By: Kieran Blaze
The coconut tree, simply put, is one of the wonders of the plant world. If we were to go with the scientific description we find the following:
- The name for coconut is Cocos nucifera. Early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means “monkey face” because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resemble the head and face of a monkey.
- Nucifera means “nut-bearing.”
Okay, thank you Mr. Scientist. But what do regular folk have to say?
If we begin with the description and broad usage as summed up by numerous grateful consumers, we will quickly and easily agree with the love language lavished on this plentiful and helpful fruit. The phrase “Tree of heaven” gives us our first clue to the prestige given to this ‘fruit that is like a nut’.
Technically speaking, botanists classify the coconut as a drupe, not a nut. A drupe is a kind of fruit composed of an outer, middle and inner layer.
Countless others hail her as “The fruit of life”; but why? What is it about this formidable and fortified maiden that has the world singing her praises? Come… let us explore.
Firstly and most importantly the coconut has long since been a steady and sustainable food supply to struggling or insolated geographic regions and their respective peoples. Append this fact with the myriad of healing properties it offers and you have your answer.
Did I forget to mention its invaluable contribution to beauty products? Amazingly, the coconut covers most every area of our life.
The oil from the coconut was the first oil to be used by man. Not only for consumption but it can be used as fuel to light the way of man as well as heal and beautify. Nearly one third of the world’s population depends on coconut to some degree for their food and their economy.
Coconut Breakdown!
No, this is not a mental condition. It’s a ‘fruit-nut thing’ and is comprised of 6 parts. A mature coconut consists of:
- An outer fibrous covering called the husk that encloses…
- A hard layer or the shell
- Attached to the shell is the meat (solid endosperm) which has a thickness of around 15 mm
- The milk
- The juice
- The oil
Our focus will be on the oil and why it is used in our latest release – A premium product that we call our ‘New Aloe 1 Youth Derm® Ointment’.
The oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconut is edible oil that comes from the largest kernel (seed) in the entire plant kingdom!
It is excellent for moisturizing and can help serve as a protective layer that helps to retain moisture in the skin. This oil is very mild and great for people with sensitive skin.
It is often used as a base ingredient in massage oils and lotions. It is even used in certain medicated shampoos. But it is lauded for use in natural skin care products for its properties as an excellent humectant, helping to keep moisture in the skin and preventing water loss.
Coconut oil softens and conditions dry skin, and is reputed to prevent stretch marks and ease sore cracked nipples on nursing mothers. Though expensive cosmetics and prescription skin care products are popular, coconut oil is a reasonable gem and when applied regularly will often heal problem skin and keep it balanced and healthy.
As we age, our body produces less and less oil and our skin dries and loses its luster. All of the coconut parts can be applied topically to improve the skins supple beauty and speed healing. They can also be taken internally to increase vitality and accelerate convalescence.
More than just obtaining ‘a look’, which it will do, coconut oil provides the skin with many of the oils it needs for health due to the many vitamins and minerals it possesses. There are delighted regular customers who go so far as to describe Coconut oil as “the healthiest oil on earth.”
Those who live in the tropics and use it daily in many areas of their lives instinctively call the coconut a fruit. So the dilemma is this… Coconut… is it the fruit of the Tree of Life… or simply, the Fruit of Life. Try it yourself and YOU decide!
References:
http://www.wildcrafted.com.au/Coconut_Oil.html
http://www.agroforestry.net/tti/Cocos-coconut.pdf