Coconut water

[bejuce]

Does anyone know whether drinking coconut water daily may be beneficial to us? I drank a fair amount of it while on vacation in Brazil (my home country) and have been buying it here at Whole Foods. I'm aware of the high potassium levels, but am concerned about the sugar.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Marcia

[ElaineM]

My doctor, a runner introduced it to me for the potassium, but I don't know about the sugar.
However, if a person has diarrhea coconut would not be a good idea. I suppose if someone has constipation it might be good. Pacific Islanders told me too much coconut can cause diarrhea.

[Rich66]

You mean coconut water sweetened with sugar?

[bejuce]

No, just fresh coconut water out of a coconut or one of the fresh brands sold at Whole Foods like Vita Coco.

[lexigirl]

Hi bejuce,

I read your post earlier today. I have no knowledge of the coconut water, but I had to run into WalMart and I saw the VitaCoco on the shelf. I am curious to see what it tastes like so I bought some. I'll let you know how I like it after I try some. I thought it might be good for my daughter who is playing hs volleyball now.

Lexi

[harrie]

Lexi,
From what I have heard about coconut water, it is an excellent souce of replacement of electrolytes for athletes. It is also very low in sugar.
This coconut water is not to be confused with coconut milk which is used for many desserts.
I drink coconut water after workouts sometimes. It has minimal flavor to it. I consider it much better then something like Gatorade which is loaded with sugar.

[lexigirl]

I tried the coconut water. It does have a minimal taste to it, but I really think I felt a bit more energy after I drank it. I don't know if it is coincidence, but later in the evening I was thinking that I had felt pretty good energy wise that day. I don't know if it was the serving of coconut water for sure, but I will continue drinking it to see. And your right, the sugar isn't bad at all.

Lexi

[candlegranny]

i have taken coconut capsules before i was diagnosed with BC. could those be good for you?

[WolverineFan]

Never heard of coconut water, but I'm going to try it now. Thanks Bejuce!

[christie]

hi, i had coconut water daily during my chemo, it worked wonders, i didnt throw up even once, no heart burn, i was perfectly normal through out my chemo. A big glass of it everday

[ElaineM]

I am still drinking the coconut water. I noticed my potassium levels have increased a little. That is a good thing, because I take diuretics for blood pressure issues.
Diuretics tend to decrease potassium.

[pibikay]

I do not know how I missed this thread.Here in India Coconut Water (we call it tender coconut water) is a universal accompaniment with food after anu surgery or prolonged treatment.It is supposed to clean your liver and urinary tract as a cooler.But it increases urine outflow .My wife was regularly taking it ever since she started her chemo.we have it in our garden My wife has stopped taking it for the past 3 days and her urine outflow has decreased

[Vic]

Hi bejuce,

I have been drinking coconut water for over a year and get it at my local health food store, as that has the best prices, and I love it. I find it refreshing and I like the added potassium in it, because I sometimes get cramps in my feet when exercising. It seems that the various companies have slight distinctions in taste. So, drink up. I think you've picked a good beverage.

Vicki

[Unregistered]

Just wanted to add, since I ran across this mention of a study in rats, that young coconut juice may have estrogenic properties:

http://www.healthyfellow.com/278/the-truth-about-coconut-water/

http://www.hh.um.es/Abstracts/Vol_24/24_6/24_6_667.htm

Wikipedia seems to back this up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut

I have not found anything similar related to virgin coconut oil or coconut meat -- and I use both occasionally.

[harrie]

Oh, that was interesting info about the estrogen like characteristics in young coconuts.

[onestep]

I am seeing a nutritionist periodically as I go through treatment and he mentioned at the first visit that coconut juice is very beneficial to drink.

[imdavidson]

I don't know how it is at other stores but at Whole Foods, if you pick out a fresh coconut in their produce section, they'll make a hole in the top for you so that you can drink the water from it with a straw. I love it.

Idelle

[pibikay]

I have coconuts in our garden and so a one piece of advice to imdavisdon. If the coconut is not fresh (2-3 days after being plucked)the water inside will not be sweet and it will upset your system

[imdavidson]

Good to know, thank you.

[harrie]

At our local farmers mkt you can just buy a coconut, they will poke a hole in it and you can drink the water. Coconuts are very abundant here. (obviously...hahaha!!)
And over here, if we find a coconut, we can crack it open and drink the coconut juice and eat the meat. If it is too old to eat, you will know right away by the smell. We never gave it a thought as to how many days old it might be.