ZuraHealth

14/11/2021

I never get sick because I clean blood vessels. Notice the recipe. It cleans vessels better than chemicals!

🔺 What is blood pressure?Blood pressure is a measure of the force that puts blood on the walls of the arteries as the heart beats. This force varies throughout the day, depending on physical activity, the effect of some foods, medications you eat, among others.Blood pressure measurements are expr...

14/11/2021

6 Best Benefits Of Oats For Skin, Hair, And Health
1. Improve Cardiac Health
Oats contain a powerful fiber called beta-glucan that helps lower cholesterol levels. Beta-glucan is the main component of the soluble fiber in oats, and it reduces bad cholesterol without affecting the levels of good cholesterol. The antioxidants in oats (avenanthramides and phenolic acids) work along with vitamin C to prevent LDL oxidation, which can also cause heart disease .
Oat bran also contains vitamin E, another nutrient for heart health. More interestingly, oat bran contains more fiber (15 to 26 percent) than oatmeal (7 percent). In one study, oat bran intake was linked to 12 percent decrease in average total cholesterol .

According to another Australian study, oat fiber is more effective in lowering cholesterol levels than wheat fiber. The study also states that oatmeal or bran can indeed reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease . Oat bran also helps by blocking the absorption of those substances in the gut that can contribute to heart disease.
As per the Harvard Medical School, oats are the best form of whole grains to lower cholesterol levels. And to include more whole grain oats in your diet, you can try the steel-cut version . According to a report by the University of Wisconsin Madison, beta-glucan, which is exclusive to oats, also acts as a heart-healthy chemical .

2. Aid In Diabetes Treatment
Oats have a low glycemic index, and their high fiber content helps regulate blood sugar levels. Also, oats, being rich in fiber, are digested slowly. Foods that are digested quick can cause quick blood sugar spikes – making it difficult to manage blood sugar spikes. Oatmeal makes the contents of the stomach much thicker, thereby making them get digested slowly. As per one study, oatmeal can also reduce insulin dosages.

As per one study, oats consumption has a beneficial effect on the glucose and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes . Beta-glucans in oats were also found to reduce blood glucose concentrations upon consumption . Numerous studies have also hinted that oats or foods enriched with oats can significantly decrease postprandial hyperglycemia. Also, not all kinds of oats are good. Stay away from flavored or instant varieties – these are loaded with sugar and offer the opposite of what you are looking for .

You can use oats as a replacement for bread crumbs in your recipes.

3. May Help Relieve Constipation
Since oatmeal is rich in fiber, it also can help relieve constipation. Oats were also found to increase stool weight, thereby treating constipation. They can even play a protective role against colore**al cancer .
In another study, oat bran was found to improve constipation and the bioavailability of B12 in older adults .

Oats are rich in insoluble fiber. This is particularly true for steel-cut and old-fashioned rolled oats. Insoluble fiber is very good for gut health, with one of its benefits being the treatment for constipation.

However, certain individuals have reported symptoms of constipation after having oatmeal. The reason could be that oatmeal can cause intestinal gas in certain circumstances. Oats also contain high amounts of soluble fiber, which can result in excessive gas.

4. Help Fight Cancer
The antioxidants in oats can help combat cancer. And the fiber in oats can prevent re**al and colon cancers (as already discussed). Though there is limited research on the type of oatmeal that helps fight cancer, it is better to stick to the variety that you feel comfortable with.

A set of 12 studies involving over 800,000 people had revealed that taking a large bowl of porridge (another name for oats) a day can cut the risk of death by cancer by as much as 20 percent. Consuming fiber can also reduce the risk of bowel cancer .

Here, we once again talk about avenanthramides, special compounds present in oats. They possess anti-inflammatory properties and are a part of the oat plant’s defense mechanism. These compounds were found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells without harming the healthy ones .

5. Help Treat Hypertension
Consuming oats was found to reduce systolic blood pressure by 7.5 points and diastolic blood pressure by 5.5 points. It not only reduces your blood pressure, but also cuts the risk of heart disease by 22 percent. For this purpose, you can choose cooked (non-instant) and organic oatmeal.

Addition of oats to the normal diet of hypertensive patients produced beneficial effects. The study concluded that soluble fiber-rich oats could be an effective dietary therapy to prevent and treat hypertension . Another study suggests that a diet rich in oats can reduce the need for antihypertensive medications . The beta-glucan in oats also displays beneficial effects on carbohydrate metabolism and blood pressure levels in obese individuals .

Oatmeal is also known as a comfort food. It reduces the levels of stress hormones and boosts serotonin – this induces a feeling of calmness . All of this also contributes to a low blood pressure.

6. Improve Immunity
The beta-glucan in oatmeal can enhance your immunity levels. A majority of immune cells in your body have special receptors that are designed to absorb beta-glucan. This kicks up the activity of the white blood cells and protects against disease. Oats are also rich in selenium and zinc that play a part in fighting infections.

According to a Norwegian study, the beta-glucan in oats is far more potent than echinacea (a North American flower popular for its healing properties). The compound can accelerate wound healing and make antibiotics more effective in humans.

Intake of beta-glucan was also found to enhance immunity following exercise stress . This compound also helps offset respiratory infections post exercise stress. Beta-glucans also improve the ability of macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells – making them further effective in fighting against a wide range of microbes like bacteria, viruses, and fungi .

Beta-glucans are also used to improve immunity in individuals suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or physical or emotional stress. They also improve immune levels during intense treatments like chemotherapy or radiation .

Early introduction of oats is also associated with a reduced risk of asthma . Another study reveals that babies that are fed porridge can be protected from asthma. The risk of childhood asthma can be reduced by two-thirds if the babies are fed oats within the first five months of birth. This can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of oats .

14/11/2021

Common causes of joint injuries
Joint injury can be caused by a number of things, including:
Running too fast
Lifting weights that are too heavy
Not stretching after a workout
Not warming up or cooling down
Overexerting yourself in a class
How to protect your joints from injuries
To keep your joints healthy and strong:
Wear supportive shoes
Exercise the muscles around the joints to keep them strong
Warm up prior to exercise and cool down afterward
Increase your exercise intensity gradually
The best exercises to protect your joints
recommends the following three exercises to strength the muscles around your joints.
Bodyweight squat
Protects: Knees, ankles and hips
Stand in front of a chair or bench with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower yourself to the seat of the chair or bench, touch lightly and return to stand.
Tip: Keep your knees in line with your feet and never let them extend past your toes or you’ll risk injury.
Assisted or unassisted pullup
Protects: Shoulders and elbows
For the assisted pullup, stand on the platform of a pullup machine and grab the machine’s handles securely. For an unassisted pullup, start at the bottom of a pull-up position.
Begin with your arms fully extended, adjust the weight on the machine as needed and pull all the way up until you shorten your joint angle.
Tip: Remember to breathe normally as you perform the move.
Pushup
Protects: Shoulders and elbows
Start at the top of a pushup position with your hands shoulder-width apart, keeping your body in a straight line.
Lower your chest toward the floor, then extend your arms and push back to the starting position.
To modify the position, do a pushup on your knees or while standing, using a bar or wall.
Tip: Be careful not to sag your back while doing a pushup.

11/11/2021

How to Measure Food Portions Without a Scale
Would you be able to serve yourself 3 ounces of chicken if you didn't have a scale handy? What does 3 ounces of chicken look like?

If you are trying to lose weight, it's helpful to eat healthy amount of nutritious foods, like chicken. Learning to measure food portions can be a handy skill. Many people do it with a digital kitchen scale. But what if you don't have one or you're away from home? Don't worry. Measuring food portions without a scale is easy if you know how to use simple tools that are always on hand.

How to Measure Food Portions With Your Hand
Measuring food is easy if you use a tool that's always nearby: your hand. But the actual amount of food your hand can hold will depend on the size of your hand and on the type of food that you are measuring. Use this list as a general guide to estimate basic serving size equivalents.

one serving of nuts
ne level handful = 1/4 cup. A single serving of nuts is 1 ounce or 1/4 to 1/3 cup.

one serving of dry pasta
Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman
One heaping handful = 1/2 cup. A single serving of dry pasta is roughly 1/2 cup.

Two hands full = 1 cup. A single serving of cooked pasta is usually 1 cup.

one serving of butter
ne finger scoop = 1 teaspoon. A single serving of butter or oil is often 1 teaspoon.

one serving of peanut butter
wo finger scoop = 1 tablespoon. A single serving of peanut butter is usually 2 tablespoons or two 2-finger scoops.

closed fist to show serving size of fruit or vegetable
Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman
You can also use your hand to measure food portions of meat and produce. For example, a single 3-ounce serving of chicken, beef, or fish is roughly the size of your palm. A 1-cup serving of fruit or vegetables is roughly the size of your closed fist. A single serving of cheese is about the size of your thumb.

How to Measure Food Portions With a Plate
Many people use their plates to estimate portion sizes. This works well for some, but dinner plates come in different sizes. So it's important to take the plate size into consideration when trying to determine serving size equivalents. Smaller plates for salad or appetizers are usually 8 or 9 inches across. A large dinner plate can measure 10–12 inches across.

General amounts of food based on filling a plate:
1/4 of an 8-inch plate: 1/2 to 3/4 cups
1/4 of a 10.5-inch plate: 1 to 1 1/2 cups
1/2 of an 8-inch plate: 1 1/2 to 2 cups
1/2 of a 10.5-inch plate: 3 cups
Measuring Food With Portion Control Plates
Sometimes, people who are trying to lose weight use portion control plates and portion control glasses to make sure that they are eating and drinking the right amount. Products like livliga dishes, glasses and serving pieces don't look like "diet dishes" but provide guidance about portion size. But there are many brands on the market at different price points.

You can also turn your regular plates into portion control plates by using the USDA My Plate icon as your guide. The colorful plate picture shows how much protein, fruit, vegetables, healthy grains and dairy you should eat at mealtime. You can use the image at home to remind yourself and teach your kids how to prepare and eat healthy meals.

Food Portions and Weight Loss
It can be tricky to make sure you are eating the correct portion of food if you are trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, you can't rely on package size. Many food packages that look like they provide a single serving of food actually provide enough for two or even three servings.

The Nutrition Facts label may give you a good idea of a reasonable serving size. But the number listed is not the recommended serving size. It is the amount of food typically consumed. If you're dining out, eating the right portion size can be even trickier. Most entrees can serve 2-3 people. To eat less in a restaurant, plan to split an entree with a friend.

Or order an appetizer for your main meal to make sure you aren't eating too much. Remember that when you're trying to lose weight, calories, and portion size matters—but other factors matter as well. Food quality and nutrition are important for good health and for weight loss.

For example, a large portion of spinach is more nutritious than a small portion of ice cream. And a large portion of spinach provides nutrients (like fiber) that can boost satiety. The bottom line is that portion control can be one tool to help you reach a healthy weight, but choosing wholesome, satisfying foods is likely to be the key to long-term weight management and wellness.

A Word From Verywell
Simple lifestyle skills, like measuring your food portions, can make your healthy eating plan easier to follow.

It's smart to take some time and learn to master tasks like learning how to cut 3 ounces of chicken without a scale, checking food sizes, reading nutritional labels, and checking ingredient lists. And the process can be fun! Bolster your food know-how and you'll find that you'll eat well becomes a snap.

11/11/2021

How to Cut Sugar From Your Diet
It's simpler than you might imagine learning how to cut sugar from your diet. But that doesn't mean it's easy. If you are addicted to sugar, your sugar habit might put up a fight. So, how do you start? There are three simple ways to eat less sugar, but you should really start by cleaning out your pantry

an DeFigio has great advice about cutting sugar from your diet. DeFigio is the author of Beating Sugar Addiction for Dummies. He talked to me about the signs of sugar addiction and about the first steps anyone can take to live a low sugar life. According to DeFigio, you should start to reduce your sugar intake by dumping these three very popular foods.

Sodas, Sweetened Drinks, and Designer Coffee
Much of the sugar we consume each day comes not from the foods we eat but from the drinks we ingest. In fact, many healthy-sounding beverages are often drinks that will ruin your diet. Even diet sodas can cause trouble.

How to Cut Soda and Cut Calories
DeFigio recommends that we "stay away from sodas of all types, both sugared and sugar-free." He recommends healthy, flavored water instead. But, water doesn't work for everyone. DeFigio offers this solution, " If you need to gradually wean yourself off of sweetened drinks, try adding Stevia powder instead of sugar or chemical sweeteners to your beverages.

Stevia is a natural, plant-based sweetener that has virtually no calories and doesn’t carry the health risks that artificial sweeteners do. Over time you can gradually decrease the amount that you put in your water, coffee, or tea until you don’t feel like you need any added flavoring any more."

Candy, Pastries, Frozen Desserts, and Empty Calorie Foods
Most of us know that candy is full of sugar. But it is easy to underestimate the number of sugar grams in baked good—especially those that sound healthy, like muffins or fruit tarts.

If you're not sure how much sugar your processed food contains, check the nutrition facts label. DeFigio recommends avoiding any food that has more than 10 grams of sugar per serving. But, the key is understanding the serving size. If you eat more than the amount listed on the label, you are getting more sugar than is indicated.

Also, check your intake of empty calorie foods. Most of the calories in empty calorie foods come from added sugars and solid fats. They provide little to no nutritional value.

Fruit Juice and Juice Drinks
Defigio explains that while real fruit juice has lots of vitamins and antioxidants, it’s also a concentrated source of fructose. "Fructose overload," he says, "is a direct path to body fat." Juice cocktails and children’s juice boxes are generally only 10 percent or less real juice and the remaining product is high-fructose corn syrup or other manufactured sweeteners.

Find Hidden Sugars to Cut Back
Trying to reduce your sugar intake would be easier if every product that contained it called it "sugar." But, the bottom line is that many products contain sugar and call the sweetener by another name. For example, you might see sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, agave nectar, honey, or other confusing names—these are all names for sugar.

So, the first step in tackling your sugar habit is learning all of the different names for sugar that manufacturers might use on packages. Then, check each food that you eat and ditch the foods that contain too much added sugar.

Bust Cravings to Cut Back on Sugar
In order to manage the cravings that will probably hit when you change your diet, DeFigio offers three essential tips:

Eat often enough throughout the day. When you go long periods without food, your body goes into starvation mode, holding on to fat stores and turning on the craving center.
Drink enough water. Your hypothalamus controls both your appetite and your thirst sensation. It’s easy to confuse being thirsty with wanting something to eat.
Plan ahead. Know what you’re going to eat throughout the day so you don’t find yourself at the mercy of whatever is lying around in the break room at work or whatever’s quick and easy at a drive-thru.
A Word From Verywell
Remember that any change to your diet takes time and adjustment. These small steps may not feel comfortable or normal at first, but after a few weeks, you'll be living a lower sugar life and enjoying the benefits of a healthier diet and a healthier life.

10/11/2021

8 Impressive Health Benefits of Pineapple

1. Loaded With Nutrients
Pineapples are low in calories but have an incredibly impressive nutrient profile.

One cup (5.8 ounces or 165 grams) of pineapple chunks contains the following:

Calories: 82.5
Fat: 1.7 grams
Protein: 1 gram
Carbs: 21.6 grams
Fiber: 2.3 grams
Vitamin C: 131% of the RDI
Manganese: 76% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 9% of the RDI
Copper: 9% of the RDI
Thiamin: 9% of the RDI
Folate: 7% of the RDI
Potassium: 5% of the RDI
Magnesium: 5% of the RDI
Niacin: 4% of the RDI
Pantothenic acid: 4% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 3% of the RDI
Iron: 3% of the RDI
Pineapples also contain trace amounts of vitamins A and K, phosphorus, zinc and calcium.

They are especially rich in vitamin C and manganese, providing 131% and 76% of the daily recommendations, respectively.

Vitamin C is essential for growth and development, a healthy immune system and aiding the absorption of iron from the diet. Meanwhile, manganese is a naturally occurring mineral that aids growth, maintains a healthy metabolism and has antioxidant properties .

2. Contains Disease-Fighting Antioxidants
Not only are pineapples rich in nutrients, they are also loaded with healthy antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules that help your body combat oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a state in which there are too many free radicals in the body. These free radicals interact with the body's cells and cause damage that is linked to chronic inflammation, a weakened immune system and many harmful diseases .

Pineapples are especially rich in antioxidants known as flavonoids and phenolic acids .

What’s more, many of the antioxidants in pineapple are bound. This allows the antioxidants to survive harsher conditions in the body and produce longer lasting effects .
3. Its Enzymes Can Ease Digestion
Pineapples contain a group of digestive enzymes known as bromelain .

They function as proteases, which break down protein molecules into their building blocks, such as amino acids and small peptides .

Once protein molecules are broken down, they are more easily absorbed across the small intestine. This can be especially helpful for people with pancreatic insufficiency, a condition in which the pancreas cannot make enough digestive enzymes .

For example, one study showed that participants with pancreatic insufficiency experienced better digestion after taking a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain, compared to taking the same digestive enzyme supplement without bromelain .

Bromelain is also widely used as a commercial meat tenderizer due to its ability to break down tough meat proteins .

4. May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Cancer is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.

Its progression is commonly linked to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

Several studies have shown that pineapple and its compounds may reduce the risk of cancers. This is because they may minimize oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.

One of these compounds is the group of digestive enzymes called bromelain. Test-tube studies have shown that bromelain may also help fight cancer .

For instance, two test-tube studies showed that bromelain suppressed the growth of breast cancer cells and stimulated cell death.

Other test-tube studies show that bromelain suppresses cancer in the skin, bile duct, gastric system and colon, among other areas .

Test-tube and animal studies have found that bromelain may stimulate the immune system to produce molecules that make white blood cells more effective at suppressing cancer cell growth and eliminating cancer cells .

That said, pineapple contains much less bromelain than supplements do. More human-based research is needed before any conclusions can be made.

5. May Boost Immunity and Suppress Inflammation
Pineapples have been a part of traditional medicine for centuries .

They contain a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes like bromelain that may collectively boost immunity and suppress inflammation .

One nine-week study fed 98 healthy children either no pineapple, some pineapple (140g) or lots of pineapple (280g) daily to see if it boosted their immunity.

Children who ate pineapples had a significantly lower risk of both viral and bacterial infections. Also, children who ate the most pineapple had close to four times more disease-fighting white blood cells (granulocytes) than the other two groups .

Another study found that children with a sinus infection recovered significantly faster while taking a bromelain supplement, compared to a standard treatment or combination of the two .

What’s more, studies have shown that bromelain can reduce markers of inflammation .

It’s believed that these anti-inflammatory properties aid the immune system.

6. May Ease Symptoms of Arthritis
Arthritis affects over 54 million adults in the US alone .

There are many types of arthritis, but most of them involve inflammation in the joints.

Since pineapples contain bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties, it’s commonly thought that they may provide pain relief for those with inflammatory arthritis .

In fact, research from as early as the 1960s shows that bromelain was used to relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, a type of arthritis that involves inflammation of the joints .

Several recent studies have looked into the effectiveness of bromelain for treating arthritis.

One study in patients with osteoarthritis found that taking a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain helped relieve pain as effectively as common arthritis medicines like diclofenac .

Furthermore, one review analyzed bromelain’s ability to treat osteoarthritis. It concluded that bromelain has the potential to relieve arthritis symptoms, especially in the short term .

However, it’s not clear if bromelain can be a long-term treatment for arthritis symptoms. Longer studies are needed before recommending bromelain to relieve arthritis symptoms.

7. May Speed Recovery After Surgery or Strenuous Exercise
Eating pineapples may reduce the time it takes to recover from surgery or exercise.

This is largely due to the anti-inflammatory properties of bromelain.

Several studies have shown that bromelain may reduce the inflammation, swelling, bruising and pain that often occurs after surgery. It also seems to reduce markers of inflammation .

For example, one study showed that those who consumed bromelain before a dental surgery had significantly reduced pain and felt happier than people who did not. In fact, it appeared to provide a similar amount of relief as common anti-inflammatory medicines .

Strenuous exercise can also damage muscle tissue and cause surrounding inflammation. Affected muscles cannot produce as much force and are sore for up to three days.

Proteases like bromelain are believed to speed up the recovery of damage caused by strenuous exercise by reducing inflammation around the damaged muscle tissue .

One study tested this theory by providing participants a digestive enzyme supplement that contained bromelain after 45 minutes of strenuous exercise on the treadmill. Those who took the supplement had less inflammation and maintained more strength afterward .

Several other studies have shown that bromelain can speed up recovery from damage caused by exercise .

8. Delicious and Easy to Add to the Diet
Pineapples are sweet, convenient and easy to incorporate into your diet.

They are very affordable and available year-round in many American markets, as they can be purchased fresh, canned or frozen.

You can enjoy them on their own or in smoothies, salads or on homemade pizzas.

Here are a few easy recipe ideas that use fresh pineapple:

Breakfast: Pineapple, blueberry and Greek yogurt smoothie
Salad: Tropical roast chicken, almond, blueberry and pineapple salad
Lunch: Homemade Hawaiian burgers (beef burgers with a pineapple ring)
Dinner: Baked ham with pineapple and cherries
Dessert: Pineapple fruit salad

10/11/2021

Coconut facts and health benefits
Cocos nucifera commonly known as coconut belongs to the large Palmaceae family of palm trees and is native to coastal areas of Southeast Asia. It is commonly believed that the name “coconut” was given by Portuguese sailors in the 16th century because the three holes on the coconut looked like a human face. “Coco” means “laughing face,” or “grimace.” The English word “nut” was only added later on. The coconut is not a nut at all, but a stone fruit. Coco palm grows well under tropical climates. The palm requires moist, sandy, well-drained soil and flourishes well all along the saline-rich coastal regions. It has a lifetime of about 75 to 100 years. Once planted, it may take about 4-5 years to begin their first produce, and often, quite longer time in some species. Several hundred species of the coconut palms grown all over the tropics, and their taste of meat and flavor of water thus may vary according to saline content of the soil, distance from sea-shore, amount of rain-fall, etc.
Plant

Coconut is a tall, erect, single-stemmed, monoecious palm which grows up to 30 m (98 ft.) tall. It thrives best in full sun and is adaptable to wide range of soil type’s light, medium and heavy, – peaty soil, sandy, calcareous, saline to clayey soils. It tolerates alkaline soils. Though coarse sand is its natural habitat, best growth is obtained on free draining, deep soils with good physical and chemical properties. It is therefore widely grown on loams as well as clays that are well drained. Coconut is intolerant of water-logging will not survive more than 2 weeks of surface water-logging. Coconut tolerates drought poorly. It has fibrous root system and slender, more or less curved or inclined, stout trunk, 30–45 cm diameter. Leaves are frond-like, 2–6 m long, clustered at top of trunk, pinnatisect whereas leaflets are 0.6–1 m long, narrow, linear-lanceolate, bright green, inserted on rachis in 2 ranks. Plant produces both the female and male flowers on the same inflorescence; therefore, the palm is monoecious. Male flowers with six creamy-yellow perianth segments surrounding six stamens, pistillode topped by 3 nectar glands. Female flowers are sweet-scented, larger, globose, with 6 creamy-yellow perianth segment in two whorls, with 6 staminodes, 3-locule o***y, and a trifid stigma.

Fruit

Botanically, the coconut fruit is a drupe, not a true nut. It consists of, from the outside in, a thin hard skin (exocarp), a thicker layer of fibrous mesocarp (husk), the hard endocarp (shell), the white albuminous endosperm (kernel), and a large cavity filled with fluid (“coconut water”). Coconuts sold in the shops of non-tropical countries often have had the exocarp (outermost layer) removed. The mesocarp is composed of a fiber, called coir, which has several traditional and commercial uses. The shell has three germination pores (micropyles) or “eyes” that are clearly visible on its outside surface once the husk is removed. When immature, the exocarp is usually green, yellow or sometimes bronze, becoming brown when mature. Wide variation in fruit shape exocarp color, green, yellow, reddish-brown, etc. and size exist within types and populations. Fruit is usually elongated, ovoid; ellipsoid to almost spherical weighs between 0.85 and 3.7 kg. Seed comprises the dark brown shell, kernel, cavity and embryo.

History

Coconut has been the subject of much interpretation and speculation in regard to its natural origin because of its wide distribution and cultivation in the tropics and subtropics. It is supposed that the coconut palm is native to coastal areas (the littoral zone) of Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines) and Melanesia. It is supposed that in prehistoric times wild forms (niu kafa) eastwards into the central Pacific to the tropical Pacific islands (Polynesia, and Micronesia) and westward to coastal India, Sri Lanka, East Africa, and tropical islands (e.g., Seychelles, Andaman, Mauritius) in the Indian Ocean. Coconut is either an introduction in the pre-Columbian times or possibly native to the Pacific coast of Central America. Today due to its higher nutritional value as well as it wonderful health benefits it is grown throughout the world with suitable environment.
Nutritional Value

Apart from their mild and sweet taste, coconut is a good source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Consuming 80 gram of coconut offers 26.79 g of Total Fat, 1.2 mg of Manganese, 0.348 mg of Copper, 1.94 mg of Iron, 7.2 g of Total dietary Fiber, 8.1 µg of Selenium, 90 mg of Phosphorus and 12.18 g of Carbohydrate. Moreover many Amino acids 0.031 g of Tryptophan, 0.097 g of Threonine, 0.105 g of Isoleucine, 0.198 g of Leucine, 0.118 g of Lysine and 0.05 g of Methionine are also found in 80 gram of Coconuts.
Health benefits of Coconut
The coconut is actually an exotic fruit which is well-known because of its dietary advantages. Its meat, juice as well as oil are well-known around the world because of its delicious flavor as well as large quantity of vitamins, minerals as well as nutrition. Coconut was utilized by ancient individuals to deal with numerous health conditions, and is also still identified nowadays because of its nutritious as well as therapeutic qualities. Let’s explore more of the amazing health benefits of coconuts and what they have to offer.

1. Good for your heart

As we all know that coconut is low in sodium and high in potassium so it is an excellent food for people suffering from high blood pressure. As coconuts contain no Tran’s fats and are gluten-free, they are loaded with high amounts of dietary fiber, and therefore are good for your heart. Coconut not only improves the cholesterol ratio in your body, but also protects your arteries from damage.

2. Weight management

Coconuts are wonderful source of fiber and low in calories which means that they make you full faster, and in turn beat hunger pangs. Apart from that it also increases your metabolic rate thereby promoting weight loss. They not only prevent obesity but also its related health complications.

3. Blood sugar control

The presence of fiber in coconut slows down the release of glucose into the bloodstream which in turn drops the blood sugar levels and controls other problems caused due to diabetes. Apart from that, they also help decrease the amount of strain on the pancreas, helping them function optimally.
4. Protects against infection

Coconuts are loaded with a myriad of healthy nutrients which helps to boost immunity and keeps diseases at bay. Apart from that it also has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties that help protect you from a wide range of infections and support overall immune functions.

5. Improves digestion

As most of us are unaware of the fact that coconut is an excellent source of good fats (MCTs – medium chain triglycerides) which are quite beneficial for people with digestion problems. It also improves bowel movement and digestion in addition to helping in nutrient absorption.

6. Prevents skin infection

Regular use of coconut oil or milk topically helps in shielding the skin from numerous infections in addition to combating symptoms of skin infections like dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. It acts as a natural aid to prevent sagging skin, age spots and wrinkles along with softening your skin. Coconut not only helps maintain the chemical balance of your skin but also provides protection against harmful UV rays.

7. Promotes hair growth

Coconuts and their by-products are certainly the best natural aids when it comes to promoting hair growth and preventing hair loss. As coconut milk is loaded with a wide range of healthy nutrients, using it on a regular basis reduces hair loss and hair breakage. Furthermore, applying or massaging coconut oil to your scalp makes your hair strong in addition to controlling dandruff and promoting hair growth.

8. Gives your energy levels a boost

In case you are feeling tired or stressed out, have a few pieces of coconut to boost your energy levels naturally. It is one of the best nutritional sources of instant energy that improve physical endurance as well as athletic performance. Coconut also helps in relieving symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome in addition to providing extra energy.

Health benefits of Coconut oil

1. Hair care

Coconut oil helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality. It is also effective in reducing protein loss, which may cause various unattractive or unhealthy qualities in your hair. It is used as hair care oil and is used in manufacturing various conditioners and dandruff relief creams. It is normally used topically for hair care.

Coconut oil is widely used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps the re-growth process of damaged hair. Apart from that it provides the essential proteins required for nourishing and healing damaged hair. Research studies indicate that coconut oil provides better protection to hair from damage caused by hygral fatigue.

2. Weight loss

Coconut oil is considered quite beneficial for weight loss. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off unnecessary weight. Research suggests that coconut oil helps to reduce abdominal obesity in women. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and endocrine system. Additionally, it increases the body’s metabolic rate by eliminating stress on the pancreas; thus burning more energy and helping obese and overweight people lose the weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who use coconut oil every day as their primary cooking oil, are usually not fat, obese or overweight.