Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
The Tree Of Life
•
The scientific name for coconut is Cocos nucifera. Early Spanish explorers called it
coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy
nut resembles the head and face of a monkey. Nucifera means "nut-bearing."
The coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk, and oil that has fed and
nourished populations around the world for generations. On many islands coconut is a
staple in the diet and provides the majority of the food eaten. Nearly one third of the
world's population depends on coconut to some degree for their food and their
economy. Among these cultures the coconut has a long and respected history.
Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as
a "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional
content. Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far
beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine
among Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the
cure for all illness. The coconut palm is so highly valued by them as both a source of
food and medicine that it is called "The Tree of Life." Only recently has modern
medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut's amazing healing powers.
Coconut In Traditional Medicine
People from many diverse cultures, languages,
religions, and races scattered around the globe
have revered the coconut as a valuable source of
both food and medicine. Wherever the coconut
palm grows the people have learned of its
importance as a effective medicine. For thousands
of years coconut products have held a respected
and valuable place in local folk medicine.
In traditional medicine around the world coconut is
used to treat a wide variety of health problems
including the following: abscesses, asthma,
baldness, bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds,
constipation, cough, dropsy, dysentery, earache,
fever, flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, irregular or painful
menstruation, jaundice, kidney stones, lice,
malnutrition, nausea, rash, scabies, scurvy, skin
infections, sore throat, swelling, syphilis, toothache,
tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, ulcers, upset
stomach, weakness, and wounds.
Coconut Oil
• While coconut possesses many health benefits due to its
fiber and nutritional content, it's the oil that makes it a
truly remarkable food and medicine.
Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its
high saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in
coconut oil is a unique and different from most all other
fats and possesses many health giving properties. It is
now gaining long overdue recognition as a nutritious
health food.
Coconut oil has been described as "the healthiest oil on
earth." That's quite a remarkable statement. What makes
coconut oil so good? What makes it different from all
other oils, especially other saturated fats?
The difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are
composed of molecules called fatty acids. There are two
methods of classifying fatty acids. The first you are probably
familiar with, is based on saturation. You have saturated fats,
monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Another
system of classification is based on molecular size or length
of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist
of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms
attached. In this system you have short-chain fatty acids
(SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain
fatty acids (LCFA). Coconut oil is composed predominately of
medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-
chain triglycerides (MCT).
The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they
are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or
plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some
98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA.
The size of the fatty acid is extremely important.
Why? Because our bodies respond to and
metabolize each fatty acid differently depending
on its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA
in coconut oil are distinctly different from those
of LCFA more commonly found in our foods.
The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are
predominately medium-chain fatty acids. Both
the saturated and unsaturated fat found in
meat, milk, eggs, and plants (including most all
vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.
MCFA are very different from LCFA.
They do not have a negative effect on
cholesterol and help to protect against heart
disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both
atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is
primarily due to the MCFA in coconut oil that
makes it so special and so beneficial.
There are only a very few good dietary
sources of MCFA. By far the best sources
are from coconut and palm kernel oils.
