It has been almost traditional in tropical countries to drink coconut water. And it has not been surprising for those people to realize that it has many health benefits as well. Let’s see what those advantages of coconut water are.

Coconut is the fruit of the very tall coconut tree which grows in tropical countries and has numerous health benefits. The coconut palm is scientifically known as Cocos nucifera and its milk is used to cook many dishes in Asia and other countries as well. The coconut palm is almost like a ‘giving tree’ to people in those countries. They use almost every part of it. In addition to those benefits coconut water has several health benefits. 

Coconut water as a healthy drink has become extremely popular in Europe and the USA only recently due to these new food and diet trends. And some of these have been proven scientifically and accepted widely. So here we have listed some of the most effective health benefits of coconut water for you so you can decide on whether it is worthy to be added to your diet.

01. The number of nutrients

Coconut water has an amazingly large amount of nutrients even though it is completely see-through, like ordinary water. You might not imagine this much of nutrients in one coconut water cup (240ml).

• 46 calories
• 9 grams of carbs
• 3 grams of fibre
• 2 grams of protein
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Calcium

Yes, it is almost all the nutrients you need for a day. As you can see coconut water does help your bodies better than you thought before. 

Coconuts take months to mature. But comparatively larger amounts of coconut water are found in less mature ones. You can get about 1 cup of coconut water from a single coconut. People in tropical countries are used to drinking it from the coconut itself without pouring it into a separate cup. Residents and people who have gone for vacations in those countries would probably know about this refreshing drink. They use it as an alternative to water and other energy and refreshing drinks. It is pretty healthy, energetic, and also sweeter and tasty and all those energy drinks as well. There are other alternatives such as King Coconut as well.

02. It has antioxidants, amino acids, and cytokinins

Coconut water is already a refresher. But it is more than it. Coconut water consists of oxidative stress neutralizing antioxidants (also free radicals). The fresher the coconut water is, the more antioxidants it contains. Make sure not to heat or pasteurize coconut water. It is better consumed fresh and heat may kill the nutrients.

Amino acids are an essential type of protein that is necessary for our body to repair tissues. It has been scientifically proven that coconut water has nutrients such as serine, cysteine, arginine, and alanine. Sometimes these amounts in coconut water are higher than those in cow’s milk. 

This helps you to get rid of muscle stress you get from working out at the gym or at your house. That is why coconut water is considered as a natural refresher.

Cytokinins are the hormones responsible for the growth of plants. Fresh coconut water contains this. The hormone is famous and clinically checked and proven to possess cancer-fighting and anti-aging effects.

03. Cure for Kidney Stones

There have been studies carried out on whether coconut water has any effect on urinary citrate excretion. What is so special about citrate? It has a huge effect on preventing calcium kidney stones because it reacts/competes with calcium. 

And it has been proven that coconut water can effortlessly increase urinary citrate, potassium and also chloride. So, it might actually be effective to cure kidney stones.

04. An apple for your heart health

Preliminary medical studies have proven the fact that coconut water has the power to have an effect on preventing heart diseases. This is as a result of the amount of potassium coconut water contains. But it is not suitable as the sole supply of the daily potassium needed for your body. Instead, it will act as a supplement to fulfill the amount you don’t get from your daily diet.

Experiments done with rats have proven that coconut water has an effect on lowering blood pressure. This is due to the potassium levels as well as the cholesterol-reducing properties coconut water holds. However, even though there seems to be a lack of research done on the subject, people in Pacific Islands and Asian tropical countries have been using coconut water as a substance that helps with the said medical conditions and that has not done any harm for them. 

After all, coconut water is way healthier than most of the artificial drinks available in the market which we drink on a daily basis. And it will do no harm to add it to your diet.

05. Weight loss

Compared with the matured coconut fruit and the food items prepared using coconut milk and coconut oil, coconut water is exceptionally lower in fat levels. And also sugar levels. And you do not have to worry about using coconut water as a sports drink and worry about the sugar and fat levels. The drink is so filling that you will feel as if you have consumed a whole meal after drinking a cold glass of coconut water.

06. Skin Care

Many cosmetics companies have gone to the lengths of producing skincare products, shampoo, and even facial packs with coconut extract. So, natural coconut water has hydrating properties and will keep your skin moist and hydrated. And it does not require you to apply anything to your body or to drink pills.

Just a glass of coconut water a day and you are assured of healthy glowing skin. And as there are high levels of calcium and potassium in coconut water, it will definitely help with hair growth and strong hair. And not to mention, your hand and toenails are also benefited.

Watch the below video for additional information on advantages of coconut water

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