There’s more to coconuts than just the milk and oil.
Everyone knows that coconut oil is amazing! It offers a lot of benefits for your hair, skin, eyes, nails and digestive system. Coconut milk (and water) is also popular thanks to its high electrolyte content. Coconut meat, on the other hand, is usually ignored, or it’s treated more like candy or an additive to granola or oatmeal than a truly healthy food.
But you’d be amazed by all that coconut meat can do for you! Here are some of the health benefits of coconut meat:
- Provide saturated fat: Despite what you have been told, saturated fat is NOT bad for you! Your body needs saturated fat to produce hormones, protect your cellular walls, feed your brain, and so much more. Coconut meat is rich in saturated fats, but the good kind: medium-chain triglycerides. These MCTs are turned into fuel by your body, providing you with a slow-acting, long-lasting source of energy that will help you power through your workouts or training sessions.
- Fuel your brain: The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut meat are needed by your brain, which runs better when it has plenty of fat. Your brain uses both glucose and fatty acids as an energy source, but sometimes the brain has a hard time using glucose, such as when you are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. In these cases, the ketone bodies produced from the saturated fats in the coconut meat will serve as a fuel to keep your brain running. Check out this study.
READ MORE: DIY Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Treatment
- Rich in vitamins: One of the things that makes coconut products so amazing for your overall health is their high Vitamin A and E content. Vitamin A is needed for healthy eyes, healthy hair, and healthy skin. Vitamin E acts as a protective layer to keep moisture trapped inside your skin and keep pollutants and toxins out. Both of these vitamins play important roles in internal health as well, and the fact that coconut meat is so high in both vitamins makes it a good food to add to your diet.
- Protect your heart: Though fats are often blamed for cardiovascular disease, it’s really only trans fats that do serious damage. Your body is able to process saturated fat, and the unsaturated fats in coconut meat help to protect your blood vessels and heart from damage. The Vitamin E in coconut meat will coat your arterial walls with a protective layer, stopping cholesterol from clinging to the walls and reducing your risk of clots. The Vitamin A, Vitamin E, phytosterols, and polyphenols will all help to lower your cholesterol level and keep your cardiovascular system in good shape.
- High nutrient value: Coconut meat contains a lot of fiber, which will help to scrub out your intestines and get rid of the gunk clinging to your intestinal walls. The fiber will also expand in your stomach, helping you to fill up more quickly and thus preventing overeating. Coconut meat is loaded with manganese, a mineral that is needed for a healthy metabolism, immune system, and nervous system. The potassium in coconut meat is vital for a health electrolyte balance, and the copper will help your body to produce the right amount of red blood cells.
Coconut oil and milk are so healthy that people often forget just how valuable the meat really is, but that’s a missed opportunity. If you want to improve your health, you’d do well to add coconut meat to your diet.
The entire coconut has benefits!
