‘Mister Coconut’ – Food for thought, and more!

Nov 06, 2016 Countryman, Features / Columnists

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A ‘nutty’ digression from negativity this week. Do you ever get tired of hearing about Guyana’s fabulous natural resource potential, especially when set against our plodding economy? Large mineral deposits and huge timber swathes dominate in our hinterland/rain forests. Along our coastland, Sugarcane and Rice reign.
But here comes Coconut, the lowly palm, whispering through its wind-swept fronds, “Time for me to assert myself. I am Mister Coconut! Give me a chance to show what I’ve been doing for you, and how much more I can do – let’s start with my Sweeeeet Water.
“Is there any beverage in the world more sublime, more invigorating, and healthier than a cool draught of jelly-flecked water straight from my kernel? I doubt it, especially if you’re in Guyana, befuddled by our blistering heat; and enervated by our withering humidity. At between G$120 and $160 per nut, my Ambrosia is affordable to almost every Guyanese, and a virtual gift to the thirst-ravaged visitor. Also, a whole heap of Guyanese men, and women, will swear to my potency when they get behind closed bedroom doors. Now that’s value for your money!”
Let this countryman now pick up the narrative. The humble coconut may be one of our more under-rated and under-utilized agricultural products. It could be partly because, compared to some of the giant coconut-producing nations like The Philippines, India and Indonesia, (over 21,000,000 metric tons per year) Guyana is a mere baby. I nevertheless estimate there may easily be a hundred thousand of these slender palms for every Guyanese inhabitant. And every one is a veritable storehouse of products that can be used for everything from brooms to ‘back’ tonic, and of course, in our tantalizing local cuisine.
Let’s start with a look at coconut use outside of Guyana, and be prepared for some rather strange applications. According to a market survey in India, the ‘wrapper’ of the palm can be used as toilet paper. (No mention was made of abrasiveness, or lack of it) Someone named Jennifer, who appears to have a deep love affair with the palm, states on her exotic website ‘Hybrid Rasta mama’ that you can make a mouthwash, a usable toothbrush, a dye from the roots of the tree, and an exfoliator from the shell, finely-crushed of course. Yep, coconut in the bathroom and in the boudoir!
There are some other uses we in Guyana may not be all that familiar with – the trunk as lumber for building construction, including walls, floors, doors, and furniture, and carved out to make canoes. Strainers can be made from the husk, flour from the ‘meat’, a cough syrup substitute from the milk, a toddy or nectar from the tree’s flower clusters, ‘millionaire’s salad, from the palm heart, and sugar from the sap of cut flower buds. In addition, there are literally hundreds of other uses. In fact several internet websites iterate that every part of the coconut palm, ‘every nook and cranny’ can be used productively.
We Guyanese have always known how good the coconut is, and how useful are other parts of the tree. But from what is now being revealed in the scientific and medical world, we may have just been scratching the surface. Yes, we have our coconut water, coconut milk, and coconut oil. We had our coconut fibre mattresses, and once used chunks of husk to scrub our pots. We have experimented with coconut ornaments, jewellery, and kitchen utensils. Now we’re trying our hands at extra virgin oil, wine, butter, flakes, and coconut-based chemicals for cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. But we’ve still a long way to go.
Ongoing research shows that the coconut, highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, provides health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil is said to possess healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil. Pacific islanders consider it a panacea. It was used in traditional medicine for centuries for such health problems as asthma, constipation, dysentery, gingivitis, painful menstruation, kidney stones, sore throat, skin infections, head lice, ulcers and wounds. Now modern medical science is catching up and confirming its usefulness in many of these conditions.
Published studies in medical journals reveal that coconut oil has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and fever-reducing properties. It consistently improves the LDL: HDL ratio (bad to good cholesterol) in the blood, thereby protecting against heart disease. It may also help burn belly fat, cause measurable cognitive improvement in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, reduce swollen prostates and boost testosterone levels (in rats), possess anti-fungus, anti-bacteria and anti-virus properties, prevent structural damage in osteoporotic bone, and accelerate the healing of wounds.
(Incidentally, not everyone shares these findings. The Australian Heart Foundation says coconut oil is ‘an unhealthy saturated fat’ and should be avoided. Its stance is supported by the Dietitians Association of Australia. The American Heart Association and the government’s dietary guidelines suggest it isn’t any better than any other saturated fats.)
However, a retired scientist from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) says these organizations have got it wrong. He has been studying the coconut for 40 years, and believes it is a super food. Take your pick, but remember that its oil is only one of the palm’s numerous products.
But back to coconut water. According to several studies this natural drink is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes, minerals, amino acids and enzymes including B-complex vitamins and potassium, which makes it an ideal source of rehydration. Medical research has shown positive effects on hypertensive patients, and because of its similar mineral composition to human blood, doctors have used it intravenously, pumping it directly into as patient’s bloodstream in cases of malnutrition and dehydration. They also suggest that it may contain anti-ageing and anti-carcinogenic agents.
I recently spoke with an old-timer who has been selling coconut water for over 50 years outside Bourda Market. He spoke glowingly of its health benefits, and remembers that it was always popular, and affordable, since ‘back in the day’ when a nut cost a mere five to ten cents. He also casually enlightened me with the knowledge that in the past some people actually cooked with coconut water in the absence of potable H2O.
The vendor observed that the libation has always held a special fondness for young, and not-so-young, men and women, because of its reportedly back-strengthening and sex-enhancing properties. “You know, they used to have a saying that (for men) it ‘build the back, and lift the front’, especially if you add some steel drops,” he pronounced with a twinkle in his eye. The father of 17 children added that he was frequent user himself. Draw your own conclusion.
I could find no medical evidence, by way of scientific studies and reports, to support these claims, but that’s neither here nor there, and I for one cannot discredit them. What is however abundantly clear, is that the coconut is coming into its own, and taking its place near, or at, the top of the arboreal hierarchy. The recent Coconut Festival is a step in the right direction, because if we in Guyana are serious about boosting our economy, as well as our overall health, we had better take notice of ‘Mister Coconut’.

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