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People go to all lengths, in terms of their diet and exercise, to stay in shape and remain healthy. But Balakrishnan has, perhaps, transcended all boundaries as he has been on a coconut-only diet for 24 years to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Sharing his story on Instagram, actor-travel influencer Shenaz Treasury wrote, “Leave a ❤️ for Mr Balakrishnan and his good health’ Can you imagine — this man has been on a coconut diet for 24 years. I was in shock — what about protein? But he said he’s never had better health in his life.”
In a video featuring Balakrishnan, she started out by saying, “He has not eaten anything but coconuts for the past 24 years.”
Shenaz shared that he was diagnosed with GERD and had lost all his strength. “Then, as part of his treatment, he started eating coconuts and consuming the water,” she said in the video.
Sharing how consuming only coconuts helped Balakrishnan, she concluded, “Coconut has minerals, like calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. This helped him regain his strength and now he is fit and fine. And, he is on a strict coconut-only diet.”
As expected, people expressed shock over the fact that he consumed only coconuts for over two decades. “Many of us have GERD now. It’s quite common these days. But eating just coconuts is just unbelievable that too for so many years,” a user wrote.
Another commented: “How can people remain alive eating only coconut.”
Before we understand if a coconut-only diet is advised for those with GERD, let’s find out what this disease is. “GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease is also called acid reflux. It is a digestive disease in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining. This is a chronic disease that occurs when stomach acid or bile flows into the food pipe and irritates the lining. Heartburn more than twice a week may indicate acid reflux or GERD,” said Dr Tushar Tayal, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Gurugram.
Coming to coconuts, the expert said that they contain helpful electrolytes that promote pH balance and help control acid reflux which is good for your body. “Some of the benefits of a coconut-only diet is that it is low in carbs, so it is the best substitute for carb-rich snacks. It contains minerals and nutrients such as potassium, sodium, manganese, vitamin B, copper, and iron. Manganese is also beneficial for our bone health,” he said.
However, Dr Tayal emphasised that one can’t survive on a coconut-only diet for more than maybe a couple of weeks. “Particularly, if someone drank all the coconut water from each coconut, unless you only ate/drank about half a coconut in a day. Otherwise, you would face a heart attack induced by the high potassium levels in coconut water,” he explained.
Then, what kind of diet should someone with GERD follow? Dr Tayal listed:
*Whole grains like oatmeal, couscous, and brown rice.
*Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and beets.
*Green vegetables like asparagus, broccoli and green beans.
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