Walk into any café, health food store or supermarket and you'll be able to find coconut water. Only a few years ago, it was much harder to find the sweet drink – and we didn't know a lot about its apparent health benefits.
It's a different story today. Coconut water is everywhere and seen by some as a nutritional 'fad'. So is coconut water good for you? And how much should you drink? Let's look into it.
What is Coconut Water?
Coconut water has been around for eons – thousands of years in fact – but has only in recent years been hailed an apparent superfood in the west.
The water, which comes from the inside of young coconuts in several regions in the world, is packaged pure; although some manufacturers add sweeteners and flavours to their lines.
Is Coconut Water all it's Cracked Up to be?
There's a bit of a debate raging in the health world about coconut water. Some say its health benefits are to believed, while others say it's nothing more than a low-fat drink with a few vitamins and minerals and not much else.
Here are a few of the reported health benefits:
- Full of zinc, iodine, sulfur, boron, B vitamins, ascorbic acid, selenium, manganese – although they may not be as prevalent in packaged varieties
- All natural – so long as you drink it straight from the coconut, or the manufacturer hasn't added anything extra
- Packed with natural electrolytes
- Gives you a natural zing of energy without a high dose of fructose
- It reduces the rate of ageing – although there is no proof of this
- Controls blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol – some studies have found it boosts the good HDL cholesterol in the body and keeps your heart healthy. This may be the case, but more research is probably needed
Buying Coconut Water
So in essence, coconut water is a well-rounded hydrator with little to no 'bad stuff'. But be wary of miracle claims that haven't yet been backed up by research.
When shopping for coconut water, try to buy whole young coconuts, crack them open and drink the juice straight from the source.
Packaged varieties may contain additives or preservatives and flavours, and the time from source to shelf may have been a while. Of course, not all manufacturers add extras to their coconut water, so shop around.
Originally published on Jan 19, 2015
