Coconut Tree – A Gift of the Ocean Goddess

Green Coconut

Ever since humans began to cultivate land for food-grains such as wheat and rice their gaze has been towards the land for most food needs. In doing so, another source of food - trees- have not been fully utilized by mankind yet. As deforestation accelerates on the planet and a need is being felt to plant more trees to stabilize  climate e.g. this post  it is worth considering trees as a food source too in order to take pressure off agricultural land. Indeed food from trees can have a magical effect in treating diseases that have become chronic in the modern age, some for which no modern treatment is available yet, such as Alzheimer’s disease or others such as undesirable cholesterol accumulation that are treated at the cost of severe side effects by medicines such as statins. Modern vegetables grown on land are not as healthy anymore as in the distant past because repeated farming has drained the land of essential nutrients. Trees on the other hand can dig deep with their roots and bring out essential nutrients like selenium from the ground that ends up in things like almonds and massively in Brazil nuts to the point that if you ate too many you would get sick. In any case, a tree once planted does not have to be planted over and over gain every year.

Some years ago, when a media report appeared that one of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffet was suffering from a problem of the prostate, I rushed him an email through a common friend, suggesting that he drink the water of a fresh green coconut everyday and if he has a shot of scotch every evening then he can use it instead of soda water for the mix, not to replace the excellent treatment he was already undergoing, but to support it and make it more effective. 

Through many of my posts you would have discovered that I am not very fond of persons who go in for an excessive collection of wealth, but those who indulge in substantial philanthropy besides are exceptions and Warren Buffet is one such. I do not know him personally but like him from the media, for his simplicity and cheerfulness too. I do not know if my recommendations about coconut water reached him because there was no return message.

Coconut water is good for conditions of the prostate, cancer and also as a general tonic for any one suffering or recovering from an illness. It is a gift from the Ocean Gods. It does not grow inland but when one is rich like warren Buffet one can have it flown in.

Another condition that appears to be helped greatly by coconut oil is Alzheimer and there have been recorded cases of amazing recovery by its regular consumption. It is easy to consume. Just replace your other cooking oil and salad oil with coconut oil and for lunch fry two slices of bread in a couple of tablespoons of it until light brown before making your favorite hot sandwich. If you sprinkle on a little turmeric while frying it is even better for treating AD. Do remember though that when food is used as a medicine it takes a few days, even weeks to show its effect rather than tomorrow. Use of coconut oil in food does not mean you should stop the use of other good fats and oils such olive oil, butter and mustard oil completely, just make sure that you get some every day once you begin to confuse between your wife and the lady next door :)

Aside from an aid to problems of the prostate, virgin coconut oil reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol levels and increased HDL cholesterol in serum and tissues of experimental rats. Do not think that we are very different from these creatures. More than 95 per cent of our genes are probably identical. just a few additional genes have changed the rat into a tiny monkey, then a large one, an ape and us finally so that the chemistry is not very different. The hexane fraction of coconut peel as well as other parts may contain novel anticancer compounds. Young coconut juice has estrogen like characteristics. Coconut water is sterile until a coconut is opened. It mixes easily with blood and was used during World War II in emergency transfusions. The information in this paragraph is from wikipedia that has given references too but over here there is no intention of making the blog boring by including references, footnotes and the works. For that kind of stuff there are other places.

When a meat eater becomes a vegetarian there is a feeling of weakness. Edgar Cayce, the Christian mystic advised consuming a few almonds as a way to overcome that. There is a whole post on that in this blog. Almonds are fine in cooler drier regions where the almond tree grows, but if you live by the sea then coconut flesh serves the same purpose much better.

Coconut palm is a member of the palm family. It is found throughout the tropic and subtropics. Coconut trees can grow to be 50-80 feet tall but there are varieties of dwarf palm too. They all have tall graceful trunks topped by a crown of light feathery leaves that are several feet long. Coconuts are a unique fruit because they contain a large quantity of water and when immature may be harvested for drinking. It is a natural desalination plus purification plant full of beneficial nutrients and sweetness to quench the thirst of weary seafarers and those who live near the oceans. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as nuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and Coir from the fibrous husk. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. Shelled nuts can be dried and stored for long periods as copra

Coconut palm thrives on sandy soils and is highly tolerant of salinity. That puts to rest the myth that stuff does not grow in saline conditions. There is a whole post on that topic elsewhere in this blog. Coconut prefers areas with abundant sunlight and regular rainfall which makes colonizing shorelines of tropics relatively straightforward. Coconuts also need high humidity for growth, which is why they are rarely seen in areas with low humidity like the Mediterranean (where olives are the tree of choice) or inland saline areas even where temperatures are high enough above 24°C . Kerala state in India has the largest number of coconut trees and it is famous for its coconut-based products like coconut water, copra, coconut oil, copra cake, coconut toddy, coconut shell-based products, coconut wood-based products, coconut leaves, and coir pith. The tall trunks are used in construction of homes, furniture and boats.

Coconut floats easily in ocean currents and travels to remote islands all over our blue planet so that wherever humidity is conducive and temperature not too cold, it takes roots and grows into a handsome tree, ready to quench the thirst and hunger of the next marooned Robinson Crusoe. Truly the tree is a gift from the Ocean Goddess.

Image (before enhancements)  with thanks from http://en.wikipedia.org

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Note: If your interest in this lovely tree is aroused do check up the work of Dr. Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D., He is the President of the Coconut Research Center,  whose purpose is to educate the public and medical community about the health and nutritional aspects of coconut and related foods. Dr. Fife is considered one of the world's leading experts on dietary fats and oils. Check out this link http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Fife/e/B0034PGFKW

Note 2 : For an excellent recipe of coconut - The Mother's Bounty Chutney - a great health supplement for all and especially good for aging persons suffering memory lapses or AD check out this other post here 
http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2013/10/good-health-fighting-alzheimers-disease.html