The coconut is a beloved and versatile superfood known for its variety of uses and health benefits. While the fruit itself has not changed much over hundreds of years, the way humanity uses this fruit has evolved a lot. You can cook with coconut oil and even use it to flavor your coffee; add shredded coconut as a topping to your oatmeal; sip coconut water to hydrate yourself; and even use coconut oil as an ingredient in cosmetic products. However, while people often laud the fantastic benefits of coconut oil, eating its “meat” may be the best way to enjoy everything this superfood has to offer.

A different kind of white meat

Once you crack open a fresh coconut, you can enjoy the delicious coconut water and scoop out the white meat with either a spoon or knife, depending on how tender it is. The riper the coconut, the thicker and fleshier the meat. Meanwhile, younger coconuts have a very tender flesh that can easily be scraped off with a spoon. Coconut meat is highly nutritious; it is chock-full of vitamins and minerals that can benefit your health in a number of ways.

Here’s a list of the many health benefits fresh coconut meat has to offer.

Improves heart health

Coconut meat contains a bit of coconut oil, which can boost the levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol in your body. Coconut oil also helps reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. Improving your cholesterol levels helps reduce your risk of chronic heart diseases such as coronary artery disease.

In one study, researchers found that consuming extra virgin coconut oil daily for a month helped increase the HDL cholesterol levels of participants. This shows that eating coconut meat and oil has considerable cardiovascular benefits.

Aids in digestive health

Coconut meat is rich in fiber, which helps solidify your stools and support bowel regularity. This helps keep your digestive system clean and healthy. Also, since coconuts are rich in fat, consuming this fruit can enhance your body’s ability to absorb fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K.

Most of the fats found in coconut meat are medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are absorbed into the small intestine and used by the body to produce more energy. Research suggests that these MCTs also improve your intestinal ecosystem, thus increasing your body’s ability to fight inflammation and prevent metabolic diseases.

Supports weight loss

Besides supporting your gut health, the MCTs in coconut meat can also promote satiety, calorie burning and fat-burning — three things you need to effectively lose weight. This is further supplemented by coconut meat’s high fiber content, which also contributes to satiety or the feeling of fullness.

In a study published in the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, researchers found that eating coconut meat (100 grams) every day helps induce weight loss. Particpants who consumed coconut meat daily enjoyed significant weight reduction compared to individuals who were given either peanuts or peanut oil.

Other health benefits

Eating coconut meat can provide a few other benefits to your overall health:

• Boosts brain health. MCTs can act as an alternative energy source to glucose. Eating coconut meat can help people with already impaired memory or brain function like those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that coconut meat can potentially inhibit the development of Alzheimer’s.
• Stabilizes blood sugar. The healthy fats in coconuts can not only help alter the composition of your gut bacteria for the better, they can also stabilize your blood glucose levels.
• Improves immunity. Coconut meat harbors powerful antioxidants that can help improve your immune system and reduce the effects of inflammation.

With its impressive nutrient profile, the coconut is definitely a superfood you should consider adding to your diet.

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EcoWatch.com

HeartViews.org

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MDPI.com 1

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Journals.PLOS.org