Knowing Everything About Coconut Benefits

You would be amazed at the numerous benefits that coconuts are able to provide through their different forms. Whether you want better skin care or hair care, or even to maintain your cholesterol levels, this fruit is there to help you with all. Furthermore, they have been found to help with stress relief, weight loss, better immunity, improving kidney problems, helping with metabolism, diabetes, HIV, cancer, bone strength, high blood pressure, along with heart problems. These numerous health benefits are promoted because of the composition of a coconut, which includes capric acid, caprylic acid, as well as lauric acid.

Coconut Benefits 
Hair Care: Coconut oil has been regarded as the best natural nutrition, when it comes to hair care, because it helps in hair growth, as well as gives them a shiny texture. Protein loss is reduced, which leads to undamaged hair. It has served as an excellent conditioner, and it nourishes damaged hair. Furthermore, it also provides better protection from damage, which may be caused by hygral fatigue. It also helps in removing dandruff, because if proper scalp massages are done, then coconut oil also ensures that scalp remains free of dandruff. 

Skin Care: It is the perfect massage oil for the skin, so it will help with dry skin. It also helps with the aging and flaking of skin. It also prevents aging, which includes the prevention of sagging, and wrinkles. It is also used widely to deal with certain skin problems such as dermatitis, and eczema.


Heart Problems: you would also be pleased to find out that contrary to popular belief that coconut may be bad for the health because of high amount of saturated fat, it also helps in good cholesterol. In fact, it also decreases the prevalence of injury that may occur in arteries, so it will be helpful for you in the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Weight Maintenance: The best part that many diet conscious people like about coconut is the fact that it contains short and medium-chain fatty acids, which actually help in decreasing the excessive fat. Furthermore, it is easy for people to digest it. They are able to increase the metabolism rate, through the removal of stress on pancreases. In fact, they are able to burn more energy for people who are overweight or obese.

Digestion: Many people have also remarked that coconut cooking oil may actually help in the digestive system, and may solve various digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Furthermore, saturated fats tend to have anti microbial properties, which can actually help with the various fungi, parasites, and bacteria, which actually cause indigestion. Absorption of nutrients, such as amino acids, minerals and vitamins is also decreased through this.

Boosting Immune System: One other advantage is the fact that because of the presence of lauric, capric and caprylic acids, which provides the coconut with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, the immune system actually improves. In fact, it has been reported that it helps deal with bacteria and viruses, which cause diseases, such as influenza, herpes and even HIV.

Prevention of Infections: Again because of the presence of acids, and its properties, it is able to help in the healing process. Furthermore, when it is applied on infections, it forms a protective layer on the infection, which prevents the catching of dust, bacteria, virus and fungi on the body.
With such multiple advantages that this is able to provide, it is important to understand that you should go for this fruit, because it will help you with so many diseases. Eat such nutritious food and become healthier, and provide your body with the right kind of nutrients.

- www.coconut-info.net

Coconut Sugar and its Benefits!

Known widely as "coco sugar", as well as "coco sap sugar" and "coconut palm sugar", this type of sweetener has gained much acclaim in the contemporary world. There are many reasons for that, because it has produced health benefits to individuals. Furthermore, it is a natural form of sugar. Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the flower buds of coconut palm trees. The flower buds are cut. This type of sugar has widely been popular in South Asia, as well as South East Asia, since these are the areas where coconut palm is actually abundant in supply. In Indonesia, and Philippines, the coconut supply is abundant. 

One thing that you need to remember is the fact that palm sugar is different from this type of sugar. Palm sugar tends to be made from the sap in the stems of sugar date palm, sugar palm, sago palm and the Palmyra palm. Therefore, you need to know the difference.

Benefits


Taste
Many people claim that this type of sugar is quite good in taste, and it tastes like brown sugar, but it has a tint of caramel. It is subtly sweet. However, remember that coconut palm sugar is not highly processed, so the sweetness, flavor and color are different, depending on a variety of different factors. The taste and flavor will depend upon the species of coconut used, the season for its harvesting, and the actual way it was harvested.

Remember that coconut sugar has been classified as a low glycemic index food. People consider it to be healthier than brown sugar, as well as white sugar. In fact, it has been widely used as a sugar substitute in a variety of drinks, including cooking, baking, tea and coffee.

Many people now use this as a substitute because of the wide variety of benefits that it has. It has a high mineral content, which means that it is rich in magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium. Furthermore, it also contains different vitamins, including B1, B2, B3 and V6. Especially, when compared to brown sugar, it has around four times the magnesium, 10 times the zinc, as well as around 36 times the iron! This means that you are getting numerous health benefits from it! In fact, over all, this sugar is thought to contain around 16 amino acids. Amino acids are extremely vital for your body.

Furthermore, for those people who have diabetes, this type of sugar has been used as a substitute. Many people consider it a health food. It is perhaps the best sugar cane substitute, which means that the disadvantages that sugar cane has are overcome by this kind of sugar. It acts as a mind-booster, because it has inositol, which is a B Vitamin. Additionally, it does not give individuals an energy crash, so you definitely can maintain your energy level.

Furthermore, it has not proved to be as fattening as the other kinds of sugar, which means that those people who are on diet would actually prefer this kind of sugar. Numerous bakeries and food places have started using this kind of sugar, as part of their ingredients. Additionally, it has been recognized that coconut trees produce around 50-75% more sugar than regular sugar cane fields, which means that technically there is more harvest. Therefore, you are getting more from a lesser amount.

Conclusion
Nevertheless, many people claim that this industry is not sustainable, because once the sap is removed, the palm tree will not produce coconuts. This means that there are only specific trees, which are set aside for this process. Nevertheless, this type of sugar has definitely integrated itself well in the market, and there is a demand for it, because of its health benefits.

- www.coconut-info.net

Coconut Nutrition - Knowing Everything About It!

Coconuts have long been integrated into the diets of many people around the word. It has nourished and fed the populations around the world. It has been found that coconut has been a nutritious source for milk, oil, juice and meat. It can be eaten in its pure raw form, but it can also entail a great number of advantages, even when it is taken in other forms. It has been found to be extremely nutritious, because it is high in vitamins and minerals. In fact, it has always been used in traditional sciences and now it has also encompassed itself to moderns sciences, because of the numerous nutritious benefits that it is able to provide.

You need to remember that the kind of nutrition that you get from coconuts tend to vary, because coconuts vary greatly, as well. Therefore, there are certain young coconuts, which have been found to be good for most of the people, especially those people who have a carb and mixed types metabolic system. As far as mature coconuts go, those people, who are on a protein diet, or want more protein would gain benefits from it. Protein type individuals will also love the coconut cream and the firm meat that comes from the nature coconut. Those people who are carb and mixed types would prefer the juice from the coconuts.

Remember that coconuts are the best way that you can add variety, flavor, as well as nutrients to your diet. They are so high in nutrition that they are able to boost the immune system of the body. They prevent the formation of yeast infections, because they have antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. This is because they are quite rich in lauric acid.

Coconut juice has been regarded as the best source of electrolytes, which are known to humans. In this case, the juice can actually prevent dehydration, especially in terms of strenuous exercise, or diarrhea. Forget any sports drink, because coconut juice is the right way to get energy, without any artificial components. Those people who are ill, and are in emergency situations, they have widely used coconut juice. This practice is done in remote areas. 

In fact, even coconut milk entails great advantages, because it is a great thirst-breaker. Hydration levels in the body are boosted, because it contains minerals, sugars and electrolytes. It is also rich in amino acids, which increase the immune system of the body. There are certain enzymes, which actually increase metabolism and help with digestion.

Coconut water is thought to contain exactly that. Just like oranges, it also contains manganese, magnesium, iron, calcium, which means it is high in nutrition. However, the mineral composition in coconuts is actually higher than oranges. It is a good source of vitamins such as pyridoxine, folates, niacin, riboflavin, which are essential because they allow the human body to replenish. Vitamin C is also found in coconuts, along with potassium, which increases energy levels in the body. An individual`s potassium`s daily intake needs are completely fulfilled through a coconut, because they are highly rich in that.

Conclusion 
Since coconuts have such high nutrition value, they have been made into a wide variety of different forms, such as coconut milk, juice, meat, as well as butter and oil. Therefore, everyone just loves to have coconuts, because they are able to increase energy levels, help with diabetic patients, and actually found to be extremely helpful, when it comes to traditional science. With diarrhea, they have been highly beneficial. In times of illness, they have provided the right kind of nutrition, as well. So, crack a coconut, and have some fun filling your body with some energy! 

www.coconut-info.net

Coconut Palm Trees - Interesting Facts About Them

Imagining a palm tree people always think of some beautiful place on the seashore, where you can relax in the shade of the large green palm leaves waving in the light breeze. A palm tree has always been associated with romance, it symbolizes tropical beauty. The coconut palm tree is the national tree of the Maldives.The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a large long-living palm that yields the fruit of a coconut. The tree can last up to 100 years and can grow up to 98 feet tall. It can blossom up to thirteen times a year. The tree has a single bole the bark of which is smooth and ring-scarred. The pinnate leaves can reach 13-20 feet of length. They consist of linear-lanceolate bright green leaflets.

The number of the palm trees variety throughout the world today is quite striking. There exist more than 150 kinds of the coconut palm.

Coconut trees are generally divided into tall and dwarf ones. Depending on to what extent the land is fertile, the palm can yield different quantities of the fruit. Growing on a highly fertile soil, a tall coconut palm tree can provide up to 75 fruits per year, but more often the number can not get past the mark of 30. However, for the time being it can be seen a considerable elevation in the practice of cultivation.

The scientific term of the coconut palm tree is cocos nucifera. The word coconut is most likely to come from the Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which has a meaning of "a grin", "a monkey face" due to the resemblance of the coconut fruit to a human face, or a monkey head, since there are three small indentations on the shell of the fruit. Nucifera, in its turn, comes from Latin, and means "nut-bearing", where fero means "I bear" and nux is "a nut". In Sanskrit, the coconut palm tree bears the name of kalpa vriksha, which means "the tree giving all the necessities for living". It is called like this due to the variety of useful properties and compounds the coconut palm and its fruit possess.

The coconut trees grow in rainforests, tropical and subtropical areas. They are widely spread in Malaysia, southern Asia, India, South America, the Pacific Islands. The trees require sufficient warm conditions for a successful growth, they are intolerant to low temperatures and can not prosper in cold weather and yield properly under such conditions. Harsh frost will likely kill a tree. 

The coconut palm prefers the coastal areas with sandy soils, with a high level of humidity and rainfalls. Salty air is a key factor, too. For a favorable growth the plant also needs much sunlight. The palms rarely grow under low humidity conditions, even in spite of the temperature being rather high. An optimal growth is achieved with the average temperature of 81 F, while with the temperature of 70 F it slows down and aggravates. To grow properly without any care the coconut palm tree requires an average temperature of 53-56 F every day of the year. The rainfall amount should exceed the mark of 1000 mm per year. Direct sunlight is also necessary for an optimal growth.

Worldwide the coconut tree is grown in more than 80 countries. The trees are almost impossible to be cultivated in dry conditions, they require constant irrigation, or else the new leaves will not open and the old ones tend to become dried-up, hence the improper yield of the fruit.

Not only the coconut palm provides the fruit but can also be used in manufacturing various supplies, furnishing and equipment.

- www.coconut-info.net

BOTANY OF THE COCONUT PALM

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is the sole species of the genus Cocos belonging to the subfamily Cocoideae which includes 27 genera and 600 species. It is a diploid with 32 chromosomes (2n=32). As such, hybridization is mainly intraspecific.
The major classification of coconut based on stature or height is as follows:

(1) Tall palms, sometimes referred to as var. typica (Nar). They are widely planted both for household and commercial use and grow to a height of 20-30 m. They are slow maturing and flower 6-10 years after planting. They are long-lived with an economic life of about 60-70 years, although much older palms are known to exist and yield well. They are normally cross-pollinating and therefore considered to be heterozygous.(2) Dwarf palms, sometimes referred to as var. nana (Griff). These are believed to be mutants from tall types with short stature, 8-10 m when 20 years old. They begin bearing about the third year at less than 1 meter high. They have a short productive life of 30-40 years. They are normally self-pollinating and therefore considered to be homozygous.

The Inflorescence
The coconut inflorescence is enclosed in a double sheath or spathe, the whole structure known as a 'spadix' which is borne singly in the axil of each leaf. The palm is monoecious, i.e. its inflorescence carries both male and female flowers. The male flowers are more numerous than the female flowers. The former are borne on the top portion of spikelets which are attached to a main axis or peduncle. The female flowers are situated at the base of the spikelets.
The inflorescence primordium can be detected about 4 months after the first leaf primordium is differentiated; the male and female flowers, 22 months thereafter. The opening of the fully grown spathe occurs 1 year later.
The male flowers are the first to open, beginning at the top of each spikelet and proceeding towards the base. After each flower opening, the pollen is shed, and male flowers abscise, the whole process taking just 1 day. The male phase, however, takes about 20 days in most palms but this may vary according to season and variety.
A female flower remains receptive from 1 to 3 days. Depending on the environmental conditions and variety, the female phase may begin a few days or later after the spathe has opened and lasts 3-5 days in tall palms and about 8-15 days in dwarfs. A normal inflorescence may have 10-50 female flowers. With natural pollination, 50-70% usually abort and fall off, especially those which emerge during severe dry weather. The remaining flowers develop into fruits, which take about 12 months to mature.
The length of the male and female phases is affected by climatic environment and usually do not overlap in the tall types, such that self-pollination rarely occurs. In some dwarfs, particularly the Malayan Dwarf, overlapping of the male and female phases and between spadices usually takes place, promoting selfing. Hence, these dwarfs are reasonably homozygous.

The Fruit
Once pollination and fertilization occur, fruits set and develop to maturity in about 12 months, or less than 1 year for some dwarf cultivars. A count of bunch and fruit set can give a reasonable estimate of yield.
The fruit is a fibrous drupe but with a smooth outside skin (exocarp), which may vary from green to red brown or even ivory. The coat (mesocarp) in the young coconut is white and firm. On the other hand, the ripe nut has a fibrous mass, the husk, from which coir is obtained. Within this fibrous mass is the nut with a hard shell (endocarp) enclosing the kernel (endosperm). Between the shell and the kernel is a thin brown seed coat (testa). It adheres firmly to the kernel which is the white flesh, about 12 mm thick lining the central cavity containing the nut water. Towards the end of maturation, the volume of water in the cavity decreases considerably which may be due to absorption by the endosperm tissue or to evaporation. Matured nuts have a sloshing sound of water inside when shaken. Yield is usually estimated in terms of the number of nuts produced per palm or unit area and weight of equivalent copra.

The Roots
The palm has adventitious roots continually produced from the basal 40 cm or so of the trunk, which is the swollen part or what is termed 'bole', in tall types and in some dwarf hybrids. It has no taproot or root hairs but has lots of primary roots which bear large quantities of rootlets.
The main roots grow out somewhat horizontally from the bole and are mostly found within the topsoil. The main branches grow deeper and may extend laterally to as much as 10 m.
The roots, having no cambium, are noticeably uniform - the main roots reaching a maximum diameter of about 1 cm. The root tip is the actively growing region and behind it is the absorbing area whose epidermis is a single layer of thin-walled cells that gradually thicken and become impervious with age. In old roots, the epidermis disintegrates and exposes the hard hypodermis which is generally red.
The root centre has a stele surrounded by a single-celled pericycle sheath from which rootlets and aerenchymatous (respiratory exchange) protuberances or pneumatophores arise. The respiratory exchange occurs more abundantly nearer the soil surface to allow easy diffusion of oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the root.

The Stem
The stem develops from the single terminal bud called the 'cabbage' which is the palm's only vegetative growing point. Under favourable conditions, the foundation of the trunk of a young palm reaches full development within 3-4 years.
In the tall types, the base of the trunk is up to 0.8 m in diameter, tapering quickly to about 0.4 m (Child 1974). Once formed, the trunk does not change much in diameter. If variation occurs from base to crown, this is not caused by biological factors but by climatic conditions and cultural practices.
Stem growth is fastest at early stages, which can be as much as 1.5 m per year. The incremental growth rate levels off as the palms grow old; up to 10-15 cm per year at about the 40th year and over.
The coconut stem has no cambium. Hence, it cannot regenerate damaged tissues. However, a mature palm may have as much as 18 000 vascular bundles which help it to withstand significant physical damage to its trunk, provided pest entry is prevented.

The Leaf
The first leaves of a coconut seedling have the pinnae fused together and appear as entire leaves. After eight to ten have been formed, subsequent leaves tend to split into leaflets. After about 3-4 years, the stem starts to form with a single terminal growing point where new leaves develop. Generally, a normal adult palm produces 12-16 new leaves annually, each bearing a corresponding flower cluster (inflorescence). There are about 30-40 leaves in a healthy crown with a similar number of leaf primordia, each differentiated about 30 months before it emerges as a 'sword leaf'. A mature leaf is 3-4 m long and has 200-250 leaflets. A leaf remains on the palm for about 3 years and thereafter, shed leaving a permanent scar on the trunk.
The age of an adult palm is correlated with the number of leaf scars. The number of scars on the stem, divided by 13, gives the approximate age of the palm in years (Mahindapala 1991). This may be important in estimating the age of existing palms used as parent materials in breeding.

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Coconut Palm

The coconut is known for its great versatility as seen in the many uses of its different parts and found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Coconuts are part of the daily diets of many people. Coconuts are different from any other fruits because they contain a large quantity of "water" and when immature they are known as tender-nuts or jelly-nuts and may be harvested for drinking. When mature, they still contain some water and can be used as seednuts or processed to give oil from the kernel, charcoal from the hard shell and coir from the fibrous husk. The endosperm is initially in its nuclear phase suspended within the coconut water. As development continues, cellular layers of endosperm deposit along the walls of the coconut, becoming the edible coconut "flesh".When dried, the coconut flesh is called copra. The oil and milk derived from it are commonly used in cooking and frying; coconut oil is also widely used insoaps and cosmetics. The clear liquid coconut water within is potable. The husks and leaves can be used as material to make a variety of products for furnishing and decorating. The coconut also has cultural and religious significance in many societies that use it.
A cut coconut shell
Historical evidence favors the European origin of the name "coconut", for no name is similar in any of the languages of India, where the Portuguese first found the fruit; and indeed Barbosa, Barros, and Garcia, in mentioning the Tamil/Malayalam name tenga, and Canarese narle, expressly say, "we call these fruits quoquos", "our people have given it the name of coco", and "that which we call coco, and the Malabars temga".
A dehusked coconut shell from Ivory Coast showing the face-like markings at the base
Origin 
The origin of the plant is the subject of debate. O.F. Cook was one of the earliest modern researchers to draw conclusions about the location of origin of Cocos nucifera based on its current-day worldwide distribution. He hypothesized that the coconut originated in the Americas, based on his belief that American coconut populations predated European contact and because he considered pan-tropical distribution by ocean currents improbable. Thor Heyerdahl later used this hypothesis of the American origin of the coconut to support his theory that the Pacific Islanders originated in South America.However, more evidence exists for an Indo-Pacific origin either around Melanesia and Malesia or the Indian Ocean.The oldest fossils known of the modern coconut dating from the Eocene period from around 37 to 55 million years ago were found in Australia and India. However, older palm fossils such as some of nipa fruit have been found in the Americas. Since 1978, the work on tracing the probable origin and dispersal of Cocos nucifera has only recently been augmented by a publication on the germination rate of the coconut seednut and another on the importance of the coral atoll ecosystem.Briefly, the coconut originated in the coral atoll ecosystem — without human intervention — and required a thick husk and slow germination to survive and disperse.
Fallen immature nuts, Thrissur,Kerala, India

Domestication

Coconuts could not reach inland locations without human intervention (to carry seednuts, plant seedlings, etc.) and it was early germination on the palm (vivipary) that was important,rather than increasing the number or size of the edible parts of a fruit that was already large enough. Human cultivation of the coconut selected, not for larger size, but for thinner husks and increased volume of endosperm, the solid “meat” or liquid “water” that provides the fruit its food value. Although these modifications for domestication would reduce the fruit’s ability to float, this ability would be irrelevant to a cultivated population.
Coconut germinating on Black Sand Beach, Island of Hawaii
Distribution
The coconut has spread across much of the tropics, probably aided in many cases by seafaring people. Coconut fruit in the wild are light, buoyant and highly water resistant, and evolved to disperse significant distances via marine currents. Specimens have been collected from the sea as far north as Norway. In the Hawaiian Islands, the coconut is regarded as a Polynesian introduction, first brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagers from their homelands in Oceania. They have been found in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coasts of Africa and South America for less than 500 years, but evidence of their presence on the Pacific coast of South America predates Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas.They are now almost ubiquitous between 26°N and 26°S except for the interiors of Africa and South America.

Natural Habitat
Coconut palms require warm conditions for successful growth, and are intolerant of cold weather. Some seasonal variation is tolerated, with good growth where mean summer temperatures are between 28 and 37 °C (82 and 99 °F), and survival as long as winter temperatures are above 4–12 °C (39–54 °F); they will survive brief drops to 0 °C (32 °F). Severe frost is usually fatal, although they have been known to recover from temperatures of −4 °C (25 °F). They may grow but not fruit properly in areas with insufficient warmth, such as Bermuda.

Pests
The fruit may also be damaged by eriophyid coconut mites (Eriophyes guerreronis). This mite infests coconut plantations, and is devastating: it can destroy up to 90% of coconut production. The immature seeds are infested and desapped by larvae staying in the portion covered by the perianth of the immature seed; the seeds then drop off or survive deformed. Spraying with wettable sulfur 0.4% or with neem-based pesticides can give some relief, but is cumbersome and labor-intensive.

Production and Cultivation 
Coconut palms are grown in more than 90 countries of the world, with a total production of 62 million tonnes per year (table). Most of the world production is in tropical Asia, with Indonesia, the Philippines and India accounting collectively for 73% of the world.

Cultivation

Coconut trees are hard to establish in dry climates, and cannot grow there without frequent irrigation; in drought conditions, the new leaves do not open well, and older leaves may become desiccated; fruit also tends to be shed.The extent of cultivation in the tropics is threatening a number of habitats, such as mangroves; an example of such damage to an ecoregion is in the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatán.

Harvesting

In some parts of the world (Thailand and Malaysia), trained pig-tailed macaques are used to harvest coconuts. Training schools for pig-tailed macaques still exist both in southern Thailand and in the Malaysian state of Kelantan.Competitions are held each year to find the fastest harvester.

Traditional areas of coconut cultivation in India are the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and the islands of Lakshadweepand Andaman and Nicobar.Various terms, such as copra and coir, are derived from the native Malayalam language. In Kerala, the coconut tree is called "Thengu" also termed as kalpa vriksham, which essentially means all parts of a coconut tree is useful some way or other. In Tamil Nadu, a coconut tree is called as "Thennai maram" and tender coconut is called as "Ilaneer" in the native language.

Coconut plucking in Kerala, India

The coconut cultivars grown in Oman are generally of the drought-resistant Indian "West Coast tall" (WC Tall) variety. Unlike the UAE, which grows mostly non-native dwarf or hybrid coconut cultivars imported from Florida for ornamental purposes, the slender, tall Omani coconut cultivars are relatively well-adapted to the Middle East's hot dry seasons, but need longer to reach maturity. The Middle East's hot, dry climate favors the development of coconut mites, which cause immature seed dropping and may cause brownish-gray discoloration on the coconut's outer green fiber.

Cooking

The various parts of the coconut have a number of culinary uses. The seed provides oil for frying, cooking, and making margarine. The white, fleshy part of the seed, the coconut meat, is used fresh or dried in cooking, especially in confections and desserts such asmacaroons. Desiccated coconut or coconut milk made from it is frequently added to curries and other savory dishes. Coconut flour has also been developed for use in baking, to combat malnutrition.Coconut chips have been sold in the tourist regions of Hawaii and the Caribbean. Coconut butter is often used to describe solidified coconut oil, but has also been adopted as a name by certain specialty products made of coconut milk solids or puréed coconut meat and oil. 

Coconut Water

Coconut water serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during its nuclear phase of development. Later, the endosperm matures and deposits onto the coconut rind during the cellular phase. It is consumed throughout the humid tropics, and has been introduced into the retail market as a processed sports drink. Mature fruits have significantly less liquid than young, immature coconuts, barring spoilage. Coconut water can be fermented to produce coconut vinegar.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water, is obtained primarily by extracting juice by pressing the grated coconut white kernel or by passing hot water or milk through grated coconut, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds. It has a total fat content of 24%, most of which (89%) is saturated fat, with lauric acid as a major fatty acid. When refrigerated and left to set,coconut cream will rise to the top and separate from the milk. The milk can be used to produce virgin coconut oil by controlled heating and removal of the oil fraction.

Coconut Oil

Another byproduct of the coconut is coconut oil. It is commonly used in cooking, especially for frying. It can be used in liquid form as would other vegetable oils, or in solid form as would butter or lard.

Toddy and Nectar

The sap derived from incising the flower clusters of the coconut is drunk as neera, also known as toddy or tuba (Philippines), tuak(Indonesia and Malaysia) or karewe (fresh and not fermented, collected twice a day, for breakfast and dinner) in Kiribati. When left to ferment on its own, it becomes palm wine. Palm wine is distilled to produce arrack. In the Philippines, this alcoholic drink is calledlambanog or "coconut vodka".

Beauty Product

Coconuts are used in the beauty industry in moisturisers and body butters because coconut oil, due to its chemical structure, is readily absorbed by the skin. The coconut shell may also be ground down and added to products for exfoliation of dead skin. Coconut is also a source of lauric acid, which can be processed in a particular way to produce sodium lauryl sulfate, a detergent used in shower gels and shampoos.The nature of lauric acid as a fatty acid makes it particularly effective for creating detergents and surfactants.

Coconut is an indispensable ingredient in Indonesian cooking. Coconut meat, coconut milk and coconut water are often used in main courses, desserts and soups throughout the archipelago. In the island of Sumatra, the famous Rendang, the traditional beef stew from West Sumatra, chunks of beef are cooked in coconut milk along with other spices for hours until thickened. In Jakarta, "Soto Babat" or beef tripe soup also uses coconut milk. In the island of Java, the sweet and savoury "Tempe Bacem" is made by cooking tempeh with coconut water, coconut sugar and other spices until thickened. "Klapertart" is the famous Dutch-influenced dessert from Manado, North Celebes, that uses young coconut meat and coconut milk. In 2010, Indonesia increased its coconut production. It is now the world's second largest producer of coconuts. The gross production was 15 million tonnes.A sprouting coconut seed is the logo for Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia, the Indonesian Scouting organization. It can be seen on all the scouting paraphernalia that elementary (SMA) school children wear as well as on the scouting pins and flags.

The Philippines is the world's largest producer of coconuts; the production of coconuts plays an important role in the economy. Coconuts in the Philippines are usually used in making main dishes, refreshments and desserts. Coconut juice is also a popular drink in the country. In the Philippines, particularly Cebu, rice is wrapped in coconut leaves for cooking and subsequent storage; these packets are called puso. Coconut milk, known as gata, and grated coconut flakes are used in the preparation of dishes such as laing, ginataan, bibingka, ube halaya, pitsi-pitsi, palitaw, buko and coconut pie. Coconut jam is made by mixing muscovado sugarwith coconut milk. Coconut sport fruits are also harvested. One such variety of coconut is known as macapuno. Its meat is sweetened, cut into strands and sold in glass jars as coconut strings, sometimes labeled as "gelatinous mutant coconut". Coconut water can be fermented to make a different product—nata de coco

Cultivars

Coconut has a number of commercial and traditional cultivars. They can be sorted mainly into tall cultivars, dwarf cultivars and hybrid cultivars (hybrids between talls and dwarfs). Some of the dwarf cultivars such as Malayan dwarf has shown some promising resistance to lethal yellowing while other cultivars such as Jamaican tall is highly affected by the same plant disease. Some cultivars are more drought resistant such as West coast tall (India) while others such as Hainan Tall (China) are more cold tolerant. Other aspects such as seed size, shape and weight and copra thickness are also important factors in the selection of new cultivars.

Coconuts drying before being processed into copra in the Solomon Islands.

Coir

Coir (the fiber from the husk of the coconut) is used in ropes, mats, door mats, brushes, sacks, caulking for boats, and as stuffing fiber for mattresses. It is used in horticulture in potting compost, especially in orchid mix.

Coconut Fronds

The stiff mid-ribs of coconut leaves are used for making brooms in India, Indonesia (sapu lidi), Malaysia, the Maldives and the Philippines (walis tingting). The green of the leaves (lamina) are stripped away, leaving the veins (wood-like, thin, long strips) which are tied together to form a broom or brush. A long handle made from some other wood may be inserted into the base of the bundle and used as a two-handed broom. The leaves also provide material for baskets that can draw well water and for roofing thatch; they can be woven into mats, cooking skewers, and kindling arrows, as well. Two leaves (especially the younger, yellowish shoots) woven into a tight shell the size of the palm are filled with rice and cooked to make ketupat. Dried coconut leaves can be burned to ash, which can be harvested for lime.

Coconut buttons in Dongjiao Town,Hainan, China

Husks and Shells

The husk and shells can be used for fuel and are a source of charcoal. Activated carbon manufactured from coconut shell is considered extremely effective for the removal of impurities. The coconut's obscure origin in foreign lands led to the notion of using cups made from the shell to neutralise poisoned drinks. The cups were frequently engraved and decorated with precious metals.

A wall made from coconut husk

Coconut Trunk 

Coconut trunks are used for building small bridges and huts; they are preferred for their straightness, strength, and salt resistance. In Kerala, coconut trunks are used for house construction. Coconut timber comes from the trunk, and is increasingly being used as an ecologically sound substitute for endangered hardwoods. It has applications in furniture and specialized construction, as notably demonstrated in Manila's Coconut Palace.

Religion

A coconut (Sanskrit: narikela) is an essential element of rituals in Hindu tradition. Often it is decorated with bright metal foils and other symbols of auspiciousness. It is offered during worship to a Hindu god or goddess. Irrespective of their religious affiliations, fishermen of India often offer it to the rivers and seas in the hopes of having bountiful catches. Hindus often initiate the beginning of any new activity by breaking a coconut to ensure the blessings of the gods and successful completion of the activity. The Hindu goddess of well-being and wealth, Lakshmi, is often shown holding a coconut. In the foothills of the temple town of Palani, before going to worship Murugan for the Ganesha, coconuts are broken at a place marked for the purpose. Every day, thousands of coconuts are broken, and some devotees break as many as 108 coconuts at a time as per the prayer. In tantric practices, coconuts are sometimes used as substitutes for human skulls.In Hindu wedding ceremonies, a coconut is placed over the opening of a pot, representing a womb. Coconut flowers are auspicious symbols and are fixtures at Hindu andBuddhist weddings and other important occasions. In Kerala, coconut flowers must be present during a marriage ceremony. The flowers are inserted into a barrel of unhusked rice (paddy) and placed within sight of the wedding ceremony. Similarly in Sri Lanka, coconut flowers, standing in brass urns, are placed in prominent positions.

Making a rug from coconut fiber

Other Uses

The leftover fiber from coconut oil and coconut milk production, coconut meal, is used as livestock feed. The dried calyx is used as fuel in wood-fired stoves. Coconut water is traditionally used as a growth supplement in plant tissue culture/micropropagation.The smell of coconuts comes from the 6-pentyloxan-2-one molecule, known as delta-decalactone in the food and fragrance industries.

-wikipedia