Coconut, also called Cokernut is a seed of the coconut palm, a tree of the botanical family Palmae. It usually reaches a height of about 20 meters and its fruit can weigh up to 5 pounds (2.5 kilos). Under normal conditions and good soil fertility, a coconut tree can yield more than 70 fruits per year. But this is not achieved generally, due to poor cultivation practices. Most farmers do end up with less than 30 fruits per tree at the end of every year. Though, as the name implies "coconut", the fruit is botanically not a nut but a drupe. The coconut fruit is enclosed in a rough orange or yellow husk (exocarp), followed by a fibrous mesocarp and then the endocarp (which contains the seed and the white edible pulp). The coconut palm entirely is sometimes referred to as "the tree that provides for mans need ". Well, this is because of its uses to man, such as, the use of the fronds and palm trunks for textiles, sandals and even houses. The fruit also provides liquid for drinking and solid food, and also its fiber can be used for toothbrushes, ropes and so on.These important uses of the coconut palm make it stand out in the botanical family. This as well makes it a very important tree in the tropics. Coconut, especially its oil, is said to have beneficial effects for those who want to lose weight. The fatty acids in coconut oil may help reduce appetite, and this can affect your body weight on the long run; because the less amount of food you eat, the leaner you will become.A research conducted in 2009, reported how the use of coconut oil was able to cause a reduction in abdominal obesity of some women (1). This research also attributed the weight-loss effect of this oil to its fatty acid contents which have powerful effects on metabolism. Many have even argued that coconut oil is world's most weight-loss friendly fat. Coconuts are very versatile. They are used widely in culinary preparations.Coconut oil is widely used in cooking, frying, and making of margarine. Apart from culinary uses, coconut oil is used for many medicinal purposes. It can be used to improve skin health and hair growth, fight teeth decay, and aid weight loss.The milk from coconut is used widely in many dishes around the world.The water from this wonderful fruit is consumed throughout the humid tropics, and is widely adopted as the main component of processed sport drinks.Coconut can also be grounded into flour, which can be used in baking. It may also be dried and used as a filling for many chocolate bars.The coconut tree is grown throughout the tropics for decoration.Industrially, coconut is used widely in the cosmetic industries. Most of your daily beauty products including moisturizers and body butters are made of coconut.Coconuts also have a long history of use in medicine. Many folk healers use its root to fight diarrhea and dysentery. A decoction of the roots is also used as a mouthwash to fight infections and toothaches.Apart from its root, the bark, flowers, and the fruit itself are used for many other traditional medicinal practices. Most of these uses have now been attributed to their antiseptic, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective properties.