Coconut, the fruit of the Arecaceae family, is a product of tropical latitudes. It ripens only in countries located on the equator. Three small spots make this brown fruit look like a monkey's face. Thanks to this similarity, the nut received
voe name, because in Portuguese "coco" means "monkey". Products derived from coconut make up a rather long list. It also includes coconut milk, which is not only eaten, but also the basis of a wide variety of cosmetics.
Despite the stable expression "coconut", botanists do not consider this fruit a nut. According to the standard classification, coconut is a type of drupe. Its outer shell - the exocarp, and the inner one - the endocarp - are pierced by three large pores, which form the very spots on the surface of the fruit. Coconut milk and a host of other products are made from he althy pulp, copra. Fresh copra is used in cooking. Confectioners especially love the pulp of coconut with its sweetish aroma. Dried copra is not usedonly in sweets, but also in the perfume, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Coconut oil is squeezed out of it, which is added to creams, shampoos, tonics, balms and other cosmetics.
Pulp and juice of coconut contain a lot of vitamins. In addition to the vitamins that make up the B group, the fruit contains such rare vitamins as E, C and H. Coconut also contains a decent amount of micro and macro elements, such as calcium and potassium, phosphorus and iron, copper, iodine and manganese. Coconut milk and others
e components of the fruit have a healing and antibacterial effect. They are good for the thyroid gland and joints, improve digestion, increase immunity.
The juice of the nut is usually transparent, and the usual white coconut milk is made by mixing water with crushed pulp. This drink contains all the useful components stored in the fruit. The juice of this nut in its natural form is consumed only in places where the coconut palm grows. So-called "coconut water" without any additives contains virtually no calories, quenches thirst, removes toxins, treats infections that are susceptible to the bladder, and many other diseases.
Unfortunately, this "living water" is very rare in our latitudes. Replaces it with coconut milk. The benefits it brings are also undeniable. This "mix" is equally useful for both internal and external use. Coconut lotions and
masks soften the skin, heal microcracks andsmooth out wrinkles. Such cosmetics have an equally beneficial effect on the hair, saturating them with useful substances and strengthening them. According to legend, the Queen of Sheba preserved her beauty for so long thanks to baths made from water and coconut pulp. Powdered coconut milk is no less he althy than fresh, and contains the same set of trace elements and vitamins.
Cooking and cosmetology, the use of coconut is not limited. Ropes and ropes, carpets and brushes, as well as many other things and building materials are made from the hard fibers that cover the "nut" shell. The strong shell of the fruit also comes into play - toys, souvenirs, dishes and … musical instruments are made from it.
