Is there a food more emblematic of tropical paradise than the coconut? The tough textured fruit is one of the most popular in the world not only due to its iconic physical appearance, but also due to the many things that it can make. The coconut has an extremely wide variety of uses, making it one of the most versatile foods in the world. In fact, there are many places on Earth where the coconut tree is referred to as the “tree of life” or “tree of a thousand uses”. Every part of thee coconut, including the husk, shell, water, leaves, flesh, trunk and roots have been used by several cultures over the centuries. Are you interested in learning more about this iconic fruit? Well, look no further. Read below for some interesting coconut wall art facts!
Basics
There are many questions about the humble coconut. One of the first is its classification. Is a coconut a fruit? Is it a nut? Maybe it’s a seed? The actual answer is that coconuts can be all of them depending on what layer you’re looking at. The green outermost layer of a coconut is called the exocarp. The layer beyond that is the husk, also called the exocarp, the brown and hairy appearance we’re all familiar with. Inside of that is the endocarp, which represents the outside of the seed. Once the seed is open the fruit, the white coconut “meat”, is exposed. This complex fruit has been used for a long period of time. In fact, there are recordings about coconuts that date back to the 5th century in India. Today, coconut palms are most commonly grown in the tropics ranging from Hawaii to Madagascar. Despite not being native to the United States, there are several farms that grow them in Florida. Read below for more coconut wall art facts.
Diet
Did you know that coconuts were once hated by dietitians and were recommended to be completely avoided? There are many things about coconuts that may seem unhealthy at first glance. Coconut milk, for instance is made from the liquid from shredded coconut “meat”. Just one cup of coconut milk has around 500 calories and 60 grams of fat! Nearly 90% of the fat is saturated! Crazy, right? It still isn’t recommended to drink straight coconut milk, but society has advanced to the point where we have reaped nutrition from the fruit. Nowadays, people cook healthy meals utilizing coconut oil. Shredded coconut and coconut water are also common, healthy ways that coconut is used. Read below for more coconut wall art facts.
Health Benefits
Are you interested in learning more specific health information about coconuts? Well, we have some information from you. Coconut is a great source of digestion-friendly, filling fiber. Consuming coconut will also provide you with vitamin B6, iron, and necessary minerals like magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. The saturated fat in coconut may seem bad calorically, but this fat contains lauric acid which can help raise levels of “good” heart protective HDL cholesterol. Coconut water is a great source of potassium, which is an important mineral that aids in the body’s balance of sodium and regulation of blood pressure. In addition coconut flour, which is dried and ground coconut meat, is a low-calorie replacement for traditional white flour and is gluten-free. Read below for more coconut wall art facts.
IV
Coconut has a long, storied history on Earth. Naturally, many interesting events revolving around coconut have occurred. Were you aware that coconut water was successfully used in the past as a replacement for IV solution? Wondering how anyone could possible live off of a coconut water IV drip inserted into their arm? Well, coconut water is sterile, has very similar properties to human blood plasma in that its composed of water and minerals like sodium, calcium and potassium, and it’s easily available in places where IV solution usually isn’t readily available. The most popular accounts of coconut IVs are concentrated around the time of World War II. During this war, many battle were waged in tropical destinations where IV was in short supply and high demand. Nurses and other medical staff used coconut water to save injured soldiers’ lives. Read below for more coconut wall art facts.
Myth
A very popular myth that has grown in belief around the world is that 150 people are killed by coconuts each year. This statistic was first said in the 80s to assuage fears about being bitten by bats; health professionals said it was more likely to get hit on the head by a coconut and die from it than it was to be bitten by a bat. Since the 80s, this “fact” has only become more solidified in modern culture despite it not having an ounce of data to back it up. So if you’re ever around a coconut tree, you don’t have to worry. Coconuts tend to be firmly attached to palms and don’t drop without some sort of added pressure. The next time you’re under a coconut tree, just remember that you’re perfectly safe! Did you enjoy reading these coconut wall art facts?
Conclusion
The humble coconut is truly one of the most interesting fruits. Is there a single food product on Earth that is as versatile from both a culinary and construction standpoint than the coconut? We don’t think so! So now that you know a little more about coconuts, what are you going to do next? Feel like shredding some coconut over your oatmeal? Why not make a coconut smoothie? Maybe you’ll fry something in coconut oil? Maybe you’ll rub some coconut oil into your hair! Whatever you do, we’re glad you read our blog. Thanks for reading these coconut wall art facts!