Is Coconut Water (The Super-Food) as Good as Everybody Claims It to Be?

Dubbed Mother Nature’s sports drink by marketers and propelled by celebrity and athlete endorsements, the demand for coconut water is sky rocketing these days. Does it deserved to be bestowed its super food status? Here, we have brought coconut water into spotlight.

So, let’s start with 

Celebes

What is Coconut Water?

Coconut water is naturally refreshing, has a sweet and nutty taste. It also contains easily digested carbohydrate in the form of sugar and electrolytes. Not to be confused with high-fat coconut milk or oil, coconut water is a clear liquid in the fruit’s center that is tapped from young, green coconuts. Coconut water has fewer calories, less sodium, and more potassium than a sports drink. Ounce per ounce, most unflavored coconut water contains 5.45 calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 milligrams of potassium, and 5.45mg of sodium compared to Gatorade which has 6.25 calories, 1.75g of sugar, 3.75mg of potassium and 13.75mg of sodium.

Coconut water

When you exercise, you lose water through sweat. You also lose electrolytes such as potassium. Luckily, just one cup of coconut water provides nearly 17% of your daily potassium requirement. This makes it an especially effective post-workout hydrating drink. Coconut water’s high fiber content may also help with indigestion or other digestive issues. Plus, it can reduce high blood pressure by adding crucial electrolytes back into the blood stream. Including coconut water into your daily dietary routine is a major benefit, especially if you are active and need to replenish your electrolytes more often. You can drink it by itself or get creative.

Coconut Water – A Better Choice than Sugary Drinks

When you need topping up with fluids and electrolytes, coconut water fits the bill. Coconut water has less sugar than many sports drinks and much less sugar than sodas and some fruit juices. Plain coconut water could be a better choice for adults and kids looking for a beverage that is less sweet. But don’t overdo it. One 11-ounce container has 60 calories and if you drink several in one day, the calories can add up quickly.

Nutritional Breakdown of Coconut Water:

• Its liquid is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish dehydration conditions inside the human body.
• Research suggests that cytokines in coconut water found to have significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects.
• Coconut water has been generally offered to patients with diarrhea in many tropic regions to replace the fluid loss from the gastrointestinal tract and to reduce the need for hospitalization.
• Coconut water is composed of many naturally occurring bioactive enzymes such as acid phosphates, catalyses, dehydrogenize, diastase, peroxides, RNA-polymerases etc. In effect, these enzymes help in the digestion and metabolism.
• Despite being very light in consistency, its water proportionately has better composition of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc than some of the fruit juices like oranges.
• Its liquid is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and foliates. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish.

What Experts Say about Coconut Water?

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things for recreational and professional athletes. And if the taste of coconut water helps you drink plenty of fluids, it is a fine choice for most people but may not be for those in prolonged physical activity. The challenges is when you exercise strenuously for more than 3hrs in the heat and lose lots of body fluids, you need easily absorbed carbs (carburetors) for quick energy and to replace lost electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Neither coconut water not sports drinks contain enough sodium or carbs for the heavy perspire. So it is best to supplement with a quick source of energy like a banana, some raisins or a handful of pretzels.

Besides, coconut water also contains several health benefits which can help body fighting with numerous diseases. So, find coconut water at its best form and make a habit of consuming this super food daily for a healthy living.