The coconut tree ;(Cocos nucifera), is a member of the family Arecaceae (palm family) The coconut tree is of the genus Cocos. The coconut tree or coconut palm can be found in rainforests and countries with tropical climate such as in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. In the United States, coconut tree can be found in Hawaii, the Southern tip of Florida, and the Virgin Islands.
The coconut tree variety can be classified by its stature, whether tall or dwarf. The tall variety is the commonly grown type usually for commercial purposes. The tall variety can grow to as high as 60 feet
with leaves to a length of 15 feet while the dwarf can grow to about 20 feet tall.
The coconut tree has erect graceful gray colored trunk, swollen at the base and grows slightly curved. The truck is ringed due to old leaf scars and is smooth. The coconut tree is topped by a crown
composed of about 25 to 30 pinnate feather-like leaves that are about 6 feet wide and 18 feet long. There are about 200 leaflets in every leaf, colored yellow green when young and as it matures turned to brown. The coconut leaves are shed as it grows old and young new shoots grows from the top most of the crown.
Coconut flowers start to bloom when the coconut is about 4 to 6 years of age. The coconut flowers are yellow and are sweet scented. The flowers grow in clusters from a branched stalked with both male and female flowers growing from the same inflorescence.
The flower buds turned to coconut fruits that grow to a large nut like shape about 10 inches in diameter and about 12 inches in length. The fruit is commonly called as coconut. The coconut has a smooth hard protective outer layer, usually green, but others may be pale yellow, silver-gold or brown depending on variety and age. Coconut fruit has a husk of about 1 to 2 inches thick with an inner hollow round seed of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. The coconut seed has a hard shell that when cracked open will reveal a layer of white edible meat and about a glassful of sweet watery coconut milk. A matured coconut tree can produce about 50 to 200 coconuts
per year depending on variety and growing conditions.
In most Pacific islanders, the coconut is called the tree of life for its versatility of use. Almost every part of the coconut tree has good use as seen in many domestic, commercial and industrial applications.
Coconut is highly nutritious, rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Coconut offers a lot of health benefits beside from its nutritional value. Coconut meat, coconut water and the coconut oil are used as food and in food preparations. The coconut oil is also widely used in traditional medicine as a cure all
medicine.
coconut Nutritional Value
Nutritional Value of Coconut Meat per 100 grrams.
*.Calcium - 14 mg
*.Carbohydrates - 15.23 gm
*.Dietary Fiber - 9.0
*.Folate (Vitamin B9) - 26g
*.Iron - 2.43 mg
*.Magnesium - 32 mg
*.Monounsaturated Fat - 1.43
*.Niacin (Vitamin B3) - 0.54 mg
*.Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - 0.300 mg
*.Phosphorus - 113 mg
*.Polyunsaturated Fat - 0.37 gm
*.Potassium - 356 mg
*.Protein - 3.3 gm
*.Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 0.02 mg
*.Saturated Fat - 29.70 gm
*.Sugars - 6.23 gm
*.Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - 0.066 mg
*.Vitamin B6 - 0.054 mg
*.Vitamin C - 3.3 mg
*.Zinc - 1.1 mg
*.Energy - 350 kcal (1480 kJ)
coconut Health Benefits
Coconut has long been used as traditional medicine for almost any kind of illness. From abscesses, asthma, hair treatment, baldness, colds, constipation, fever, flu, scabies, sore throats, toothache, tumors, ulcers and many others. Only recently that laboratory studies and researches has been made to verify its effectivity and science has uphold some its claims as cure for many health problems.
