten minutes in a cool, dimly lit space. Apply this oil to the soles of your feet and massage. Do not rush this process, and allow your body to relax, cool and realign its elements. During summer in the morning, as part of your daily routine, rub 5 to 6 ounces of coconut oil or sunflower oil on your body before bathing. Coconut oil is calming, cooling, and soothing to the skin.
- Hair Fall: Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with lime water and lime juice on the hair, prevents loss of hair and lengthens them. Another effective home remedy for loss of hair is the application of coconut milk all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair loss. It will nourish the hair and promote hair growth. This milk is prepared by grinding the coconut shavings and squeezing it well.
- Grey Hair: Amla and coconut oil can be excellent remedy in the prevention and treatment of premature greying of hair. Cut fresh amla into small pieces and dry in shade. These pieces should be boiled in coconut oil till solid matter become little charred dust. This darkish oil is very useful in preventing greying.
- Hair Growth: Another remedy with curry leaves and coconut oil is good to bring back hair pigmentation. Boil curry leaves in this oil to make an excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and bring back hair pigmentation. Drinking coconut water helps to provide essential calcium for hair growth. You can have 1/2 cup a day.
- White Hair: Ribbed gourd, known as torai in the vernacular, boiled in coconut oil is another effective remedy for premature graying of hair. Pieces of this vegetable should be dried in the shade. These dried pieces should be soaked in coconut oil and kept aside for three or four days. The oil should then be boiled till the solid is reduced to a blackened residue. This oil should be massaged into the scalp. It will help enrich the hair roots and restore pigment to the hair.
- Natural Hair Dye: The paste of henna leaves, boiled in coconut oil to get a darkish oil, can be used as a hair dye to blacken grey hair.
- Hangover: Drinking coconut water (the natural liquid inside the coconut) is beneficial for hangover.
- Insect Bites and Stings: For bites and stings try fascinating home remedy with coconut ash. Take a piece of dried coconut, and set fire to it. It will catch fire like wax. Let it burn for about 1/2 inch and then blow it out. There will be a little smoke, and when the smoke disappears, a tarry black residue will remain. Apply that residue directly to the bite for instant relief. Why does this work? Because coconut is a good source both for antihistamines and for natural steroids. You may do the same thing with the ash from burning some of the outer coconut shell.
Side Effects and Warnings
Fresh coconut water also tone up the heart. But coconut oil is high in cholesterol (saturated fat) and should be avoided or replaced by polyunsaturated fats such as corn, safflower, soy beans and sesame oils which tend to lower the level of LDL. There are mono saturated fats such as olive and peanut oils which have more or less neutral effect on the LDL level. If you have high cholesterol, you may not want to use so much coconut, as coconut is high in saturated fat, which increases cholesterol in the blood.