Coconuts are a tropical fruit that are both sweet and crunchy. They’re also packed full of saturated fats and contain high levels of copper, fiber, iron, manganese and selenium. In this article I’ll be looking at how the impressive nutritional content of coconuts can boost your health and list five of this fruit’s key health benefits.

Benefit 1 - Strong Immune System

As mentioned above, coconuts are a fantastic source of saturated fats. Your body uses saturated fats to produce strong, healthy white blood cells. These then help to keep diseases, infections and foreign bodies at bay and give your immune system a significant boost.

Benefit 2 - Healthy Digestive System

A single cup serving of coconut provides you with 29% of the RDA for fiber. Fiber is a key nutrient for digestive health and supports your digestive system in numerous ways. First, it holds foods in the digestive tract for longer and allows you to get the maximum nutrition and energy from the foods you eat. Second, it promotes regular bowel movements which ensures that waste materials are removed from your body quickly and efficiently and reduces the chances of your digestive system getting infected.

Benefit 3 - Antioxidant Protection

Coconuts are rich in two powerful antioxidant nutrients – coumaric acid and ferulic acid. These two nutrients fight free radicals (harmful substances that get released as a by-product during oxygen based reactions) and keep your body’s cells safe from their harmful effects which include accelerated aging, an increased risk of chronic disease and a weakened immune system.

Benefit 4 - Healthy Bones & Teeth

Coconuts contain a wide selection of nutrients that support your bones and teeth. The manganese and saturated fat in coconuts directly stimulates the formation of strong bones and teeth while the copper they contain supports the production of collagen – a connective tissue that’s used by the body to build healthy bones.

Benefit 5 - Healthy Brain

One final benefit of eating coconuts is that they can improve your memory and cognitive performance and protect against brain related disorders. The reason for this is that a large proportion of your brain is constructed from saturated fats. Since coconuts contain high levels of saturated fats, they provide your brain with the fuel it needs to build new brain cells, function optimally and keep disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

Summary 

To unlock all the health benefits above, aim to eat coconut at least three times per week. There are lots of ways to enjoy coconut, so you can add it to your diet with ease and unlock all the positive effects listed above.