Trouble in Paradise: Coconut War Waters and Coconut Oil Controversies

Whether enrobed with chocolate in a candy bar or sucked up through
a straw on the beach, coconut has become shorthand for the good
life: clear blue waters, white sand beaches, and an ocean breeze.
But it’s not just a tropical treat. All around the world, people
who live alongside the coconut palm refer to it as the “tree of
life,” thanks to its ability to provide food, oil, fresh water, and
the sturdy raw materials to build homes, clothes, and even musical
instruments—all from one plant. But can this delicious, Swiss
Army-knife of a nut (that's not technically a nut) also prevent
heart disease, clean your teeth, and even stave off Alzheimer's?
This episode, Gastropod cracks open what makes coconuts so great,
including their role as everything from a Presidential lifesaver to
the missing ingredient in nuclear fusion. We've also got the
backstabbing battle that made coconut water popular, and the
science on all of that Paleo coconut oil hype. Plus, we take on our
toughest field assignment yet: traveling to a tropical island to
taste the fruit of the tree of life ourselves—if we can just figure
out how to get it open... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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