By Ebi Kesiena
Coconut water has become quite the trendy beverage. In addition to being naturally sweet and hydrating, coconut water is loaded with several important nutrients, including minerals that many people don’t get enough of.
Good Source Of Several Nutrients
Coconuts grow in tropical climates on trees scientifically known as Cocos nucifera, and are botanically considered a fruit.
Coconut water is the liquid found in the center of a young, green coconut. It helps nourish the fruit. As the coconut matures, which takes around 10–12 months, some of the liquid remains while the rest ripens into the solid white flesh known as coconut meat.
Coconut water typically comes from young coconuts about 6–7 months of age, though it’s also found in mature fruit. An average green coconut provides about 1/2–1 cup of coconut water.
Coconut water contains 94% water and very little fat. It should not be confused with coconut milk, which is made by adding water to grated coconut meat. Coconut milk contains about 50% water and is quite high in fat.
May Have Antioxidant Properties
Free radicals are unstable molecules produced in your cells during metabolism. Their production increases in response to stress or injury.
When there are too many free radicals, your body enters a state of oxidative stress, which can damage your cells and increase disease risk.
Research on animals has shown that coconut water contains antioxidants that may help modify free radicals so they no longer cause harm.
In one 2012 study, insulin-resistant rats on a high fructose diet were treated with coconut water. Free radical activity decreased, as did blood pressure, triglycerides, and insulin levels.
Another study from 2014 found that damaged rat livers showed significant improvement in oxidative stress when treated with coconut water compared with livers that received no treatment.
May Help Lower Blood Sugar For People Living With Diabetes
Research has shown that coconut water can lower blood sugar levels and improve other health markers in animals with diabetes.
In a study from 2015, rats with diabetes that were treated with coconut water maintained better blood sugar levels than the control group. The same study also found that the rats given coconut water had lower levels of hemoglobin A1c, indicating better long-term blood sugar control.
However, another added blood sugar benefit of coconut water is that it’s a good source of magnesium, which may increase insulin sensitivity and decrease blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
With all this in mind, it’s important to note that coconut water contains carbs (which are broken down into sugars in the body), so if you are living with diabetes or prediabetes, talk with your doctor or a dietitian before adding it to your diet.
May Help Prevent Kidney Stones
Drinking enough fluids is important for kidney stone prevention.
Although plain water is a good choice, two small studies suggest that coconut water might be even better.
Kidney stones are created when calcium, oxalate, and other compounds combine to form crystals in your urine. These crystals can then form tiny stones. While some people are more susceptible than others, kidney stones affect about 12% of the world’s population.
In a study from 2018 that involved eight people, researchers found that coconut water increased the urination of potassium, chloride, and citrate in individuals without kidney stones, meaning coconut water might help flush out the system and keep the likelihood of stones low.
Because one study involved animals and the other is so small, much more research needs to be done concerning the benefits of coconut water in reducing the possibility of kidney stones.
May Support Heart Health
Drinking coconut water may help reduce heart disease risk.
A 2005 study suggests that coconut water may also be beneficial for lowering blood pressure in individuals living with high blood pressure, but more research needs to be done in that area.
One of the reasons coconut water may be connected to lowered blood pressure is its impressive potassium content (500mg of potassium in 8 ounces). Potassium has been shown to lower blood pressure in people with high or normal blood pressure (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
While there is some evidence that coconut water may be good for heart health, more research needs to be done.
