Coconut Water Health Benefits

Coconut water is the liquid inside an immature green coconut. It is the juice or endosperm of the young coconut. This water is now popular all over the world for its refreshing taste along with nutritious and health-benefitting properties.

Coconut water is rich in dietary fiber, enzymes, vitamin C, minerals (such as magnesium and potassium) and amino acids. But at the same time it is low in calories, chlorides and cholesterol. These properties make it useful for people trying to loose weight (by speeding up their metabolism and creating a feeling of fullness). By applying coconut water directly on your skin, you will keep it hydrated and balance its pH levels, leading to reduced acne, less visible signs of ageing, stretch marks, and cellulite and even treat eczema. Drinking coconut water will also help boost your immune system and fight the symptoms of the common cold and flu; keep your cardiovascular health in top shape and aid the kidneys in filtering the toxins and thus reducing the risk of kidney stones.

Coconut water is very refreshing and rich in sugar, electrolytes and minerals – available in the natural form in most sterile conditions. It is a natural isotonic drink where the electrolyte levels are similar to those found in the human body. Some research has shown coconuts to have cytokinins which have significant anti aging, anti carcinogenic and anti thrombotic effects.

The water of fresh green coconuts is actually fat free and has zero cholesterol – some studies even go as far as to say that it increases the HDL levels in the body. Once a coconut is cut open, the water should be consumed as exposure to air can result in loss of nutrients. It is low in fat though rich in vitamins and the potassium level is twice the amount found in bananas.

Coconut Water for Weight Loss: Drinking coconut water helps a person to lose weight as it is low in fat – it keeps a person feeling full and reduces food cravings. It is a storehouse of important nutrients, B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and pyridoxine, and folates. It has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties – these help when a person has flu or herpes - both of which are due to viral infections.

Coconut Water During Pregnancy: Coconut water is generally recommended during pregnancy as it helps in constipation, heart burn and slow digestion. The lauric acid present in coconut water has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which boost the body’s immune system.

Coconut Water and Kidney Disease: Tender coconut water is very beneficial to a person with kidney stones due to its minerals, potassium and magnesium content. This water also acts as a diuretic as it increases the flow and production of urine. Most urologists recommend coconut water every alternate day as it can reduce the size of kidney stones and even help eliminate them.

Coconut Water for Skin: Coconut water is wonderful for the skin also; when coconut water is applied to affected skin areas with acne, spots, wrinkles, stretch marks, cellulite and eczema – left overnight for two to three weeks - it clears up the skin and gives you a youthful-looking smooth skin. It can be applied to hands and nails for its smoothening and repairing properties.

Coconut Water & Heart Health

One of the major health benefits of coconut water is its ability to help maintain good cardiovascular health.

Studies have shown that individuals coping with high blood pressure generally have low potassium levels. Coconut water, considering its high potassium concentration, can help regulate blood pressure in the body.

Additionally, research has also indicated coconut water may help increase HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. What could be beneficial about increasing cholesterol? Well, HDL cholesterol is commonly known as the "good" cholesterol.

It acts as a scavenger and removes LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol , the "bad" kind. Then it transports this bad cholesterol to the liver for reprocessing.

HDL cholesterol also maintains the health of blood vessel walls, preventing such complications as atherosclerosis. All of these functions, together, ward off heart attacks and strokes.