Apr 5, 2016 by Lindsay Shaheen
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is among the most useful plants in the world. Found practically everywhere between the 26th parallels of the northern and southern hemisphere, it has been treasured and cultivated for food and drink, as a material for tools, utensils, and shelter, and as an ornamental tree that is synonymous with the tropics. Its versatility is captured in the language that various cultures use to describe it: in Sanskrit, it is “the tree which provides all the necessities in life”; in Malay, it is “the tree of a thousand uses”; and in the Philippines, it is simply the “tree of life”.
While all parts of the coconut tree have been used for thousands of years, its ubiquitousness in the western world is fairly recent but has quickly become a darling for natural living enthusiasts. Coconut oil, in particular, has many fantastic uses – it can help accelerate weight loss, render dry, damaged hair healthy once again, it can be swished in the mouth for a myriad of health benefits, it can be eaten straight from the jar and it can be used to make a wealth of personal care products.
