As The Origin of Coconut goes, records from history show that Marco Polo the famous Venetian explorer was greatly impressed with coconuts during the time 1254 to 1324. At the time he came across them in Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands. At this time he gave them the name of Pharaoh’s nuts. It has been suggested that during the 6th century that Arab merchants brought back coconuts from Easy Africa. Where coconuts were flourishing into Egypt and that the reference to Pharaoh meant that he was aware of this fact.
The Zazibarian historians made mention of the fact that Arab traders carried nux Indica so called back then. These were made from coconut shells to England long before the Portuguese sailors even reached East Africa. These Arab travellers discovered many profitable items including coconut products in the Maldives islands.
These people from the Maldives’ Islands were so skilled in the knowledge of the coconut tree that during the 14th century they were commissioned to build ships for the Arab made completely from the coconut tree and this included the hulls, masts bailer’s ropes, caulking and the sails.
An interesting story relates the tail of Ferdinand Magellan’s historic voyage from Spain to find the western route to the Spice Islands in 1519. The story suggests that if not for Antonio Pigafetta curiosity the voyage of Ferdinando would have gone unrecorded. Because Pigafetta kept a journal of the entire journey after boarding one of the five of Magellan’s ships.
The journey relates many of the troubles that Magellan encountered during the voyage, which was mainly starvation and scurvy. Forced to stop for supplies they disembark on an Island in Guam, but they was more trouble from unfriendly natives who wore coconut shell masks and shaking coconut shell rattles with human bones for handles.
Fortunately Magellan was able to negotiate with natives and was allowed to leave with provision and a load of coconuts as well. Pigafette said that, ‘as we have bread, wine, oil and vinegar, so too does the natives get all these things from the coconut tree…’ Two of these palm trees can sustain a whole family of ten… and that they usually last a hundred years.
In 1577 Shortly after Magellan’s voyage, the renowned Sir Francis Drake went from England to the Cape Verde Islands, which are off the coast of Africa, and he too was so impressed with coconut that he wrote that amongst the other things that he had discovered was a fruit called Cocos, which was not commonly known in England.
During the 2nd World War Coconut water was the fluid of life as it was used intravenously as blood plasma replacement. Because of it having the same chemical components of blood plasma, namely its electrolyte balance. Ever since then it has been recognized as an excellent alternative to sport drinks.
But this information was being withheld from the population because the established sport drink companies didn’t want people to know this. As a result they employed some of the toughest marketing campaigns in history for sport drinks like Gatorade and vitamin water. Which has emerged as the leading sports drinks on the market today.
However, many people did not know that there was a much better alternative that was by far more superior, 100% natural, more refreshing and rehydrating than any of today’s sport drinks from the beginning of time. One reason why coconut water is far more superior as a sport drink is definitely because of its high levels of electrolytes.
