COCONUT : Health Benefits and Nutritional Facts

COCONUT, Scientific Name :  Cocos nucifera

Is COCONUT a Fruit?
Let us clarify one thing first - Is Coconut a fruit? Isn't Coconut a giant nut? Wikipedia treats it both as a Seed and a Fruit. Others believe it is a Seed. WikiAnswers got tons of different answer (further muddying the issue, it should now be named WakoPaki). USDA(US Department of Agriculture) listed it as a Fruit.

Lets make a survey then. On your right is the poll question "What is a Coconut?". The result will be submitted to the Philippine Congress and, if possible, to UN for ratification. So, vote now!

Tree of Life
Tree of life, it is called in the Philippines, and rightly so. The tree gives you the basics in life :

1. Food - the Coconut Meat
2. Drinks - Coconut Water, Coconut Sap (Lambanog, in Tagalog)
3. Nutrients - the meat, water and oil are all loaded with Vitamins and Minerals
4. Air - as it is a tree, it gives off oxygen
5. Shelter - you can build a comfortable house with the tree's trunk and leaves.
6. Others - you can make a broom out of the tree's leaves, a floor polisher from its husk and many others.

Health Benefits from COCONUT
The meat is very good in cleaning our insides as it destroys parasites in our intestine. It also help prevents goiter. It is protein-rich, so its a good body builder as it builds, not our tummy, but our muscles. Coconut water is good help for kidney and urinary bladder problems (as you may have noticed, you urinate frequently when you drink coconut water).

COCONUT Nutritional Facts (content per 100g) VITAMINS
Vitamin A - 0.0 IU
Vitamin B1/Thiamine - 0.066 mg
Vitamin B2/Riboflavin - 0.020 mg
Vitamin B3/Niacin - 0.540 mg
Vitamin B5/Pantothenic Acid - 0.30 mg
Vitamin B6 - 0.054 mg
Vitamin B8/Folate - 26.0 mcg
Vitamin C - 3.30 mg
Vitamin E - 0 mg
Vitamin K - 0.2 mcg

COCONUT Nutritional Facts (content per 100g) MINERALS
Calcium -        14.0 mg
Iron -               2.43 mg
Magnesium -    32.0 mg
Phosphorous - 113.0 mg
Potassium -     356.0 mg
Sodium -         20.0 mg
Zinc -              1.10 mg
Copper -         0.435 mg
Manganese -   1.50 mg
Selenium -       10.10 mcg

COCONUT Nutritional Facts (contents per 100g) OTHERS
Protein             - 3.30 g
Fiber                - 9.0 g
Beta-Carotene - 0 mcg
Lycopene        - 0 mcg
Cholesterol      - 0 mg