Coconuts Facts

The coconut tree is found in tropical areas. The tree generally attains a height of about 60 to 100 feet. More than 20 billion coconuts are produced every year.

The seed of this plant is naturally equipped to be dispersed through water. The pod is easily floatable, and it is water resistant, characteristics that assist in water dispersal.The coconut tree yields high profits as each part of the tree is useful and valuable. The fruit is eaten raw, cooked, ripe or unripe; the bud and the inner part of the stem are also edible. Apart from the coconut water, even the liquid obtained from the buds is consumed as beverage. Fans, baskets and thatch are made from the leaves of the tree. Coir, which is a fiber formed form the coconut husk, is used in manufacturing mats and stuffing. The husk and the hard outer shell yield fuel. The old trunk is used for making ropes and as timber. The root of the tree also has a utility as a narcotic.

Coconut water has immense nutritional value as it has the same electrolytic balance as human blood. In fact, it is known to be healthier than milk as well. It has less amount of fat, and does not add to one’s cholesterol problems. However, the water should be consumed immediately as it starts to lose its nutrition when exposed to air. Coconut water is considered as a natural energy drink.

Coconut oil is one of the most primitive forms of oils used in the world. Until the 1960s, coconut oil had the highest consumption in the world. The oil is exceptional as it contains short and medium chain fatty acids. It is liked by most people due to its characteristics of fast melting, resistance to oxidative rancidity, superior flavor and easy digestibility. The oil is medically known to increase blood HDL cholesterol, and not the LDL cholesterol. Therefore, the common myth that coconut oil results in heart diseases has now been proved wrong.

Interestingly apart from all the positives, there is one negative in the list of coconut facts as well. Each year, falling coconuts tend to kill about 150 people, a figure that beats even the number of people killed by sharks by ten times.

More Articles :

Fruit Gardening:

Growing Coconut Trees From Coconuts

There is no doubt that a coconut tree adds to the aesthetic value of a region. However, this tree can only be grown in areas with a more or less tropical climate. The coconut tree requires a soil with 5.5 to 7.5 pH levels, good sunlight and average watering, specifically less during the winter season. More..