Coconut water provides a tasty alternative to drinking water and is one of the best natural thirst quenchers in the world. It comes loaded with natural nutrients which provide a long list of health benefits with no side effects. Discussed below are 8 health benefits of drinking coconut water on a regular basis. They also explain why this water has become so popular in recent years.
Health Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water
1. Aids in Weight Loss
For people who are keen on losing weight, few natural products are as effective as the water from coconut. In essence, coconut water has a very low fat content, which means that copious amounts of coconut water can be taken without pumping more carbs into the body. Another way in which coconut water helps you to lower weight is in lowering your appetite. Due to its rich nature, coconut water makes you feel full and thus lower your desire to eat other foods that could be rich in fat.
2. Picture-Perfect Skin
The water also has a positive effect on the skin. If you have an acne problem or any other such blemishes on your skin, applying water from the coconut can go a long way in clearing all the acne and toning the skin as well. On top of this, it helps to moisturize the skin from inside. This happens when the water is ingested orally. It helps to eliminate a lot of the oils that may have accumulated in the skin. It is for this reason that many commercially successful shampoos, facial creams, lotions and conditioners contain coconut extracts.
3. The Ultimate Hangover Remedy
The next time you have had a little too much to drink on a night out, drinking a large amount of this water can help in calming your stomach down and making that hangover go away. The water also helps in replacing the essential electrolytes which leave your body when experiencing regular bouts of vomiting and/ or urination.
4. Facilitates Digestion
In situations where you regularly have difficulties in the digestion process, this water could be the perfect remedy for this problem. Due to its high level of fiber content, it helps in preventing indigestion as well as reducing the levels of occurrence of acid reflux in the body.
5. Boosts Hydration
Sports drinks and energy drinks are no match to this water when it comes to hydrating your body when it needs it the most. In situations where you have undertaken an intense exercise session, there are a lot of essential minerals that leave the body as fluids. However, an excellent replacement drink that contains 5 mg of natural sugar and 294 mg of potassium is water from the coconut. Many sports drinks and energy drinks contain less than half this amount. On top of this, the count of sodium in coconut water is a mere 25 mg. This is extremely low compared to the levels found in sports drinks and energy drinks — 20 mg to 40 mg.
6. Reduces Blood Pressure
There are many situations during which a disproportionate amount of electrolytes can lead to high blood pressure. Since it contains a large amount of each, it can be consumed to serve as a balancing agent. In some situations, it is encouraged to drink coconut water at the start of each day in order to enhance the balance those electrolytes.
7. Rich in Nutrients
There are five essential electrolytes contained in mineral water that are essential to the functions of the human body. These essential electrolytes are not found in any other commercial beverage. These electrolytes include magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus. Due to this unique composition, people with different types of medical conditions should take it.
8. Compatible with Human Blood
Due to the fact that it is isotonic to the human plasma, it can be used in dire emergencies to rapidly hydrate the human body when it is administered intravenously. In fact, it is quite common for coconut water to be used in developing countries to save human lives.
How Much Should You Consume?
Coconut water can be enjoyed either when it is taken alone or when taken with another product or supplement. There is no ground rule when it comes to the quantity of coconut water that should be consumed on a daily basis. Medical experts, however, suggest that you maintain an active lifestyle in situations where you are consuming large amounts of this water. This is because an eight ounce serving of the water is normally contains anywhere between 40 up to 60 calories.
In your search for the ideal coconut to enjoy, ensure that you avoid coconuts which have a shell that is hard and brown. This is a sign that that coconut is mature. The ideal coconut is one that is young and still green on the outside. Such coconuts have the best coconut water.