You must have tried coconut water at some point in life. Haven’t you? If you haven’t, then you must, as coconut water is one of the healthiest natural drinks you should be sipping. Coconut water has grown into a popular natural drink among folks in recent times. This is because the benefits of coconut water are never-ending and that too, with minimum side effects.
There are many benefits of coconut water, for which you must be sipping it. Some of the benefits are like it’s full of electrolytes, low in calories, opulent in potassium, and many more. Besides these, coconut water is also an affordable drink that you can get easily in any part of the world.
In the article, we will talk about the various health benefits of coconut water, which it has on digestion, skin, and more. We will also tell you about some of the precautions which you must know before going for this naturally refreshing drink.
What Is Coconut Water?
This naturally refreshing drink is the clear liquid that is tapped from the young green coconuts. However, it is completely different from the other coconut drinks like coconut milk, which is a high fat containing drink.
Coconut water, unlike coconut milk, has a slew of benefits and that too while being low on calories and fat. Other benefits of coconut water include it to be sugar-free and full of electrolytes, which makes it a miraculous natural drink that everyone can sip on. source
Nutritional Facts:
240 ml of coconut water contains the following:
- 46 calories
- 9 grams of carbs
- 3 grams of fiber
- 10% of the RDI Vitamin C
- 2 grams of protein
- 17% of the RDI manganese
- 15% of the RDI magnesium
- 17% of the RDI potassium
- 6% of the RDI calcium
- 11% of the RDI sodium
Benefits Of Coconut Water
There are many benefits of coconut water; some of these are:
It’s A Natural Sports Drink
The high electrolyte content of coconut water makes it an amazing sports drink. Many people prefer coconut water over the other available sports drink because of its health benefits. What makes coconut water a good option in comparison to other sports drinks is that it is sugar-free and doesn’t contain any artificial coloring agents or sweeteners.
Many pieces of studies have proven that coconut water is as effective as a traditional sports drink in hydrating and replenishing the fluids after a workout or run. However, one downside of coconut water is that it contains less sodium than the traditional sports drink. This is important as sodium is what the body loses most through sweating during a workout.
Another downside of coconut water is that it is also low on carbohydrates, which are needed after endurance training. This means that the coconut water may not provide you with enough energy for a long period during a workout. Although, the slew of other health benefits of coconut water makes it a good post-workout drink than a pre-workout drink.
Some researches have also shown that although coconut water doesn’t rehydrate you any better than a traditional sports drink, it is easy to drink. Studies have shown that coconut water is easy on the stomach and digestive system and doesn’t cause nausea like the traditional drinks. This means that you can sip more coconut water in one go in comparison to other sugary sports drinks.
Low Calories
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, coconut water only has 45 calories, which makes it a great alternative for other sugary and high calorie drinks like juices, and soda. Coconut water carries very little sugar and carbohydrates in comparison to most of the juices. What adds to the benefits of having coconut water is that it contains more electrolytes and minerals like potassium and sodium.
The benefits of this low-calorie drink are greater in every aspect in comparison to other commercial juices and carbonated drinks. However, it can’t be a replacement for the zero-calorie plain water.
Potassium
Yes, the benefits of coconut water include it being opulent in potassium content. In comparison to most of the traditional sports drinks, coconut water contains nearly ten times potassium. To understand it better, take it this way; an 8-ounce glass of coconut water contains the same amount of potassium as a banana.
Potassium is a vital part as lack of it can lead to many health problems, and most people in the USA lack the daily recommended amount of potassium in their diet. Problems like cramps result from low potassium in the body; thus, having coconut water on a regular basis is a great option. Potassium also helps in maintaining the balance between the electrolytes and fluids in the body during a workout.
This balancing effect from the many benefits of coconut water is vital as the high potassium content in it; then the sodium affects BP. It may even help in lowering the blood pressure in a person, thus making it an amazing drink to have during exercises.
Also Read: Benefits Of Carrot Juice
Magnesium And Calcium
Calcium is vital for a healthy body, not only for teeth and bone health but also for many other body needs. Other than keeping the teeth and bone strong, it helps in proper working and contraction of the muscle. Muscles in our bodies pull the bones when we exercise, and this breaks them slightly. However, the bones repair and get more strong using the calcium while the body recovers after the workout session.
This is one of the benefits of coconut water, and thus adding coconut water to the diet can help the body get needed calcium.
Magnesium is another important thing for the body as it aids the relaxation and contraction of muscles. It does so by helping to move the potassium and calcium into muscles. Other than this, potassium also supports the functions of organs while helping in the production of energy. The low magnesium content in the body can lead to restless muscles, spasms, and cramps.
These effects of magnesium make it a vital mineral for the proper functioning of the body. Thus the good magnesium content adds to the benefits of coconut water for which you can have it on a regular basis.
Although coconut water is a good source of both potassium and calcium, it is not a concentrated source of any of these minerals. Thus you can use it as a supplementary drink but not as the primary source of these two minerals in your diet.
Antioxidants
Coconut water is a good source of antioxidants, and this is one of the most amazing benefits of coconut water drinking. The opulent amount of antioxidants in the body helps in neutralizing the free radicals and reducing oxidative stress. Thus having coconut water can be an amazing and refreshing way to increase antioxidants in the body.
One thing to remember is to drink fresh coconut water and not processed one. This is because recent studies on the benefits of coconut water have shown that the heat pasteurized and processed coconut water is low in antioxidants in comparison to the fresh one.
Amino Acids
The amino acids are the protein’s building blocks and intrinsic for tissue repairing. This makes them vital for the body, and coconut water is rich in many essential amino acids. Some of the amino acids in coconut water are alanine, cysteine, serine, and arginine. The rich amino acid content adds to the benefits of coconut water, and one of the most important amino acids is arginine.
The arginine is vital as it helps in improving the body’s response to fight stress. Other than this, it is also helpful in keeping the heart-healthy.
Cytokinins
These hormones are responsible for plant growth, and they are found in abundance in coconut water. The benefits of coconut water due to these hormones include anti-aging and cancer-fighting properties. Thus making it an amazing natural drink to sip on. However, further studies are needed to ascertain this fact completely.
Coconut Water Disadvantages
Coconut water is a naturally refreshing drink that you can have without any side effects. However, there are some exceptions to this as it may have negative effects on some people. In cases where a person is suffering from renal failure, coconut water should be avoided as it is high in potassium. Although potassium is vital for the body, in kidney failure cases, the kidneys can’t remove excess potassium and thus can lead to excessive potassium intake.
Takeaway
The main takeaway you can have from the article is that coconut water can be a great source for rehydrating. The benefits of having coconut water make it an amazing alternative for other drinks like juices and soda.
What makes coconut water great is that along with having so many good effects, it is sugar-free. In the article, you will find all the benefits of coconut water along with its effects on health.
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