Coconut - traditional medicine

Multipurpose plants in the true sense, coconut palms have been used to treat an extraordinary range of health problems. The seeds, roots and even flowers have been prepared into pastes, infusions and creams for Ayurvedic and other traditional South Asian medicines.

Coconut remedies

White meat and water from the cavity are used for heart conditions, dysentery, fever, pain, digestive and bladder problems, to quench thirst and as an aphrodisiac. To treat diarrhoea, meat from young fruits is mixed with other ingredients and rubbed onto the stomach. Oil prepared from boiling coconut milk is thought of as antiseptic and soothing and so is smoothed onto the skin to treat burns, ringworm and itching. These two properties are also valued in Western medicine. It has been applied to the scalp in the belief that it might encourage hair growth and prevent grey hair.

Other parts of the palm

Photo of a man selling young coconuts on his bicycle.
Young green coconuts for sale.

Other parts of the palm are also used in traditional South Asian medicine. Juice tapped from flowers stalks is given to cure fever and promote urination. Fresh juice mixed and heated together with rice flour is applied to gangrenous ulcers and skin boils, while fermented juice is taken as a laxative. The roots have been used for a host of ailments, including as an infusion for sore throat gargles. Coconut palm hearts are nourishing and are regarded as good for the digestion. To regulate menstruation, a paste made from grinding the hearts with molasses is eaten every day for several successive days. The fresh juices from the hearts are used against fevers.

Coconuts also feature in traditional medicines in other parts of the world. In Indo-China, the seeds are used as a treatment for skin and nasal ulcers.

This information is provided for general interest only. It is not intended as guidance for medicinal use. Further information on using herbal medicines is available.