Coconuts have been making it big as a dietary
supplement, healthy beverage, and hipster-foodie
superstar ingredient. But these aren’t the only
things the “fruit of life” has been known for.
10 The Coconut IV
The humble coconut has many well-documented
health benefits when eaten, many of which have
been covered in numerous health publications, but
in this case, the advantage is far more direct.
As it turns out, coconut water is a workable short-
term substitute for human blood plasma and was
positively tested as emergency intravenous fluid
as far back as the ’50s. There’s been at least one
documented case where a coconut IV was used in
the Solomon Islands to treat a severely dehydrated
patient.
9 Used In World War I Gas Masks
World War I introduced the concept of large-scale
gas warfare, which made gas masks a necessity for
survival. Gas masks use carbon to scrub the air
clean, but not all carbon is created equal. Gas
mask manufacturers in the US developed the use
of steam-activated coconut char—obtained by
burning coconut husks—as an important
component in gas mask production. They found
that masks using coconut carbon were superior at
filtering noxious substances.
Even now, coconut-fired carbon is still an
important ingredient in cleaning up radiation and
was heavily used in the cleanup project at the
Fukushima nuclear plant.
8 Trained Coconut Monkeys
Palm trees are dangerous for humans to climb, and
it can be awkward trying to wrench a 10-pound
coconut free while holding on for dear life. That’s
why coconut farmers have enlisted some simian
specialists to do the dirty work for them.
In tropical countries like Sumatra, farmers train
monkeys to harvest their coconuts. Most farmers
control the beasts with a long leash, but some
monkeys are so well-trained they respond to their
owner’s voice. These animals are in such high
demand that they can fetch quite the penny.
7 The Coconut Palace
Not only is the coconut good eating, it’s also an
excellent building material. At least, that’s what
former President of the Philippines Ferdinand
Marcos thought when he commissioned the
Coconut Palace.
Seeking to impress Pope John Paul II during his
visit to the Philippines, Marcos ordered the opulent
structure built for the whopping sum of 37 million
pesos ($10 million). Seventy percent of this two-
story structure is built from coconut lumber. Other
assorted components of the coconut tree and fruit
are also incorporated into the decor and
architecture.
Did the Coconut Palace make an impression on the
Pope? Yes, but not the intended one. Pope John
Paul II judged the palace too pretentious and
flamboyant for his tastes (not to mention
irresponsible in the face of the country’s high
poverty rate), and he decided to stay elsewhere.
6 The Art Of The Coconut
Gifted artists can create beauty out of anything,
and the coconut is no exception. It’s been used as
a medium for sculptures both crude and intricate,
involving great levels of detail and skill. The
smooth, unbroken coconut shell also makes a
great canvas for festive paintings.
Coconuts are also an integral part of some tropical
folk dances and cultural performances. Take the
maglalatik, for instance, which is a dance
indigenous to the Philippines. It employs coconut
shell halves strapped to various parts of a male
performer’s body and used as makeshift drums.
5 Coco-Fuel
Coconuts are good fuel for the body, but did you
know that it’s also a planet-friendly fuel for
machinery? Biodiesel has been making the rounds
as a fossil fuel alternative, and coconut trees
happen to be one of the plants that can produce oil
in workable quantities. Not only that, but coconuts
can perform multiple roles: as a base substance,
an additive, or a direct substitute for petroleum
diesel.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise—the
earliest diesel engines ran on peanut oil.
4 Prehistorical Mapping With Coconut Trade
Routes
The stalwart coconut has been a key factor in the
growth and development of many human
civilizations. And now, scientists have discovered
just how large a part coconuts have played in trade
and migration.
There are more than 1,300 kinds of coconut, and
they can be separated into two main genetic
origins: the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. By
examining the coconuts’ genetic ancestry,
evolutionary biologist Kenneth Olsen and his team
have been able to trace the trade routes and
migratory paths of ancient human civilizations—all
the way to fairly recent times.
3 Coconut Vodka
No beach vacation is complete without a refreshing
coconut drink to help you kick back and relax. But
if you want to party, don’t count coconuts out just
yet.
In the Philippines, sap from an unopened coconut
flower is distilled into a potent drink called
lambanog. It’s powerful stuff (easily 80 to 90
proof) but is organic and chemical-free. Lambanog
is traditionally homemade, but some commercial
distilleries have introduced several flavors into the
market, such as mango, bubblegum, and
blueberry.
2 Coconut Armor
When we think “coconut armor,” the first image
that comes to mind is probably a hollowed-out
coconut husk used as a makeshift helmet. But
craftsmen in the small Micronesian archipelago of
Kiribati were far more clever than that.
Their coconut suit was made out of densely woven
coconut fiber matting—kind of like wearing really
thick carpet. The armor consisted of a cap, body
armor, back plate, leggings, and jerkin (a close-
fitting jacket). A high collar in the back protected
the warrior from stones thrown from his own side,
a primitive form of artillery support.
1 They’re A Pop Sensation
By now, you should realize that coconuts are quite
the popular fruit. In fact, they’ve been the
inspiration for quite a few music sensations. One
such song is “ Coconut” by Harry Nilsson, a quirky
and charming song that popped up in the early
’70s and quickly became a Billboard hit. After its
reign on the airwaves, the song made repeated
appearances in movies (Reservoir Dogs,
Confessions of A Shopaholic), television (The
Simpsons, House, Doogie Howser, M.D.), and
videogames (Alan Wake).

Those years they told us ''coconut water will make you dumb''

the problem I have with coconuts is removing the flesh from the shell..too stressful