Coconut Benefits and Uses for Skin, Hair and Health

Coconut is used in many of the Indian homes for centuries and it is known for its immense health benefits and healing powers. It is a healthy nut and is safe to consume even during pregnancy.

Benefits of Coconut for Skin:

Clean skin:

Consuming coconut is an effective way to get a skin that is supple and young looking. Take one spoon of coconut oil and massage your skin to get a clean skin without any blemishes.

Effective for dry hands:

If you have dry and parched hands, apply extra virgin coconut oil on your hands. This will make your hands smooth and beautiful.

Fights dryness:

Coconut oil keeps your skin well moisturized and supple, preventing dryness of the skin. It is good for getting you relief from neurosis, which is a skin condition characterized by dry, flaky and rough skin. Using coconut neutralizes the toxins as well as fungi and bacteria on the skin and increases the immune system of the skin.

Prevents skin cancer:

Coconut is good for preventing skin cancer as it improves the moisture content as well as the lipid content in the skin and can block UV rays to some extent. It hydrates your skin and keeps your skin smooth and rejuvenated.

Removes eye makeup:

Coconut oil is very useful for removing eye makeup. Take some oil on a cotton ball and wipe your eyes with it. This will remove even the toughest eye makeup and keeps the skin hydrated.

Treats oily skin:

Coconut water is effective for treating oily skin. It provides you an even skin tone and removes excess oil from your skin. You can remove acne, black spots and blemishes with coconut water. You can make a face pack by mixing half a teaspoon of turmeric and one teaspoon of sandalwood powder with coconut water. Applying this on your face at least three times a week can provide you a clear and radiant skin.

Youthful skin:

Applying coconut oil is an effective way to keep your skin beautiful and young looking. This is because of its antioxidant properties, which fight against the free radicals responsible for causing premature aging of the skin. It is also good for treating tanned skin.

Benefits of Coconut for Hair:

Healthy hair:

Applying coconut oil on your hair provides you healthy and silky hair.

Prevents scalp infections:

Coconut has anti-fungal and ant-bacterial properties and this helps in preventing scalp infections, protecting your scalp from lice, dandruff and itchiness.

Health and Medicinal Benefits of Coconut:

Anti-ageing:

Coconut is a good source of cytokinins, kinetin and trans-zeatin, which have anti-thrombotic, anti-carcinogenic and anti-aging properties.

Boosts immunity:

Coconut is excellent for improving the functioning of your immune system.  It has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal properties. By consuming coconut oil you can develop resistance to bacteria as well as virus that cause various illnesses. Consuming raw coconut is an excellent way to teat throat infections, urinary tract infections, bronchitis, tapeworms and other illnesses that are caused by microbes.

Boosts energy:

Coconut has the power to burn fat and thus helps in increasing the energy. Triglycerides in coconut oil can increase 24 hours of energy expenditure by 5%. So, in the long run, there is a reduction in your body weight. It can also reduce your crave for food by reducing hunger pangs. People who consume coconut daily have the ability to go without food for hours. Coconut is also effective for the health of your thyroid and its proper functioning and gets you relief from chronic fatigue.

Controls diabetes:

Coconut is very beneficial for improving the secretion of insulin and the use of blood glucose by the body. It positively affects the hormones responsible for controlling blood sugar and thus helps in controlling diabetes. Coconut is also good for improving the functioning of the digestive system and ensures proper movement of the bowel through the digestive tract. Coconut is effective for absorbing nutrients and minerals and also provides dietary fiber. You can also control vomiting and nausea with coconut.

Fiber content:

Coconut is a rich source of dietary fiber. This fiber reduces the speed with which the glucose is released in the body and transports glucose to the cell to get it converted in to energy. It also relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems and thus reduces the risk of diabetes.

Fights cancer:

Coconut is said to have anti-cancerous properties and is found to be effective for preventing colon and breast cancers.

Good during pregnancy:

Coconut water is good for preventing infection of the baby and mother and to increase the immunity.

Improves blood cholesterol:

Coconut oil is beneficial for improving the levels of blood cholesterol in the body and thus lowers the risk of heart diseases. The saturated fatty acids in coconut help in increasing good cholesterol or HDL in the body and decreasing the levels of bad cholesterol or LDL in the body.

Keeps you hydrated:

The electrolyte present in coconut water keeps your body well hydrated. People who go for strenuous activities and easy workouts benefit a lot by drinking coconut water. Coconut water can replace the electrolytes that have lost from your body and keep your body hydrated. It also increases the immunity power of your body.

Nutritious and healthy:

Coconut water is said to be healthier than whole milk and it contains lauric acid, which is considered equivalent to mother’s milk. It is naturally sterile. It is also good for curing hangover.

Overall health:

People who consume coconut daily are found to be healthier than the people who do not have this nut.

Prevents urinary tracts infection:

It improves the flow of urine and thus prevents urinary tracts infection naturally.

Treats abdominal fats:

Dangerous fats in the abdominal cavity can be treated with coconut. These are the most dangerous fats among the fats and are responsible for causing various diseases. Consuming 200 ml of coconut daily can reduce BMI and waist circumference very effectively, within 12 weeks.