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Recursion

(56,582 posts)
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 04:11 AM Nov 2013

You put the lime in the coconut

Last edited Tue Nov 19, 2013, 07:36 AM - Edit history (2)

So my wife is pretty sick today and I went to the pharmacy and the produce stand down on the main road. I had my pharmacy bag and I was picking up some veggies when the subzwalla (the guy that sells vegetables) asked if I was sick, looking at the bag.

"No, my wife. Stomach problems."

"Oh" he said, and handed me a coconut. "You put the lime in the coconut." Just like that, he said it.

I looked up, ready to laugh, when I saw he was dead serious. And come to think of it, that song was probably never big over here, and even if it was, this guy can't be more than 25 and has probably never heard of it.

I'm clearly looking confused and he says "you cut open the coconut and you put the lime in it. She will feel better."

I'd never thought about this being an actual remedy, but the Caribbean has a ton of Indian immigrants so it wouldn't be surprising at all if an Indian folk remedy made its way into an Caribbean song.

"Why not?" I say to myself, and get a lime from the citrus basket on the sidewalk and hand it to him too. "I'll need this also for that."

He stops and laughs, "oh, the 'lime', very funny sir." and puts it back in the basket.

I'm clearly looking very confused, and he absolutely dies laughing. "No, no sir, not that lime!" And he points to a tobacconist two stalls down. Since I'm still not getting it, he takes my wrist, drags me over to the tobacconist, and points at the chewing tobacco shelf.

When the light hit me, it was almost blinding: Indian chewing tobacco, due to anti-tobacco regulations, has to be sold in three separate pouches. One contains the tobacco, one the betel leaf and spices, and one calcium hydroxide, to raise the tobacco's pH.

Calcium hydroxide, better known in most of the English speaking world as "slaked lime".

The song is telling you to put, not the fruit, but calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate into green coconut water to raise its pH and help settle your stomach if it's too acidic. The coconut water also contains some sugar and potassium, which helps with the electrolytes you may have lost if you've been sick.

(EDIT: raise the pH, not lower it. Chemistry was a while ago...)

28 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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You put the lime in the coconut (Original Post) Recursion Nov 2013 OP
Nice! Fridays Child Nov 2013 #1
First I heard of that one, but... TreasonousBastard Nov 2013 #2
I found references to green ("tender") coconut water home remedies, esp. in India pinboy3niner Nov 2013 #14
"No harm giving 4 to 6 ounces to every infant after the third day vanlassie Nov 2013 #20
Who knew. In_The_Wind Nov 2013 #3
I do miss... AnneD Nov 2013 #7
Me too ... In_The_Wind Nov 2013 #16
Thanks... AnneD Nov 2013 #28
Did not know this. Xyzse Nov 2013 #4
Very good post! nt rrneck Nov 2013 #5
Never heard that one, thanks! n/t MicaelS Nov 2013 #6
Isn't that what made her sick in the first place? lame54 Nov 2013 #8
But did it work?! Demo_Chris Nov 2013 #9
Well, she already thinks of green coconut water as a stomachache cure Recursion Nov 2013 #10
We mix baking soda with water for an upset stomach... Demo_Chris Nov 2013 #11
Just about anything that pulls the pH up a few points should work, I would assume Recursion Nov 2013 #12
I prefer to think of it as alchemy or potion making.... Demo_Chris Nov 2013 #13
Bromo Seltzer. And Alka? trof Nov 2013 #17
Milk of magnesia is magnesium hydroxide -- eppur_se_muova Nov 2013 #15
Interesting -- that explains how coconut water itself is a stomachache remedy Recursion Nov 2013 #22
That's one of the coolest stories I've heard in a while. I can't wait to tell someone! nolabear Nov 2013 #18
every time i read your posts i get a craving for some indian food loli phabay Nov 2013 #19
You probably don't want to hear what I had for lunch today, then Recursion Nov 2013 #23
nice, i got a chicken balti on the go for tonights dinner loli phabay Nov 2013 #24
Pakoras? Oh hell yes Recursion Nov 2013 #25
i make amazing pakora, my chicken is to die for. tonight is vegetable though loli phabay Nov 2013 #26
just thinking about that song makes me ill.......... lastlib Nov 2013 #21
Wow that brings back memories... of driver's ed DebJ Nov 2013 #27

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
2. First I heard of that one, but...
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 05:38 AM
Nov 2013

always heard it was about smoking weed (isn't everything?)

Tried to find somewhere where this is backed up, but found more weed, some other drugs (coke, opium...) and even pregnancy was mentioned with lime and coconut juice as an abortifacient.

I could keep looking, but this doesn't seem like a well known home remedy.

pinboy3niner

(53,339 posts)
14. I found references to green ("tender") coconut water home remedies, esp. in India
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 07:28 PM
Nov 2013

Instead of searching on lime and coconut, I googled "calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate in green coconut water home remedy."

Medicinal Uses of Tender Coconut Water

In India, tender coconut water is used as a cooling medicine and as a most sacred and pure water from vedic period. ....

...

The author is using tender coconut water in the treatment of various diseases with very effective results. Particularly, tender coconut water with fresh lime juice is a boon to infants, children and adults, to cure dehydration. Giving a teaspoon at a time every ten minutes not only quenches thirst but also restores the electrolyte balance in infants and children where emergency saline transfusion facilities are not available.

For vomiting in children due to ascending of a roundworm in the stomach, tender coconut water with lime juice is a specific medicine. Parents are afraid of giving tender coconut water to infants and children. It is assured that there is no harm in giving 4 to 6 ounces of tender coconut as a routine food to every infant after the third day of birth. Mixing tender coconut water instead of plain water in milk, not only nourishes the child, but also prevents the curdling of milk in the stomach and prevents vomiting, constipation and indigestion. Tender coconut water in which a well ripe banana is mashed can be regularly given as a perfect food instead of milk. Children grow healthier by regular use of this food.

...

http://www.niir.org/books/book/herbal-foods-its-medicinal-values-h-panda/isbn-8186623744/zb,,60,a,0,0,a/

vanlassie

(5,637 posts)
20. "No harm giving 4 to 6 ounces to every infant after the third day
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 10:12 PM
Nov 2013

of life???" Oh my god that is BAD advice.

But for older kids and adults, meh.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
10. Well, she already thinks of green coconut water as a stomachache cure
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 02:04 PM
Nov 2013

So that, at least, is "really Indian". And I grew up taking calcium hydroxide (or baking soda, when CaOH wasn't around) in water for a stomachache. We only mixed it with a little of the coconut water (no sense ruining the taste of the rest), but it certainly didn't make things worse...

 

Demo_Chris

(6,234 posts)
11. We mix baking soda with water for an upset stomach...
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 02:06 PM
Nov 2013

It actually works as well as many expensive medicines.

 

Demo_Chris

(6,234 posts)
13. I prefer to think of it as alchemy or potion making....
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 02:13 PM
Nov 2013

You have to stir it nine times widdershins.

eppur_se_muova

(36,227 posts)
15. Milk of magnesia is magnesium hydroxide --
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 08:08 PM
Nov 2013

so a *small* amount of MOM might work if lime is not available. At higher doses, MOM is a laxative, and overuse can lead to lowered potassium levels, so caution is advised.

Interestingly, coconut milk already contains more magnesium than calcium -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_water#Composition

This got me thinking about the oral rehydration salts (ORS) developed by WHO several years back -- see http://www.who.int/chd/publications/cdd/meded/2med.htm -- and it sounds like coconut water may very well be a pre-packaged ORS product. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3709?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=coconut+water includes sodium content, missing from the Wikipedia article.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
22. Interesting -- that explains how coconut water itself is a stomachache remedy
Wed Nov 20, 2013, 08:31 AM
Nov 2013

And adding to the alkali content with slaked lime would just increase that...

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
18. That's one of the coolest stories I've heard in a while. I can't wait to tell someone!
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 09:41 PM
Nov 2013

And thus was the internet born...

And an ear worm started. ("you put de lime in de coconut and call me in the mo-o-orning.&quot

 

loli phabay

(5,580 posts)
19. every time i read your posts i get a craving for some indian food
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 09:58 PM
Nov 2013

Rigjt now i want to make chicken pakora with a tomato and ginger dipping sauce and naan to wrap it up in.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
23. You probably don't want to hear what I had for lunch today, then
Wed Nov 20, 2013, 08:33 AM
Nov 2013

Fresh lump crab curry. Holy crap that was good.

 

loli phabay

(5,580 posts)
24. nice, i got a chicken balti on the go for tonights dinner
Wed Nov 20, 2013, 08:37 AM
Nov 2013

Got dough for naan rising, and batter for pakoras. The craving would not go away.

 

loli phabay

(5,580 posts)
26. i make amazing pakora, my chicken is to die for. tonight is vegetable though
Wed Nov 20, 2013, 09:46 AM
Nov 2013

Served with a spicy tomato and garlic dipping sauce.

lastlib

(22,981 posts)
21. just thinking about that song makes me ill..........
Tue Nov 19, 2013, 10:23 PM
Nov 2013

...and now I've got an earworm. Thanks a lot! (Excuse me while I put on some Zeppelin......A little "Stairway to Heaven" is in order here...)

DebJ

(7,699 posts)
27. Wow that brings back memories... of driver's ed
Wed Nov 20, 2013, 10:16 AM
Nov 2013

I was taking Driver's Ed the summer that this song was out. Unlike all of the other students driving in the same
training car, I had never been behind the wheel at all, and I was terrified.

The Driver's Ed teacher had us drive to a highly congested street in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. The student
driving parked the car and the teacher put me behind the wheel, where my first driving experience would be to
pull out of a parallel parking spot into heavy traffic... fun,huh?

Then the coconut song came on, and the teacher jacks up the volume to blaring, and he leans out of his window
and begins banging on the outside of the car door in time to the music while singing along with the song at
high volume.

Somehow this wasn't helpful for me. But it made for a unique memory.

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