Featured, Health
By Benprince Ezeh
NATURAL health practitioners have always seen Coconut as a blessing and special gift of nature. The reason for this is because if its health benefits.
Known by different names, Cocos Nucifera is called coconut in English, Kwakwar in Hausa, Aki-bekee or Aku-Oyibo in Igbo and Agbon in Yoruba. According to experts, it contains glycerioles of capprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids. And the practitioners believe that every part of this plant is medicinal.
According to Chima Chime, a doctor with University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH Enugu, “if the bark of the plant is dried and burnt into ashes, it is an effective remedy for skin ailments such as rashes, black spots, scabies, and measles.
“Simply, mix two-dessert spoons of the powder with half a glass of palm kernel oil. Apply to the affected part. “Also, it can be used for the treatment of toothache by mixing two tablespoonfuls of the ashes with one shot of dry gin. Stir well and use as a mouth wash. For dysentery, simply follow the prescription for fibroid as stated below. The water in the coconut is an excellent cleanser. It is among the best natural antibiotics known.
“Coconut water strengthens the immune system and helps it to resist diseases. If you are given some chemical antibiotics, such as chloraphenicol or amoxil in the hospital, you will or should be instructed not to drink coconut water because it will neutralise the effect of the drug. If a child or an adult takes an overdose of a dangerous drug, administer coconut water to neutralise the side effects,” he said.
Chime stated that the white pulp of the immature coconut is very useful for memory. “People suffering from the loss of memory, forgetfulness and any form of memory defect should make friends with coconut. Remove the whitish pulp inside the immature coconut and mix with a little honey. Take as much as you wish. A trial will convince you,” Chime said.
For Valentine Okeke, another doctor with UNTH and a physician said that some very serious health conditions, such as fibroid, hepatitis, bronchitis, coconut can be a cheap and natural remedy for it. “Some years ago, I met a lady who was diagnosed with cancer of the breast. It was very bad then and was considered too late for an operation. I advised her to mix four litres of coconut water with one litre of honey and take half a glass twice daily. So, she did. Up till today the woman is still alive and going about her normal duty, even though the cancer symptoms are still very much apparent. The coconut water has clearly been exercising a moderating effect on the cancer cells.
“I am very sure if an operation had been performed on the breast, the poor woman would have been dead long ago.
“For fibroid, cut the root into tiny pieces. Measure out 15 handfuls of the pieces into 10 bottles of water, add five handfuls of xylopia aethiopica, called uda in Igbo, and Erunje in Yoruba. Boil, allow it to distill for 24 hours. Half of the glass should be taken thrice daily.
“To treat bronchitis, slice an equal amount of pawpaw roots and coconut roots into pieces. Measure 10 handfuls of each into 10 litres of water. Add five bulbs of garlic and boil. Allow it to cool and mix with one bottle of honey. Drink half a glass thrice daily. Same goes for hepatitis, grind the dried coconut root into powder and follow this formula: get these ingredients: eight dessert spoons of coconut root, eight dessert spoons of powdered bitter kola, two tablespoons of powdered bird’s pepper. Mix all together and add to one bottle of honey. Take two dessertspoons thrice daily. This is a very effective remedy for hepatitis and jaundice,” Okeke said.
For Jenifer Ani, a nutritionist, coconut is the solution to many people suffering from high sugar intake. “Coconut stabilises blood sugar. This fruit lowers your fasting blood sugar and alters your gut bacteria to aid blood sugar control. It also improves immunity. Manganese and antioxidants in coconut help boost your immune system and reduce inflammation,” she said.
With these benefits, which are immense to human health, studies have suggested that Medium Chain Triglycerides’s, MCTs, which are found often in coconuts may also have antiviral, antifungal, and tumour-suppressing properties.
– Aug. 22, 2020 @ 816:05 GMT |
Tags: Coconut is blessing and special gift of nature – health practitioner
