A Fruit for Life – Decoding the 5 Useful benefits of Coconut

We all rely on coconut water to keep ourselves hydrated and refreshed during the summertime. But there is something more to a coconut that doesn’t often catch our attention- it’s the white meat or flesh that is found inside the coconut. Coconut meat is extremely delicious and rich in nutrients like protein, fibre, manganese, selenium, copper, phosphorus, iron and zinc and can do wonders to the overall health and well-being. From eating raw coconut chutney to salad sprinkler- there are various ways to consume coconut meat and due to its high nutritional profile it can make you feel full and satiated for a longer period while keeping you in fine fettle.

Here are some great benefits of coconut meat that will definitely incite you to include it in your diet.

• Aid in weight loss: Various studies say that eating coconut flesh can help in losing weight as it is filled with fibre and MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) which helps in keeping you feel fuller while preventing you from overeating. Also, it helps in burning calories and fats which assist in losing weight.
• Enhance heart health: Coconut meat is rich in various essential nutrients that help in lowering down the LDL (bad) cholesterol while boosting the HDL (good) cholesterol levels and as a result, it adds up to your heart health. Try to consume it raw or mix it with healthy alternatives like porridge, cereal or sprinkle it over your salads to get the effective results.
• Boost digestive health: Coconut flesh offers a great variety of fibre which helps in easing out the digestive issues like constipation, gas, bloating and boost your digestive health. As the flesh of the coconut is high in fat, it helps in absorbing the maximum quantities of fat-soluble nutrients in the body like Vitamin A, D, K and E. It helps in boosting the healthy bacteria in the gut and protects the body and joints against inflammation.
• Improve immunity: Coconut flesh is rich in antioxidants and manganese which helps in improving your immunity while saving you from various cold, flu and viral infections. Not only this, but it also contains antiviral and antifungal properties which further helps in keeping your overall health in fine fettle.
• Enhance cognitive health: The medium-chain triglycerides provided by coconut flesh act as an alternative to glucose and fuel up your brain which further adds up to cognitive health, boost memory and the function of brain while treating various health conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. There is no major research on this and various researchers are working on supporting the claim that coconut flesh can actually treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Over To You

Try new and interesting ways to consume coconut flesh in your diet as it is extremely beneficial for the overall health. You can also consume it raw or mix it in your sugar-free sweets or salads, or sprinkle over your soups to get the proper nourishment.