Coconut Water to Prevent Acid Reflux

Vita Coco Organic Coconut Water

Coconut as Folk Medicine

It’s been a while since my last blog post. What drives me to write this post is because in my home in Sukodono District, every 100 meters I go, all I can see is a coffee shop and a wholesale coconut shop.

Coconut is considered to be number two as the miracle trees, because its whole trees are useable, providing food, home, shelter, medicine, utilities, and etc., for millions of people in the world.

Since ancient time, tropical people have used every parts of coconut tree for folk remedies, such as: abscesses, alopecia, amenorrhea, asthma, blenorrhagia, bronchitis, bruises, burns, cachexia, calculus, colds, constipation, cough, debility, dropsy, dysentery, dysmenorrhea, earache, erysipelas, fever, flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, hematemesis, hemoptysis, jaundice, menorrhagia, nausea, phthisis, pregnancy, rash, scabies, scurvy, sorethroat, stomach, swelling, syphylis, toothache, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, venereal diseases, and wounds.

In term of medicine, coconut may also consider as miracle tree, because it reported has many active substances, or bioactive compounds, such as:

• Anthelmintic (a medicine used to destroy parasitic worms).
• Anti-blenorrhagic (an agent used to manage gonorrhoea).
• Anti-inflammatory.
• Antibronchitis (used to treat bronchitis, an inflammation of the airways leading into lungs).
• Antidotal (a medicine taken, or given to counteract a particular poison).
• Antigingivitic (used to treat painful inflammation of the gums).
• Antihypertensives (used to treat hypertension, high blood pressure).
• Antipyretic (used to prevent or reduce fever).
• Antiseptic (an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction).
• Aperient (used to relieve constipation).
• Aphrodisiac (a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior).
• Astringent (a chemical that shrinks, or constricts body tissues).
• Antiepileptic (used to treat epilepsy).
• Bactericidal (a substance which kills bacteria).
• Cardioprotective (protect the heart).
• Cytokinins (anti-cancer compounds).
• Depurative (herbs that are considered to have purifying, and detoxifying effects).
• Diuretic (substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine).
• Febrifugal (as medicine to reduce fever).
• Hemostat (preventing the flow of blood from an open blood vessel by compression of the vessel).
• Kinetin (N6-Furfuryladenine, strong anti-ageing effects on human skin cells).
• Pediculicide (an agent that destroys lice). Another way to get rid of lice naturally, just like I’ve already wrote in my previous post.
• Purgative (a medication that encourages bowel movements).
• Refrigerant (a medication for reducing body heat).
• Stomachic (a medicine that serves to tone the stomach, improving its function and increase appetite).
• Styptic (a drug that causes contraction of body tissues and canals).
• Suppurative (undergo the formation of pus).
• Vermifuge (an anthelmintic medicine).

Coconut Water to Prevent Acid Reflux

Coconut water contains 95.5% water, 0.1% protein, 0.1% fat, 0.4% ash, and 4.0% carbohydrate. 100g of coconut water contains 105mg Natrium, 312mg Kalium (Potassium), 29mg Calcium, 30mg Magnesium, 0.1mg Ferrum, 0.04mg Copper, 37mg Phosphorus, 24mg Sulfur, and 183mg choline. Coconut water also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B9.

Research shows that consuming coconut water can help prevent dehydration in children with mild diarrhea. Also that drinking coconut water might lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, but taking coconut water along with medications for high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low.

Due to coconut water contains high levels of kalium or potassium, a person with kidney problems should also watch more carefully when consuming coconut water.

It was my son, Michael’s regular barber who aged about 60 yrs old told me his story why his barbershop was closed for couple of months. The old man said that he was being treated at an island called Bawean Island, about 135km north of Gresik City, due to suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). He often felt a burning sensation in his chest, known as heartburn, and sour taste in back of his mouth. That’s why the doctor diagnosed him as suffering from GERD.

After several visits to the doctor in the hospital and taking the medicine, the symptoms never recovered. The old man also suffered from shortness of breath, like he had asthma, even though he had never had asthma complaints before. So, he quit visiting the doctor and sought alternative treatment.

Then he ended up in Bawean Island, in a traditional hospitals whose owners do not have health certificates, or any medical degrees. The old man stayed there for a month, and everyday, he used one young coconut to drink its water. The practitioner told him, that he should consult his former doctor to perform more medical checkups after consuming coconut water for a month. .

Why should I?, the old man said to me. I feel much better now. I don’t need to go to the hospital anymore. I never felt heartburn anymore., he added.

Like the old man, I also had GERD when I was young. Smoking and drinking coffee are most likely to be the sources of problems. The doctor once said to me that GERD patients often suffer from irritation of the skin if exposed to alcohol compounds. That was when I suffered from boils in my armpits when using deodorant and itching on my chest when I sprayed perfume directly on my chest. Since that moment, I never use any deodorant or perfume anymore.

Based on the old man story, whenever I had symptoms like heartburn or a sour taste in my mouth, I quickly bought coconut water and drank it without adding any sugar.

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References:

• T Alleyne et al. 2005
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15892382/.
• JWH Yong et al. 2009
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6255029/.
• ZA Zakaria et al. 2006
  https://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=jpt.2006.516.526.
• P Anurag et al. 2003
  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:QUAL.0000040363.64356.05.

The Miracle Moringa

(a) A tree of Moringa oleifera, (b) Moringa flowers and leaves.

Moringa oleifera Lam. is a miracle plant, native to the Indian subcontinent, where its various parts are valuable for food and medicine. Moringa is also called plant that never die, due to its ability to survive harsh weather and drought. In Indonesia, moringa is known as kelor. Kelor, in Javanese tradition, is often to be connected with its magical, or supranatural properties.

Moringa is also known as drumstick tree, horseradish tree, clarifier tree, ben oil tree, and benzoil tree. Other common names of moringa, includes, Kalor, Merunggai, Sajina (Malay), Chùm ngây (Viet), Ma-rum (Thai), Malunggay (Tagalog), Sahjan (Hindi), Surajana (Sanskrit), Sajiwan, Swejan (Nepali). Moringa can grow either, in lowland, or highland up to 1000 m above sea level, and reach a height of 7–12 m.

The seed of moringa is said to be eaten like a peanut, in Malaya. Thickened root used as substitute for horseradish. Foliage eaten as greens, in salads, in vegetable curries, as pickles, and for seasoning. Leaves pounded up, to be used for scrubbing utensils, and also for cleaning walls.

In Africa, commonly planted as a living fence tree. Moringa trees planted on graves are believed to keep away hyenas, and its branches are used as charms against witchcraft.

Moringa is called miracle plant, because it has many active substances, or bioactive compounds, such as:

• Anti-aging.
• Anti-anxiety, or Anxiolytic.
• Antibacterial.
• Antibiotic.
• Anti-depressant.
• Antidiabetic
• Antiepileptic.
• Antifungal.
• Anti-hypertensive
• Anti-hyperthyroidism (substance that inhibits hyperthyroidism, an excessive production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland).
• Anti-inflammation.
• Antimicrobial.
• Antioxidant.
• Anti-progestational (disturbing the phase of the menstrual cycle).
• Antipyretic.
• Antiscorbutic (rich in vitamin C).
• Antispasmodic (substance that relieves, prevents, or lowers the incidence of muscle spasms).
• Antitumor.
• Anti-ulcer.
• Counter-irritant (applied to the skin to provoke a mild inflammation, and relieve deeper pain, either by improving the blood supply, or by interfering with the passage of sensory nerve impulses).
• Diuretic (promotes the increased production of urine, to help reducing the amount of water in the body, and to lower high blood pressure).
• Emmenagogue (substance that stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area, and uterus, to promote menstrual discharge).
• Estrogenic (substance which acting like estrogen).
• Galactagogue (promotes lactation, in humans and animals).
• Hepatoprotective.
• Hypocholesterolemic (substance that promotes hypocholesterolemia, condition of abnormally low levels of cholesterol in the blood).
• Hypoglicemic (substance that promotes hypoglycemia, or insulin reaction, or low blood sugar).
• Purgative (substance that makes you empty your bowels).
• Rubefacient (substance for external application that produces redness of the skin, by causing dilation of the capillaries, and an increase in blood circulation, to relieve acute, or chronic pain).
• Stimulant (substance that induce temporary improvements in either mental, or physical functions, or both).

Moringa History as Folk Medicine

According to NCI's Jonathan L. Hartwell's works of study from 1967–1971, the roots of moringa are used in folk remedies for tumors. In Nicaragua, the root decoction is used to treat dropsy.

Moringa roots are bitter, acrid, and pungent, which act as a tonic to the body and lungs, are taken to promote digestion. Moringa roots are also act as an expectorant, mild diuretic, and a stimulant in paralytic afflictions, epilepsy, and hysteria

Moringa leaves, which have purgative properties, applied as poultice to relieve sores, and rubbed on the temples for headaches. Moringa leaves are used as poultice on the abdomen to expel intestinal worms.

In Guatemala, moringa leaf is used for skin infections and sores. In Malaysia, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, it is used as a cure for intestinal worms. In Nicaragua, moringa leaves are used to cure headache. In Philippines, it is used to cure anemia, glandular swelling and lactation. In Senegal, moringa leaves are used to treat diabetes.

Moringa leaves are rich in vitamins A and C, ß carotene, potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Moringa leaves have the calcium equivalent of four glasses of milk

The vitamin C content of seven oranges

Potassium of three bananas

Three times the iron of spinach

Four times the amount of vitamin A in carrots

Two times the protein in milk

The decoction of moringa flowers, combined with cow's milk, is an excellent herbal tonic for sexual weakness, and functional infertility of both males, and females. Powdered moringa bark is used to improve quality of semen, and premature ejaculation in male.

Moringa is a natural medicine for digestive disorder. The combination of fresh leaf extract, one teaspoon honey, and one glass of coconut water is an excellent herbal antidote for cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, and colitis.

Moringa leaf extract mixed with cucumber, or carrot juice is a natural antidote for dysuria, and high acid percentage in urine. Moringa leaf extract mixed with lime juice is helpful for the treatment for pimples, black head, and age spots. On regular use it adds natural radiance on skin tone.

An ointment which is made from moringa leaves mixed with whiting (calcium carbonate) is used to treat rheumatism. The decoction of fresh leaves extract mixed with one teaspoon honey, and one glass of water is used to treat nyctalopia (night-blindness). An eye drops which are made from moringa leaves extract is used to treat eye-ache.

Moringa in Javanese Tradition

Dunia Tak Selebar Daun Kelor

Above quote translates in English as The world is not as wide as moringa leaf. Other common English quote, which is similiar to above quote, The world is bigger than your backyard. The meaning is quite simple, that is, the world is not as small as you think it is. Open up your view, and not just being shallow minded people! We all have different parts to make this world a better place. Start from your little place called home.

Moringa or kelor in Javanese tradition, as I have mentioned earlier in this post, is connected with its magical, or supranatural properties. Just like in Africa, which kelor branches are used as charms against witchcraft, Javanese people believed, that kelor trees planted on homeyard, are also used as charms against witchcraft.

Kelor branch with some leaves attached is used to remove supranatural thing inside near death, or coma patient, by hitting the patient's body with the branch. Supranatural thing, or susuk in Javanese term, that I mentioned before, is a kind of silver, or gold needle. Susuk is planted below the skin of elbow, shoulder, foot, arm or face, to use it as charms, for labor job, in sports, for health and longevity.

My Great Grandfather, which I had mentioned about him in my earlier post, who died at the age of 95 years, was also had to be hit with a branch of kelor leaves, to remove the susuk inside his body, in order to give him a peaceful death, in his bed.

Kemade kelor, or in English is known as moringa parasite, is a kind of parasite which is seldom be found on moringa branches. Javanese people believed that kemade kelor have more healing effects than any other parts of moringa tree. Only for those who needed the most, for healing purpose, could found it.

My friend was once told me a story about his neighbour who searched for kemade kelor on a metre of height moringa tree, near his house. His neighbour could not find it anywhere on the tree. But an hour later, his brother searched again the kemade kelor for his brother's friend. His brother managed to find this amazing kemade kelor for his friend. I couldn't find any image in the internet about this magical, and miraculous moringa parasite.

Mustika galih kelor, or in English known as moringa bark fossil, is a stone which is made from moringa bark fossil. The stone could also be found on a 12 m height of hundreds years old moringa tree. Javanese people believed that by wearing the stone, it will gain several magical effects, such as unlimited health, body armour, and charms against witchcraft.

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References:

• Image from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Hartwell, J.L. 1967–1971. Plants used against cancer. A survey.
• Duke, J.A. 1983. Handbook of Energy Crops.
• Patel, S. et al 2010. Moringa oleifera: A Review of There Medicinal and Economical Importance to the Health and Nation. (Read or download PDF from Web Archive 8/14/2021).
• Tanaman obat Indonesia. Sentra Informasi IPTEK (Web Archive 7/15/2008).

Does Milk Raise Cancer Risk?

Image from wikimedia.org

Milk, a white colour liquid, which produced by the mammary glands of mammals. Milk is the primary source of nutrition for infant mammals, before they are able to digest other types of food. Early lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to its young, and can reduce the risk of many diseases.

Speaking of colostrum, here's a quote from my previous post:

Is colostrum from cows good for you? Yes, if you are a baby cow…..

Many women think it's not necessary to breastfeed their babies, for at least the first 1½ years. That's why, many children are fat, have allergies, and 'behavior disorders' nowadays. Formula milk will never replace all the substances in a mother’s milk.

Have you wonder why every mammals stops drinking mother's milk at a certain age? It is because by then, their bodies are able to produce itself, its own substances needed for the body, including, hormones, growth factors and other peptides.

Also, have you ever heard a cow gets an osteoporosis? Think again! What does cow eat everyday?

In 2015, according to USDA, world total cows milk production was 491,204 kilo metric tons. While in US alone was 94,480 kilo metric tons. World total cows milk (fluid) consumption was 179,838 kilo metric tons. In US was 26,789 kilo metric tons. And not to mention other diary products, such as, cheese, butter, yoghurt, and ice cream. Most Americans now eat 40% of their calories, in the form of dairy products.

Dairy Products as a Possible Cancers Trigger

A controversial theory singled out dairy products as a possible cancers trigger. Professor Jane Plant, bestselling author of Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer, had made a war against dairy products, started in 1993. Shortly after the doctor told her, that she had only months to live, following her breast cancer recurrences for the 5th time.

Professor Jane, and her husband, Peter, who is also a Professor of Geology, had been worked together in China. Learning that breast cancer rate in China, was one in 100,000 women, compared to a rate of one in ten, in the UK at that time. She then wondered, "Why don't Chinese women in China get breast cancer?" Turned out, it was Chinese women habits, which made them had a lower risk of breast cancer.

Most Chinese people are vegetarian, and to them dairy products are rich people foods. After a year on a strict vegetarian diet, she was being declared cancer free, and remained free of cancer, for nineteen years, without taking medication.

I now believe that, the link between dairy produce, and breast cancer, is similar to, the link between smoking, and lung cancer. - Professor Jane Plant

But still, not everyone who consumed dairy products everyday, die from cancer, and not everyone who smoked everyday, die from lung cancer. Because everyone has a chance of developing cancer, whether they have family history of cancer, or not.

Cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of the cells that make up living things. Cancer is often thought of as human disease but is actually widespread in most forms of plant and animal life. Tumors have been found in insects, fish, reptiles, birds, fungi, ferns, carrots, spruce, willow, and sugar beets.

Milk Consumption vs. Cancers Risk Study

Reported data of milk consumption habits were obtained by questionnaire, from 3,334 cancer patients, and 1,300 comparable control subjects, at Roswell Park Memorial Institute. As a group, control patients were more likely to report never drinking whole milk. Cancer patients more often reported frequent consumption of whole milk.

The data found that consumption of low fat milk was linked to significant risk reduction for oral, and cervical cancers, but drinking only whole milk was linked to significant risk increases for cancers of the oral cavity, stomach, rectum, lung, and breast. (Mettlin CJ, et al. 1990)

Breast Cancer

Dietary information which based on food frequency questionnaire of 88,691 women was collected from 1980 until May 31, 1996. Among them, there were 3,482 women with incident invasive breast cancer. The study found no association between intake of dairy products, and breast cancer. (Shin MH, et al. 2002)

Recent study among 97 breast cancer patients, and 104 control healthy individuals, in Western Mexico, were analyzed their lifetime consumption of meat and milk. According to the study, high milk consumption increased the breast cancer risk by 7.2 times, whereas the consumption of meat, was not significantly associated with the disease. The study concluded that high consumption of cow's milk was a risk factor for the development of breast cancer. (Galván-Salazar HR, et al. 2015)

Lung Cancer

Cigarette smoking causes most lung cancers. The more cigarettes to smoke per day, and the earlier age of starting to smoke, the greater the risk of getting lung cancer. A prospective case control study, in the west of Sweden, was aimed to investigate the relationship between lung cancer, smoking, and dietary factors.

The study was using the data from the local cancer register, on 308 cases, and 504 controls. The study found no significant risk for males smoking 1-10 cigarettes/day, for less than 20 years. A lower consumption of vegetables was related to a higher risk, both for smokers, and nonsmokers. A higher consumption of milk was related to an increased risk. (Rylander R, et al. 1996)

Ovarian Cancer

Dairy foods and its constituents, lactose and calcium, have been hypothesized to promote ovarian carcinogenesis. Milk is a source of animal fats in the diet, and animal fat intake is associated with ovarian cancer risk.

A case control study of 303 ovarian cancer cases, and 606 age matched nonmalignant disease controls, was performed between 1982 and 1988, at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, in Buffalo, New York. The study suggested that, milk drinking is not a source of ovarian cancer risk independently of its fat content. (Mettlin CJ, et al. 1990)

A case control study in Hawaii, and Los Angeles, California, among 558 ovarian cancer patients, in 1993-1999, and 607 controls, were interviewed regarding their diet. Consumption of all dairy products, all types of milk, low fat milk, but not consumption of whole milk, was significantly inversely related to the odds of ovarian cancer. The study suggested that intake of low fat milk, calcium, or lactose may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. (Goodman MT, et al. 2002)

A prospective population based cohort study of 61,084 women, aged 38-76 years, who were enrolled, in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Diet was assessed, in 1987-1990, with the use of a self administered food frequency questionnaire. During a follow up of 13.5 years, 266 women were diagnosed with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer, in which 125 of them had serous ovarian cancer.

The study indicated that high intakes of lactose, and dairy products, particularly milk, are associated with an increased risk of serous ovarian cancer, but no other subtypes of ovarian cancer. (Larsson SC, et al. 2004)

A meta analysis study from 18 case control, and three prospective cohort studies, concluded that prospective cohort studies, but not case control studies, support the hypothesis, that high intakes of dairy foods, and lactose may increase the risk of ovarian cancer. (Larsson SC, et al. 2006)

62,573 postmenopausal women were participating, a self administered questionnaire on dietary habits, and other risk factors for cancer, in the Netherlands. After 11 years of follow up, no association was seen between consumption of milk, yoghurt, cheese, or fermented dairy products, and ovarian cancer risk. The results do not support an association between consumption of dairy products, or lactose intake, and ovarian cancer. (Mommers M, et al. 2006)

A pooled analysis of the primary data from 12 prospective cohort studies was conducted. The study population consisted of 553,217 women, among whom 2,132 epithelial ovarian cases were identified. The study found no associations were observed for intakes of specific dairy foods, or calcium, and ovarian cancer risk. (Genkinger JM, et al. 2006)

Results from epidemiological studies examining the relationship between intake of dairy foods, and breast, or ovarian cancer risk are not consistent. Animal studies have suggested that galactose may be toxic to ovarian cells, but results from epidemiological studies, that have examined ovarian cancer risk, and milk or lactose intakes are mixed. (Rock CL. 2011)

Prostate Cancer

In 1986, 58,279 men aged 55-69 years completed a self administered 150 item food frequency questionnaire. After 6.3 years of follow up, there were 642 prostate cancer cases. Positive trends in risk were found for consumption of cured meat, and milk products. (Schuurman AG, et al. 1999)

A high calcium intake, mainly from dairy products, may increase prostate cancer risk. A cohort study investigated the association between dairy product, calcium intakes, and prostate cancer risk, in the Physicians's Health Study, a cohort of male US physicians.

During 11 years of follow up, the study documented 1,012 incident cases of prostate cancer, among 20,885 men. The study resulted that, men consuming dairy products >600 mg/d, had a 32% higher risk of prostate cancer. The study supported the hypothesis, that dairy products, and calcium are associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer. (Chan JM, et al. 2001)

Multiethnic cohort study, from 1993 to 2002, was aimed to examined 82,483 men who completed a food frequency questionnaire. During a follow up of 8 years, 4,404 total cases of prostate cancer were identified. The study suggested an association between milk consumption, and prostate cancer risk may vary by fat content, particularly for early forms of this cancer. (Park SY, et al. 2007)

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are! - Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin