Coconut Fruit: Types, Constituents Of It's Meat, Water And Their Health Benefits To Human Being

Coconut is the coconut palm fruit that has to grow up before it starts to produce it's fruit.

It contains meat, water, milk and oil which have many health benefits to human being.

Coconuts have been grown in tropical regions for more than 4,500 years but recently increased in popularity for their flavor, culinary uses, and potential health benefits (1).

Types of coconut products

The raw white meat inside a coconut is referred to as the kernel. It has a firm texture and delicious, slightly sweet flavor.

If you have a whole coconut, you can scrape the raw meat out of the shell and eat it. In its processed form, you’ll usually find it sliced, shaved, or grated.

Coconut milk and cream are made by pressing the raw, grated meat.

Dried coconut meat is usually grated or shaved and used in cooking or baking. It can be further processed and ground into flour.

Coconut oil is also extracted from the meat 

 What are the nutrition facts of coconut?

The nutrition facts of Coconut, Coconut Milk, Coconut Water, and Coconut Oil have their unique nutritional profile.

 Coconut Meat, Dried (Unsweetened), 1 Ounce (Oz)

Calories: 187 (9% daily value, or DV)

Fat: 18 g (28% DV)

Saturated fat: 16 g (80% DV)

Protein: 2 g (4% DV)

Carbohydrates: 7 g (2% DV)

Fiber: 5 g (20% DV)

Sugar: 2 g.

 Coconut Water, 8 Oz

Calories: 46 (2 percent DV)

Fat: 0.5 g (1 percent DV)

Saturated fat: 0.4 g (0 percent DV)

Protein: 2 g (4 percent DV)

Carbohydrates: 9 g (3 percent DV)

Fiber: 3 g (12 percent DV)

Sugar: 6 g.

Coconut Milk, 8 Oz

Calories: 552 (27 percent DV)

Fat: 57 g (88 percent DV)

Saturated fat: 50 g (250 percent DV)

Protein: 5.5 g (11 percent DV)

Carbohydrates: 13 g (4 percent DV)

Fiber: 5 g (20 percent DV)

Sugar: 8g.

 Coconut Oil, 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp)

Calories: 121 (6 percent DV)

Fat: 13 g (20 percent DV)

Saturated fat: 11 g (55 percent DV)

Protein: 0 g (0 percent DV)

Carbohydrates: 0 g (0 percent DV)

Fiber: 0 g (0 percent DV)

Sugar:  0 g.

After mentioned the nutrition facts of Coconut, now I am going to explain the health benefits of each contents of it.

1. What are the health benefits of coconut water?

Coconut water has gotten a lot of buzz for its purported health benefit as a "natural" sports drink.

Constituents of coconut water and their benefits:

I. Potassium

Coconut water has more than 10 times the amount of potassium of most sports drinks. An 8-ounce glass of coconut water is packed with as much potassium as a banana. Most Americans fall short of the daily recommendation for potassium. At 405 mg per cup, the potassium in coconut water can help you ward off cramps.

Potassium helps keep fluid and electrolyte balance in the body, especially during exercise. Because there is more potassium than sodium in coconut water, the potassium may help balance out sodium’s effect on blood pressure and possibly even help lower it.

II. Prevents Dehydration

Unripe coconuts especially the young one are more health-enhancing of the two. The water in the young coconut is one of the highest sources of electrolytes.

Electrolytes are responsible for keeping the body properly hydrated so the muscles and nerves can function appropriately.

Therefore, it is more beneficial to drink the water from a young coconut after an intense workout rather than the commercial sports drinks we see advertised.

III. Antioxidants

In addition to all of its hydrating benefits, coconut water contains antioxidants that help to neutralize oxidative stress and free radicals created by exercise. Look for fresh coconut water to get the highest levels of antioxidants. Processed and heat pasteurized coconut water has fewer antioxidants, according to a recent study.

IV. Calcium and magnesium

Calcium is vital for more than just strong bones and teeth. It helps muscles contract and work properly. As you exercise, your muscles pull on your bones and break them down slightly. As your body recovers, your bones use calcium to get stronger and repair.

Magnesium helps to move calcium and potassium into muscles to aid in contraction and relaxation. It also helps with energy production and supports organ function. A hard workout can leave you depleted in magnesium and prone to cramps, restless muscles, and spasms.

While coconut water contains more calcium and magnesium than other sports drinks or fruit juices, it is not a concentrated source of either mineral. Coconut water contains less than 5 percent of your recommended amount of both calcium and magnesium.

2. What are the health Benefits of Coconut Meat?

Once the outer green husk of the coconut is removed, what remains is the seed and its rich inner white lining, the coconut meat. If you're eating a low-carb diet, you'll be happy to know each 2-by-2-inch piece of raw fresh coconut meat contains only about 7 grams of carbohydrate (less than a third of what you would get from a medium apple) and is jammed with 4 grams of fiber (16 percent of your daily dose). On the flip side, coconut meat is the nutritional opposite of what you'd expect from a fruit: what it lacks in carbohydrates, it makes up for in fat with 15 grams of fat per 2-inch chunk of coconut, most of which is saturated fat. Another reason to not eat coconut meat with abandon: that little piece sports 160 calories.

3. What are the health benefits of coconut oil?

The unique combination of fatty acids in coconut oil may have positive effects on your health, such as boosting fat loss, heart health, and brain function.

I. Contains healthy fatty acids

Coconut oil is high in certain saturated fats. These fats have different effects in the body compared with most other dietary fats.

The fatty acids in coconut oil can encourage your body to burn fat, and they provide quick energy to your body and brain. They also raise HDL (good) cholesterol in your blood, which may help reduce heart disease risk.

Most dietary fats are categorized as long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), while coconut oil contains some medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are shorter fatty acid chains.

When you eat MCTs, they tend to go straight to your liver. Your body uses them as a quick source of energy or turns them into ketones.

Ketones can have powerful benefits for your brain, and researchers are studying ketones as a treatment for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and other condition.

II. May boost heart health

Coconut is an uncommon food in the Western world, with health-conscious people being the main consumers.

However, in some parts of the world, coconut, which is loaded with coconut oil is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for generations.

For example, a 1981 study noted that the population of Tokelau, an island chain in the South Pacific, obtained over 60% of their calories from coconuts. Researchers reported not only good overall health but also very low rates of heart disease.

Kitavan people in Papua New Guinea also eat a lot of coconut, alongside tubers, fruit, and fish, and have little stroke or heart diseases.

III. May help in fat burning

Obesity is one of the biggest health conditions affecting the Western world today.

While some people think obesity is just a matter of how many calories someone eats, the source of those calories is important, too. Different foods affect your body and hormones in different ways.

The MCTs in coconut oil can increase the number of calories your body burns compared with longer-chain fatty acids.

One study found that eating 15–30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24-hour energy expenditure by 5%.

However, these studies didn’t specifically look at the effects of coconut oil. They examined the health effects of MCTs, excluding lauric acid, which make up only about 14% of coconut oil.

There’s currently no good evidence to say that eating coconut oil itself will increase the number of calories you expend.

Keep in mind that coconut oil is very high in calories and can easily lead to weight gain if eaten it in large amounts.

What are the health benefits of coconut milk?

Coconut milk is a white substance that is extracted from the flesh of mature brown coconuts. It has been used for years as an ingredient in desserts, soups, and sauces. It is a popular component of Indian, Thai, Hawaiian and South American cuisines.

The process of extraction involves grating the fleshy part of the fruit and soaking it in hot water. The cream that forms on the surface of the liquid is collected to be used as coconut cream while the remaining liquid is then sieved and separated from the pulp to obtain the coconut milk. 

If you are having bone or joint pain then a diet rich in coconut milk might be right for you.

 

Here is a list of other health benefits of coconut milk:

I. Strengthens the immune system

Coconut milk contains lauric acid that is known for its antiseptic properties. It assists the body in fighting infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. A study done in The Philippines showed that children with pneumonia responded faster to treatment with antibiotics and coconut milk compared to those who were treated with antibiotics alone.

II. Prevents anemia

Coconut milk has significant quantities of iron. Iron is an important mineral in the formation of healthy red blood cells with normal hemoglobin levels. Incorporating coconut milk into your diet will help you avoid anemia that often results from inadequate iron intake.

III. Help in weight loss

Coconut milk is rich in short and medium chain triglycerides that are considered to be healthy fats. They prolong the feeling of satiety causing you to eat less and avoid giving in to cravings. In addition, they are more likely to be converted to energy as opposed to longer chain fatty acids. These are preferentially stored in the body contributing towards obesity.

IV. Healthy hair and skin

Recently, coconut milk has gained popularity for its use as a conditioning treatment for healthy hair. Its high-fat content acts as a sealant for moisture retention. When applied to the scalp, coconut milk helps to reduce dandruff and scalp itchiness. This is because it contains lauric acid that has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. 

Coconut milk when applied topically on the skin helps in maintenance of the skin’s elasticity. This effectively reduces wrinkle formation giving you a more youthful appearance. Its antibacterial properties are said to contribute towards acne prevention. Women across the world now use this product for make-up removal.

V. It contains antioxidants

Coconut milk is rich in vitamins C and E that are well known for their anti-oxidant properties. Free oxygen radicals are formed by our body tissues during the process of metabolism. They are harmful to cellular components and contribute towards aging and tumor growth. Antioxidants contained in coconut milk help to neutralize these harmful substances.

VI. Balances electrolytes

Coconut milk is rich in electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. Potassium is important for maintenance of a normal heart rhythm. It is also crucial for healthy muscle functioning. 

Magnesium is required for a healthy immune system as well as maintenance of normal nerve and muscle function. 

Phosphorus is a vital structural component of bones and teeth. By adding coconut milk to your recipes, you ensure that the body has enough supply of phosphorous to meet these requirements.

VII. Prevents heart disease

Coconut milk is known to increase the levels of HDL cholesterol in the body. Scientific research now shows that coconut milk may help to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the body if consumed in low quantities. HDL cholesterol has anti-inflammatory properties that protect the endothelium or blood vessel lining. LDL cholesterol, on the other hand, promotes the formation of plaques in blood vessels causing pathological narrowing. When blood vessels supplying the heart muscles are narrowed, heart attacks can result.

Sources:

www.everydayhealth.com

www.healthline.com

+3 other sources