She gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN on Wednesday in Abuja.

She said that “coconut water contains higher amount of potassium than other fruits and potassium normalises the sodium level in the body, thereby reducing blood pressure.

“The high potassium in coconut water helps to balance excess sodium in the body, and this effect can reduce high blood pressure.”

Suleiman, who explained that coconut water was a natural sports drink, with high calcium and magnesium content, added that it was good for people who engaged in vigorous exercises.

She explained that “during exercise, the muscles hit on the bones and in that process, there is thin wearing away of the muscles.

“Calcium helps to rebuild the muscles, while magnesium helps to incorporate the calcium into the muscles. Both calcium and magnesium are present in coconut water.”

The nutritionist also said that “coconut water contains five of the amino acids found in human breast milk which help to repair worn out tissues.”

She also said that cytokines are present in coconut water, explaining that “cytokines are plant hormones with anti-aging properties and can potentially fight cancer cells.”

Suleiman noted that various products such as coconut milk and coconut candy could be derived from coconut and that no part of the fruit was a waste.

“Cytokines are not only present in coconut water, but also in coconut oil.

“Applying coconut oil gradually wears away wrinkles on the face. It can also be applied on fresh wounds to prevent the formation of scars.

“There are just so many products to get from the coconut and the interesting thing is, every part of the fruit is important.”

She also made it clear that eating coconut or any of its products has no side effects on the health of individuals as long as it was consumed in moderation.

She said it could be eaten two times in a week.

She, however, said that coconut was not recommended for people with renal failure as it would worsen their situation.

“Like I said earlier, the potassium in coconut pulls out excess sodium from the body. This sodium is being sent to the kidney for possible excretion.

“For someone with renal failure, excess sodium in the kidney will worsen the situation and can lead to complete failure of the kidney.

“Hence, we do not recommend coconut to such people,” Suleiman added.

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The General Manager, Lagos State Coconut Development Authority, LASCODA, Mr Dapo Olakulehin, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that the coast line had shrunk due to human activities.

Olakulehin spoke with NAN after a joint fact-finding mission to the LASCODA’s formation and coconut plantations in Badagry undertaken in collaboration with General Manager, Agricultural Land Holding Authority, Mr Dapo Are.

The LASCODA boss said part of the mission was to consolidate government agriculture land holdings as well as arrest encroachment on the land.

He said the target was to plant one million coconut trees on the coastline from Badagry to Ibeju-Lekki to replace the old and unproductive trees.

Olakulehin described the coconut belt as important economic, cultural, historical and environmental resources of about 10,000km coastline of West Africa stretching from Senegal, Gambia, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea to Nigeria.

According to him, the coconut belt serves as natural buffers, which shields the mainland from the ocean, adding that no other tree crop could effectively serve as barrier between the land and ocean like it.

He said that the coconut belt was shrinking daily due to human activities, thus negatively affecting the environment while the old trees were also not effectively serving the purpose of why nature put them there in the first instance.

“The Lagos State government under the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu is ready to reverse this trend by massively repopulating the coconut belt in Lagos through multi-agency and inter-ministerial cooperation.

“This will be done with the active involvement of the private sector and the communities along the coastline.

“The major sources of livelihood of most coastal communities along this stretch are fish and coconut value chains.

“Of this stretch, Nigeria has close to 1,000 km in which 180km belongs to Lagos State; square metre per square metre, Lagos section of the stretch has highest number of coconut trees than any other location along the coastline of West Africa.

“No wonder, Badagry and Lagos Island Divisions of Lagos State are economically, culturally and socially associated with coconut from time immemorial,” he said.

The LASCODA boss said the strategies to stop further loss of such lands to unauthorised persons had begun as illegally occupied portions would be reclaimed without delay.

“We want to do it consciously, we want to reclaim the land but we need to carry communities along the area along and we are starting almost immediately to rehabilitate the coconut belt along the coastline.

“The coconut trees along the ocean belt is a natural shield to the ocean, but these coconut trees are reducing every day and that is why we are having ocean surge and other environmental challenges.

“Our objective is to restore the coconut to its old place by the ocean belt,” he said .

Olakulehin said the belt was about 180 kilometers, adding that part of it had been taken over by the Nigerian Ports Authority and some jetty.

“We are sensitising the communities on the project because we want them to take ownership of the crop,” he said.

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