There are a lot of good things to be derived from the COCONUT, but science tells us now that there are GREAT HEALTH BENEFITS , TOO!

We Filipinos grow and live surrounded by COCONUTS.

In the Philippines it is said that humans originated from two coconuts washed up by the sea onto a rocky shore. From one originated Lalaqui – the male – and from the other Baye – the female –.

Filipinos have been ingesting coconuts for almost 400 years, and with numerous options open to us like, coconut juice, coconut milk, coconut candies, coconut oil, cream, whipped cream, butter, clarified butter, buttermilk, toddy, wine, spirit, syrup, sugar, honey, vinegar (fresh and cooked, hot or cold---take your pick).

The popularity of the coconut has grown on us and with us. It was written that "Coconuts are the fruit of the palm trees. And as we have bread, wine, oil, and vinegar, so they get all these things from the said trees. . . With two of these trees a whole family of ten can sustain itself. . . coconuts last for a hundred years…or even more.."

But is all this COCONUT good or bad for us?

Listen to the Philippine radio, and every day there seems to be new reports on the coconut’s effects on health, especially the now popular VIRGIN COCONUT OIL. Mostly, talks focus on the Lauric Acid content of the coconut oil---it is said to contain 50% lauric acid—which has been found to boost and strengthen the immune system.

But the Virgin Coconut Oil’s list of health-benefits do not end there: it is said to also reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary and cerebro diseases, cancer, asthma, arthritis and diabetes; heal skin and hair problems; protect the body against HIV, SARS and even bird flu.

It may really be a long time before the final scientific and medical verdict on Virgin Coconut Oil’s overall health benefit is handed down, but in the meantime, we will just have to believe in it from testimonies.

The Coconut. Cocos nucifera is the scientific name of the common coconut. This very tall palm tree is always an inviting symbol of the tropics. This is one of the most valuable plants to man. It is a primary source of food, drink, and shelter. In Sanskrit, it is called "kalpa vriksha", which is defined as "the tree which provides all the necessities of life or the tree of life."

Man can use all parts of the coconut. The white nut-meat can be eaten raw or can be used in most cooking recipes. Copra, the dried meat of the kernels, when crushed is the source of coconut cooking oil. The fibers of the husk, known as the coir can be used to make excellent roofing and anti-erosion materials, handicrafts and decors. The shells can be made into excellent charcoal, not only as a cooking fuel, but also in the production of gas masks, air filters, ornaments and fashion accessories. The outer parts of the trunk are used as construction materials, the swollen base of the trunk, when hollowed, can be turned into a musical instrument. We have cleaning implements from the coconuts, such as those for cleaning the teeth to sweeping and mopping the floors.

Coconuts are marketed in two major stages of maturity. Young coconuts are prized for their sweet, revitalizing juice. The meat of the young coconut, which is very thin, soft, and delicately sweet, is gaining interest among innovative raw “foodists” who turn it into imitation noodles and other delicacies.

The mature coconut is valued for its thick, firm meat used world wide in shredded or grated form, often for baked goods. Coconut in its mature stage has a rich, nutty flavor and chewy texture with higher oil content than young coconut. Coconut milk, coconut cream, and coconut oil all come from mature coconuts. Before, coconut oil is used only for cooking and as ingredients for soaps and products for the hair and skin. Coconut oil is often included in shampoo recipes as well as shaving creams for its excellent moisturizing ability as well as its ability to produce abundant lather. The cosmetic industry incorporates coconut oil also in the manufacture of lipstick, suntan lotion, and moisture creams. Soap making produces other byproducts that are used by processors to make fatty acids and glycerin. Now we have the Virgin Coconut Oil as a dietary supplement.

These are just a few examples of how extraordinary the coconut tree can be utilized.

The Coconut “History”. Ferdinand Magellan contributed most to the knowledge and conquest of our world. Because of him we became aware of the immensity of the Pacific Ocean , as he was the first to provide practical proof that the Earth is round. Magellan was killed in 1521in the Philippines . Magellan’s travels were chronicled in “Magellan’s Voyage around the World”. In this report, Pigafetta, the chronicler, accurately described the uses of the coconut tree in the Pacific Islands . In 1577, Sir Francis Drake found coconut trees on the island of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean . He described the coconut as “a very white substance, as good and sweet as almond milk”. Drake was a renowned admiral of the Elizabethan Age and carried out the second successful circumnavigation of the globe after Magellan. Other voyagers and explorers followed and all of them were fascinated by the coconut, that it has been mentioned in the journals repeatedly.

Though the accounts of many explorers spoke about the coconuts, the nuts remained unknown outside of their tropical habitats until 1831 when an Englishman, J.W. Bennett wrote “A Treatise on the Coco-nut Tree and the Many Valuable Properties Possessed by the Splendid Palm.” Revelations such as applying charcoal from the shell as a tooth cleanser, removing wrinkles with coconut water, and using the root for medicinal purposes spurred European interest on the coconut.

When sugar became plentiful on the continent, the candy and pastry business blossomed. All sorts of fruits and nuts were incorporated into confections, making coconut meat a desirable product. Soon tea and spice traders were shipping whole coconuts to London .

A French company set up operations in Ceylon with a unique solution for shipping coconuts to Europe . They shredded the coconut meat and dried it thoroughly, making it easier to pack without spoilage. By the early 1890's they were shipping tons of desiccated coconut that multiplied in 1900.

While Europeans were going nuts over coconuts, interest in the United States hardly produced a nod until 1895 when a Philadelphia flour miller, received a shipload of coconuts from a Cuban businessman. After a few unsuccessful attempts to sell the enormous cargo before the nuts spoiled, he made a decision that placed coconuts into the hands of home cooks, commercial confectioners, and pastry chefs alike. He set up a factory for shredding and drying the coconut meat. By the early 1900's, coconut cream pie and coconut custard were the rage. Coconut frosting topped all sorts of cakes, while grated coconut added its distinct aroma and flavor to cookies and confections.

Today, coconut plantations in Indonesia , Malaysia , India , Sri Lanka , and the Philippines provide export income to these regions. The United States has imported its coconuts mainly from the Philippines since 1898.

Coconut Folklore . Fascinating folklore practices revolve around the coconut throughout the tropical regions. Beliefs vary from fertility taboos to unseen magical forces. In India , coconuts are fertility symbols. When a woman wanted to conceive, she would go to a priest to receive her special coconut. In Samoa , they do not pick up coconuts lying on the ground because this is believed to belong to some “magical spirits.” If you pick it up, an unseen spirit may punish you with a painful, incurable illness. A new born Thai baby must take as his first solid food three spoonfuls of the custard-like flesh of young coconut fed to him or her by a Buddhist priest. Natives of New Guinea believe that when the first man died on the island, a coconut tree sprouted from his head. In Bali , women are forbidden to even touch the coconut tree. Females and coconut trees are believed to both share the ability to reproduce, men fear that a woman's touch may drain the fertility of the coconut tree into her own fertility.

 Health Benefits….myths. People of tropical countries rely on natural medicinal plants to cure illnesses. Young coconut juice is literally a well-supplied medicine chest that comes in its own container and is used in folk healing for a number of ailments such as: relieving fevers, headaches, stomach upsets diarrhea and dysentery. The juice is also given to strengthen the heart and restore energy to patients. Pregnant women eagerly drink large quantities of young coconut juice because they believe it will give their babies strength and vitality. Water from a young coconut is a refreshing drink in the tropics, and in times of medical emergency it was used as a substitute for glucose. During World War II young coconut water became the emergency room glucose supply when there was no other sterile glucose available. Within a clean self-contained vessel, the coconut water is free of impurities and contains about two tablespoons of sugar.

Wrong notion…Coconuts a No, No! Coconuts and their edible products, such as coconut oil and coconut milk, have suffered from the repeated misinformation because of a study conducted in the 1950's that used hydrogenated coconut oil. The negative result of the study was used as a tool by the American Soya Bean industry to promote their soya oil, going as far as “brainwashing” especially the American consumers through the educational system. Coconut became a “no,no” product from the 60’s up to the 80’s because it was believed to be high in cholesterol, it being a saturated fat.

Coconut nut…THE GIANT FAT! Though coconut oil is very high in saturated fat (87 percent saturated) in its unrefined, virgin state, it is actually beneficial largely because it has almost 50 percent lauric acid. Coconut oil, one of the oldest recorded sources of vegetable oil, is still used for cooking in many of the tropical regions where coconuts abound. However the once highly valued and widely accepted oil for cooking became a “dreaded” product. It was replaced by soybean, peanut, and cottonseed oils because of the negative propaganda.

Back to Basics. Recently however, the coconut oil is regaining its once coveted position in the market due to newly published studies recognizing its health benefits. Current studies strongly recommended coconut oil as a possible method of lowering viral levels in HIV-AIDS patients because of its lauric acid which has potent anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Lauric acid may also be effective in fighting yeast, fungi, and other viruses such as measles, herpes simplex, influenza and cytomegalovirus. The short and medium-chain fatty acids of virgin coconut oil and coconut milk are quickly assimilated by the body so they are not stored as fat like the long-chain triglycerides of animal products. Studies have shown that in countries where coconuts are a diet staple, the population does not suffer from high serum cholesterol or high rates of heart disease.

Jon J. Kabara, Ph.D, professor emeritus in Michigan State University , writes, "Never before in the history of man is it so important to emphasize the value of lauric oils. The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are similar to fats in mother's milk and have similar nutriceutical effects."

THE COCONUT OIL. Refined coconut oil and Virgin coconut oil are two distinctly different products.

Refined, Bleached and Deodorized (RBD) Coconut Oil : Production of RBD coconut oil begins with copra (pronounced KOP-ruh) made by kiln drying or sun drying the coconut meat to a moisture level of 3.5 percent from its original 50 percent. After crushing and grinding the coconut meat, the producers make coconut milk by pouring boiling water over the coconut meat. The grated coconut meat is then kneaded to extract from it as much liquid as possible. Next the milk is strained off and boiled gently for a long time to evaporate the liquid, leaving only the oil behind. Copra has an oil content that ranges from 50 to 70 percent. Always with their eye on the bottom line, producers develop ways to get the most from the raw material. Some boil the copra first to extract more oil, and some use solvents. Even the copra left behind, called coco meal or coco cake, becomes useful as high-protein animal food. Filtering is the next step to remove impurities and particles, followed by several hours of boiling to eliminate an unsavory odor. A second filtering process, and sometimes an added bleaching agent, creates a coconut oil that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. However, fearing the colorless oil will not appeal to customers, many processors add food coloring.

Virgin Coconut Oil:COLD PROCESS- A NO HEAT METHOD. (ANH-VCO) Extracting virgin coconut oil is a NO HEAT, labor-intensive operation where most of the work is done by hand. The process of doing Virgin Coconut oil begins in the selection of the right coconut to be used. The grating of fresh, mature and selected coconut begins by holding the nut over a rotating grater that somewhat resembles an orange juice reamer. The mechanized grater, operating at very high speed, requires skill to hold the coconut in place during the grating process. The wet gratings are then put into a special net and are placed into a manual press to extract the coconut milk, using a manual presser. The machine is not motorized. The coconut gratings are passed through the press twice to squeeze out all possible milk.

The raw milk is then mixed with the coconut water and allowed to settle through a slow process called culturing, for a period of time not to exceed 20 hours. Protein content rises above and water fall to the bottom and the oil floats in the middle. The oil is harvested, filtered and decanted, filtered again and made to rest for a few weeks. This process is called “curing,” wherein the oil rests before it is decanted and filtered again. The last decanting and filtering take place after three weeks. Finally the pure oil is bottled for the consumer. The end product has a distinctive pleasant, mild coconut aroma and flavor. Another advantage of the virgin coconut oil is its amazing shelf life. Stored for a year unrefrigerated, the oil shows no signs of rancidity. Longer shelf life is only possible for cold processed virgin coconut oil, without heat, because the tocopherol content of the oil remains intact, and this serves as its natural preservative. When refrigerated, or in temperature 25 degrees, the oil becomes completely solid.

Virgin coconut oil used in a study conducted in the Yucatan showed that those who used the virgin coconut oil on a daily basis had a higher metabolic rate. Though they regularly consumed considerable quantities of the saturated fat, the participants retained a lean body mass. Another facet of the Yucatan study noted that the women participants did not suffer the typical symptoms of menopause. Cold processed virgin coconut oil is said to be very effective in lowering HIV viral count. Latest testimonials on cold processed virgin coconut are from autistic children, cancer and psoriasis patients.

Other Virgin Coconut Oil Processes. The different kinds of virgin coconut oil in the market are processed following two other accepted methods for now. The fermentation with heat or what we call the traditional method or “latik” way. This process begins the same way as the cold process, but differs in their way of eliminating or lowering the moisture content of the oil. Some boil or pasteurize the milk gently for a long time to evaporate the liquid, leaving only the oil behind. Others subject the oil to heat in the final stage. In some instances, a filtering process is undertaken and sometimes an added bleaching agent is used to create a coconut oil that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

The other process is the centrifuge process. This process uses force with the use of a centrifuge machine operating at very high speed in separating the oil, water and protein. Extracted oil is then placed in a vacuum evaporator with a heat of up to 80 degrees to eliminate the moisture content.

Another process is called the expelling process-desiccated coconut way. The coconut oil extracted from this process is now the by-product of other main coconut products such as the desiccated coconut, coconut milk, coconut cream and even coconut flour. The product through this process might just as well be called simply as “coconut oil’.

Coconut oil is healthy oil.

No matter how it was done, coconut oil is still healthy oil. The process how it was done however makes a big difference on how “healthier” your choice of coconut oil is. “The less process it undergoes, the healthier it is.” The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil” by Dr. Bruce Fife

 Nutritional Benefits of Coconut Products

Coconut Oil: Coconut oil has 120 calories for 1 tablespoon and 14 grams of total fat. These figures are the same for almost any kind of oil from extra virgin olive oil to soybean oil. The difference is that coconut oil contains 11 to 12 grams saturated fat. Coconut oil when subjected to heat or complex processing, like other oils, looses its significant natural vitamins and minerals.

Young coconuts are considered highly nutritious. One whole coconut has only 140 calories and provides 17% of the RDA for calcium. The total fat content is 3 grams, all saturated. With a zero content of cholesterol, the young coconut has 50 mg sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of fiber,15 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Mature Coconut: The raw grated meat of a mature coconut has 283 calories and 2.7 grams of protein for 1 cup. For the carb counters, that 1 cup contains 12.2 grams of carbohydrates. The sodium content is low at 16 mg. Coconut is a high fiber food that delivers 7.2 grams for 1 cup of freshly grated meat. The sticky point of coconut consumption is the fat. That 1 cup of grated coconut packs 26.8 grams of total fat with 23.8 grams saturated which means that it is 80% fat. Our 1 cup of grated fresh coconut contains a good range of B vitamins except B12, with 21.1 mcg of folic acid and 2.6 mg of vitamin C. Coconut is a good source of minerals with 11.2 mg of calcium, 1.9 mg. of iron, 15.6 mg of magnesium, 285 mg. of potassium, and 0.9 mg. of zinc.

Coconut Milk: For the same measure, canned coconut milk contains 445 calories, 5 grams protein, and 6 grams of carbohydrate. Total fat is 48.2 grams, with 42.7 grams saturated.

Canned coconut milk lacks vitamin B2 and B12 but has a good range of other B vitamins including 30 mcg of folic acid. Vitamin C content is 2.3 mg. For the minerals our coconut milk contains 40.7 mg of calcium, 7.5 mg. of iron, 104.0 mg. of magnesium, 497 mg. of potassium, and 1.3 mg. of zinc.

Fresh coconut milk is slightly higher in the B vitamins, zinc, and potassium but slightly lower in calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Coconut Water: On the average 1 cup contains about 46 calories and 2 grams of protein. The sodium content is surprisingly high with 252 mg. and so is the fiber at 3 grams. The total fat is exceptionally low at 0.5 grams with 0.4 grams saturated. Coconut water contains a full range of B vitamins with the exception of vitamin B6 and B12. There are 6.00 mcg of folic acid and 5.8 mg of vitamin C. Rating the minerals that 1 cup contains 57.6 mg of calcium, 0.7 mg. of iron, 60 mg of magnesium, 600 mg of potassium, and 0.2 mg of zinc.

VIRGIN COCONUT OIL : Purchase only virgin coconut oil that you are sure of the process as indicated on the labels. Not all those available in health food markets and drug stores may be true and real VCO after all. Though it may be more expensive than other VCO’s available in the market, the health benefits of ANH-VCO far outweigh the extra expense. Virgin coconut oil contains no trans-fatty acids. Because of its high content of healthful saturated fat, virgin coconut oil is a very stable oil which can withstand the heat, b ut cold processed VCO is not highly recommended for cooking.