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Balakrishnan Palayi, an Indian man from Kasaragod, claims to have eaten
nothing but coconut for the last 28 years in order to treat his
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Imagine eating only one thing for over two decades. As a foodie with
access to so many delicious treats, the mere thought of restricting
one’s diet to a single food for a month, let alone 28 years, sounds
almost impossible, but one Indian man claims that it has kept him
healthy and fit. Balakrishnan Palayi, a man from Chandera in Kasaragod,
was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition
that caused him to lose all his strength to the point where he could
hardly move around. As part of his treatment, he started eating coconut,
and he felt so much better that he soon decided it was the only thing he
was going to eat moving forward.
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“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,” Vlogger and influencer Shenaz said
during an interview with Balakrishnan.
In his youth, Mr. Balakrishnan was a football player in the local club.
At the age of 35, doctors diagnosed him with gastroesophageal reflux
disease. Every time he ate, the food got pushed back from his stomach
into his esophagus and he vomited. He tried multiple diets, but coconut
and coconut water were the only things that really made him feel better,
so he’s stuck to them for 28 years.
“I eat coconuts every day. My family also switched to growing coconuts.
I have lived like this for the past 24 years,” Mr. Balakrishnan said.
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At age 64, Balakrishnan Palayi is much healthier than most people his
age. He works on the family farm, swims and exercises every day, and has
no serious health problems.
Balakrishnan’s coconut diet was originally reported in 2019, in a New
Indian Express article, but his name and unusual diet have been making
the rounds online ever since. Despite his success story, Dr. Tushar
Tayal said that his case is unique and that he doesn’t recommend anyone
try the coconut diet.
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