12 Health Benefits Of Coconut Water and Nutritional Facts

When it comes to drinking your fruit, nothing quite compares to coconut water. This superfood is an incredible source of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, all in a low-calorie package. What’s more, it is also quite easy to get your hands on coconut water as coconuts are cultivated on a large scale in many southern states in India. In fact, if you’re looking for coconut water online, India has quite a few options you can pick from to get it delivered right to your doorstep.

To help you understand why you should consider making coconut water a go-to drink, here are 10 benefits of drinking coconut water.

Nutritional Value of Coconut Water

Coconut water is rich in sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes and helps with the hydration of your body. One cup of tender coconut water (240 ml) has the following:

• Calories: 60
• Carbohydrates: 15 grams
• Potassium: 15% of the daily value
• Sugar: 8 grams
• Calcium: 4% of the daily value
• Magnesium: 4% of the daily value 
• Phosphorus: 2% of the daily value

Coconut water can effectively replenish your body with fluids and electrolytes after heavy physical activity. It is rich in antioxidants and bioactive enzymes that increase metabolic rate and boost your immunity. The essential micronutrients and vitamins in coconut water show anti-inflammatory properties, which protect against severe health risks.

1. Serves as a Low-Calorie Energy Drink

Energy drinks are notoriously high in calories, making them less-than-ideal beverages for most situations. The sheer sugar and carbohydrate content in them is the cause for this and it is always smarter to take the low-calorie route. Coconut water comes in handy as it contains just 45 calories per cup and provides all the essential minerals needed to refuel the body.

2. Maintains Electrolyte Balance in the Body

Electrolytes are minerals that help regulate muscle and nerve function while maintaining water balance in the body. Naturally, it is important to have enough of these in your bloodstream in order to avoid complications. However, potassium deficiency disrupts electrolyte balance and coconut water can help restore it. Coconut water contains nearly 10 times the amount of potassium as most energy drinks, making it exceptionally good at maintaining this balance.

3. Strengthens Bones

Among the many minerals needed for proper bodily function, calcium and magnesium are definitely the important ones. Calcium is vital to bone strength and muscle function. Moreover, when your muscles exert strain on your bones, they break down and repair using the calcium in the body. Similarly, magnesium aids the movement of calcium into the muscles and helps with energy production. With a lack of magnesium, you’re like to experience cramps, spasms, and muscle restlessness.

Coconut water provides both these minerals, and in a higher concentration than most sports or energy drinks. However, it is important to note that coconut water isn’t a concentrated source of these minerals, and it isn’t advisable to rely on it alone for these needs.

5. Aids Muscle-Building and Recovery

As mentioned earlier, the benefits of coconut water as an energy drink due to the presence of electrolytes. However, on account of the fact that it has amino acids too, it is found to be a potent recovery drink as well. Amino acids repair tissue and serve as the building blocks of protein. These acids, like arginine, help the body respond to physical strain, such as that experienced during exercise and recover effectively.

6. Delays Ageing and Help Fight Cancerous Cells

Cytokinins (phytohormones) are also present in coconut water and are key hormones that help plants grow. This compound is believed to have antiaging properties that can help you keep your skin youthful for much longer. Moreover, cytokinins have also shown promise in cancer treatment and are known for lowering the risk of degenerative diseases.

7. Encourages Weight Loss

A key benefit of coconut water is that it can also help with weight loss. For one, it is quite a dense liquid even with its low carbohydrate concentration. Meaning, it makes you feel full and suppresses the appetite, which keeps you from snacking as often. Secondly, it improves fat metabolism by increasing your metabolic rate. This is because it regulates thyroid function, which improves and normalises the metabolic rate. Finally, the antioxidants in coconut water help scavenge the blood for reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS cause health problems and are known to build insulin resistance. Coconut water helps by reducing ROS and improving insulin sensitivity.

Conversely, HDL absorbs cholesterol in the blood and transports it for breakdown. This is where coconut water comes into play as it fights the increase in total cholesterol levels while maintaining the HDL levels in the blood and increasing insulin sensitivity. In addition to this, in another study, coconut water was also found to lower VLDL+ LDL cholesterol in the blood. Further, coconut water also contains arginine, known to improve blood flow and relax blood vessels. This can help lower blood pressure and improve overall circulation.

9. Dissolves Kidney Stones and Cures Bladder Infections

Apart from the vitamins in coconut water, potassium, a mineral, is one ingredient that stands out the most as it is present in a high concentration. Consequently, studies have shown that consuming coconut water can reduce the probability of kidney stones as it helps rid the body of excess citrate, chlorine, and potassium.

Moreover, coconut water has also been known to be used as a treatment to prevent crystal deposition in renal tissue, thus lowering the risk of kidney stones. Coconut water can also prevent oxidative stress in the kidney and its anti-bacterial properties also play a hand in reducing bladder infections.

10. Treats and Reduces Acne

Among the benefits of coconut water for skin is the fact that it helps reduce and treat acne. As it acts as an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and a natural detoxifier, it aids in the reduction of acne incidences. What’s more, the detoxifying nature of coconut water is also great at ridding excess oils in the skin which can lead to breakouts.

11. Hypertension

The consumption of coconut water is decreased blood pressure in primary hypertensive patients. Studies have shown that drinking coconut water may decrease blood pressure in primary hypertensive individuals. Coconut water has arginine, which improves your blood flow and relaxes blood vessels. This helps lower your blood pressure and improve overall blood circulation. There’s a higher content of potassium than sodium in coconut water, which allows potassium ions to balance the sodium’s effects on blood pressure leading to hypertension.

12. Detox Diet

Coconut water maintains the fluid balance in your body as it is a natural isotonic solution. It contains electrolytes that are rich in potassium and sodium, which maintains the osmotic level in your body cells. Whenever there’s an accumulation of toxins in tissues, the electrolytes in coconut water flush out the toxins to maintain the osmotic pressure in your body. Regulation of the kidney and liver functions in your body is one of the benefits of drinking coconut water daily. It could have a hand in bringing out the benefits of drinking coconut water for skin health.  

Conclusion

These 10 points illustrate why coconut water should be your daily drink. However, despite the impressive array of coconut water health benefits, it is important to consume coconut water only in the right amounts. Excessive amounts can cause hyperkalaemia, which is when the potassium levels in the blood are too high. Symptoms of this condition include chest pain, nausea, weakness and even palpitations, in some cases.

For this reason, it is advisable to consult a specialist or a professional dietician to know exactly how much you should be consuming on a regular basis and, if you consume the meat, about coconut malai benefits too. Apart from the many features of coconut water, malai benefits your heart and brain health and even boosts immunity and weight loss. Professional advice is especially important for expecting mothers as not enough is known about the benefits of coconut water in pregnancy.

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