Surprising Reasons to Add Coconut Water to Your Diet
Coconut is one of the most nutritious tropical fruits as it is loaded with many vital minerals and vitamins. This fruit is eaten in various forms and the juice or water present inside it contains many essential nutrients that can prove beneficial for our health in many ways. Let us find out in this article, how coconut water can help benefit our health!
Nutritional Profile of Coconut Water
Coconut water contains many important nutrients that are good for our health. The table below discusses the nutritional profile of coconut water:
| Nutrient | Value |
| Carbohydrate | 3.9 g |
| Protein | 0.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 1.3 g |
| Vitamin C | 2.6 mg |
| Potassium | 247 mg |
| Sodium | 103 mg |
| Copper | 43 mcg |
| Calcium | 25 mg |
| Magnesium | 23 mg |
| Iron | `0.30 mg |
| Zinc | 0.20 mg |
| Manganese | 0.141 mg |
The above-mentioned values are approx values present in 100 grams of coconut water.
Health Benefits of Coconut Water
Following are some of the many benefits of coconut water:
1. Helps in Digestion
Coconut water has an ample amount of fibre in it. Consuming fibre on a regular basis does wonders for your digestive system and keeps various digestion issues at bay.
If you drink the water of one coconut per day, your body will get approximately get 9 per cent of its daily fibre requirements, which will help in keeping your digestion on track too.
2. Helps in Preventing Kidney Stones
Kidneys help remove toxins and impurities from our body in the form of urine. But sometimes, urine crystallizes and forms stones in the kidneys. This painful condition can be avoided by consuming coconut water on a regular basis and reducing the chances of crystal build up in the kidneys.
3. Helps in Improving Metabolism
Good metabolism is one of the sure shot ways to good health. Various nutrients present in coconut water help in giving a boost to your metabolism, manganese being one of the most important ones. Therefore, give a much-needed boost to your metabolism by adding this water to your diet.
4. Helps Cardiovascular Health
Coconut water can be added to the diet to improve cardiovascular health. This is because this water helps in lowering the blood pressure and thus reducing the chances of heart attacks.
Various studies have proven that coconut water on a regular basis is beneficial for improving heart health.
5. Helps in Preventing Dehydration
Dehydration can make you extremely weak and low on energy. It can lead to further health complications too. Also, when the body gets dehydrated, it not only loses water but also important nutrients and essential salts. However, drinking coconut water instantly replenishes the body of all the lost nutrients and water.
6. Helpful for Diabetes
Wondering whether diabetics can have coconut water or not? Well, yes, they can have coconut water but preferably water from the mature fruit is better as it contains more anti-diabetic properties.
Coconut water is great for preventing blood clotting, which is a very common phenomenon for diabetics.
7. Helps in Losing Weight
Including coconut water on a regular basis in your diet is a great way of stopping yourself from consuming excess calories.
This happens because coconut water is rich in fibre, which keeps you satiated for longer, thereby lowering your calorie-intake and thus coconut water helps in weight-loss.
8. Helps in Reducing Bloating
Excess sodium in the body may result in bloating. However, if you include coconut water, the potassium levels may increase in your body. This may help in reducing the effects of sodium and may help in reducing the bloating.
9. Helps in Strengthening Bones
Coconut water is great in strengthening your bones because it contains a substantial amount of calcium in it. It also contains magnesium that helps in improving bone strength.
10. Helpful for Muscle Cramps
If you suffer from recurrent bouts of muscle cramps, it could be because of many reasons. However, if it is because of a low potassium diet or strenuous workouts, both these conditions can get better with coconut water. Because coconut water is rich in potassium and also provides the body with electrolytes and water.
11. Helpful for Providing Energy after Heavy Workouts
You feel the need for an energy drink post your strenuous workout sessions. You can replace your energy drink with the natural energy drink called coconut water.
Because it is loaded with potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium, which helps in replenishing the lost electrolytes from the body.
12. Helps in Detoxification
Our body needs to detoxify in order to get rid of all the toxins from the body. Coconut water hydrates the body and provides it with all the essential nutrients that help the body in getting rid of the toxins from the system.
13. Helpful for Treating Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea can devoid the body of its natural salts and electrolytes. In order to replenish them, our body needs supplements such as ORS.
However, coconut water is a natural supplement, and is better in treating diarrhoea than ORS because it contains minerals, enzymes, fatty acids, amino acids and many other nutrients.
14. Helps in Lowering Blood Pressure
It has been proven that the consumption of coconut water on a regular basis proves to be effective in lowering blood pressure or hypertension.
It also avoids blood clotting and reduces bad cholesterol in the body, which may directly impact your blood pressure.
15. Helpful in Depression
Does it sound absurd to you? Well, it is not because coconut water has been found to be helpful for people battling depression. The high amount of magnesium content in coconut water is effective in enhancing the mood, keeping spirits high and depression at bay.
16. Helpful for Treating Gallstones
Being rich in magnesium and malic acid, consumption of coconut water can help in the treatment of gallstones. This is because both these nutrients are effective in breaking down these stones and flushing it out from your system.
17. Helps in Improving Memory
As bizarre as it may sound, coconut water can actually help in enhancing memory, all thanks to the presence of amino acids and glutamic acid in it.
There are many studies that support the use of coconut water in enhancing memory retention and recall because of the presence of these two components.
18. Helps in Curing Insomnia
Coconut water can help you snooze at night and improve the quality of your sleep too.
This is because it contains GABA, a neurotransmitter that is helpful in making you feel relaxed and calm, and has anti-anxiety effects too. All these factors lead to better sleep at night.
19. Helpful in Relieving Stress
Consumption of coconut water on a regular basis helps manage your stress levels too. Coconut water is loaded with vitamin B5, B6 and B9; together all these vitamins help in releasing serotonin, which makes you forget stress and feel calm.
20. Helps Improve Eye-health
If you are concerned about your eye-health and wish to improve it, include coconut water in your daily diet.
It contains a substantial amount of vitamin B12, which is beneficial for better vision and overall eye health.
21. Helpful in Treating Alzheimer’s
Presence of trans-zeatin, a cytokinin, is very effective in Alzheimer’s because it helps in preventing brain cell damage and also helps in curing impaired memory.
22. Helpful in Treating Headaches
One of the most common reasons for headaches is dehydration and consuming coconut water can help you with that.
Also, if you suffer from regular bouts of migraine, coconut water may help because it is loaded with magnesium, which may help in reducing the frequency.
23. Helps by Providing Instant Energy
Need an instant dose of energy? Drink a glass of fresh coconut water. The presence of natural sugars and various other nutrients helps in giving an instant kick of energy.
24. Helpful in Treating Constipation
High amounts of dietary fibre in coconut water is great for keeping tummy issues like constipation at bay.
If battling with constipation, including coconut water on a regular basis may help a great deal.
25. Helpful for Reducing Toxins from the Liver
The hepatoprotective properties of coconut water benefit the liver by reducing toxin activity.
These are some of the numerous advantages of coconut water for our health. You can also drink coconut water on an empty stomach to receive many health benefits.
How Does Coconut Water Help with Skin Issues?
Coconut water acts as a wonder tonic for various skin issues and some advantages of coconut water for skin are:
1. For Reducing Acne
Acne is one of the most dreaded skin ailments; however, if you use coconut water for the face, it can help you deal with acne because of the presence of antibacterial properties. Honey helps in reducing skin inflammation.
What You Will Need
- ½ cup fresh coconut water
- ½ tablespoon honey
What to Do
- Mix honey and coconut water.
- Dip a cotton ball in this solution and dab all over the face.
- Wipe your face with a soft washcloth after 10 to 12 minutes.
- Use it as a part of your daily skin-care regimen.
2. For Reducing Pigmentation
Being loaded with vitamin C, coconut water is great for dealing with pigmentation issues and also effective in dealing with skin discolouration, tanning and blemishes.
What You Will Need
- 2 tablespoons coconut water
- 1 tablespoon fuller’s earth
What to Do
- Take both the ingredients and make a smooth paste.
- Apply over the pigmented area or all over the face.
- Wash with warm water after 10 to 15 minutes.
- Use this pack once or twice a week for maximum skin benefits.
3. For Reducing Signs Of Ageing
The presence of cytokines in coconut water is great for skin repair, disappearance of fine lines and wrinkles by promoting cell growth.
What You Will Need
- 2 tablespoons yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon coconut water
What to Do
- Stir yoghurt and coconut water in a bowl.
- Apply the mixture all over the face, using a brush.
- Let the mask sit on the skin for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse with water.
- Apply this mask once or twice a week for reducing the signs of ageing.
4. For Moisturising the Skin
The non-greasy and hydrating properties of coconut water make it an effective skin moisturiser for all skin types.
What You Will Need
- 2 tablespoons fresh coconut water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
What to Do
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Soak a cotton ball and apply the mixture liberally on your face and neck.
- Wait for 30 minutes before washing your face with water.
- You can use this mask every alternate day.
How Can Coconut Water Boost the Health of Your Hair?
Every woman wishes to have beautiful and healthy tresses and coconut water may help you achieve that. Here are some benefits of coconut water on hair:
1. For Shiny Hair
Coconut water is loaded with natural moisturisers and helps in providing deep conditioning to the hair and the result is glossier, shinier and healthier mane.
What You Will Need
- 1 cup fresh coconut water
What to Do
- Use your regular shampoo to wash your hair.
- Take coconut water and mix it in a mug of water and give the last rinse with this after shampooing the hair.
- You can use this every time you shampoo your hair.
2. For Hair Growth
A high amount of potassium in coconut water is great for stimulating hair growth.
What You Will Need
- ½ cup coconut water
What to Do
- Rub coconut water on your scalp and hair using your fingers or cotton balls dipped in coconut water.
- Let it stay on your scalp for 8 hours or leave it overnight.
- Wash your hair with a mild shampoo.
- Use this hair pack on alternate days for best results.
3. For Controlling Dandruff
The white itchy flakes can be a real menace, however, the anti-fungal properties of coconut water help in reducing the occurrence.
What You Need
- 5 tablespoons coconut water
- ¼ teaspoon pure neem oil
What to Do
- Mix both the ingredients and massage your scalp with it.
- Wait for an hour before rinsing with warm water.
- For optimum benefits, use this treatment twice a week
Are There Any Risks of Consuming Coconut Water?
Though coconut water is very safe for consumption, however, sometimes there may be risks associated with its consumption, such as:
- If you are suffering from kidney dysfunction, consult your doctor before consuming coconut water on a regular basis.
- An excess amount of coconut water may lead to stomach discomfort and bloating.
- If you have low blood pressure or are taking blood pressure medicines, consult your practitioner before including it in your daily diet.
- Conduct an allergy test, because some people may develop allergies or an allergic reaction.
FAQs
Some frequently asked questions related to the consumption of coconut water are as follows:
1. Is It Good to Drink Coconut Water during Pregnancy?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to drink it during pregnancy. It helps in meeting the increased nutritional needs and also in maintaining the electrolyte levels of the body.
2. Is Coconut water Better than Normal Water?
Under normal circumstances both are same, however, under situations where you require more than normal hydration such as after strenuous work or while suffering from a bout of diarrhoea, coconut water may prove to be better in providing hydration and other nutrients to the body.
3. Is It Safe to Drink Too Much Coconut Water?
Moderation is the key and works for everything. However, you can safely consume a glass or two of coconut water in a day but more amounts of coconut water may disrupt the electrolyte balance and may cause harm.
