Quick, name a drink that is a nutrition heavyweight, tastes
great and comes in its very own sterile and portable container. If you said
coconut water, you’re right! Not to be confused with coconut milk, which is the
product of grinding and squeezing the flesh of mature coconuts, coconut water
is the clear, light liquid found inside young green coconuts. In places like
India, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean, one can buy young
coconuts from street vendors, drop a straw into the big fruit and enjoy the
delicious and refreshing water right on the spot!
Lucky for us, coconut water has recently become wildly
popular here in the United States, making it much easier to come by. Walk into
any supermarket or convenience store, and you will most likely see at least one
brand of coconut water available. Sales are exploding, and with good reason.
Often touted as nature’s sports drink, it is a far superior choice to the unnaturally
colored science experiments that line the beverage shelves of supermarkets. Hawaiians
even have a special name for the yummy drink – “dew from the heavens.”
Here are the currently known benefits of coconut water:
It is packed with simple sugar,
electrolytes, and minerals that perfectly replenish hydration levels in the
body. Especially great after a strenuous workout!
Research studies suggest that cytokinins (like kinetin and
trans-zeatin) in coconut water showed significant anti-aging,
anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects.
Coconut water aids in digestion
and metabolism because of its many naturally occurring bioactive enzymes such as acid
phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, and RNA-polymerases.
It is a very good source of
B-complex vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and
folates. These vitamins are essential because the human body requires them from
external sources.
Because coconuts grow near the
sea, they have continual access to mineral-rich salt water supplies, which
enables them to absorb the water through their root systems. This makes coconut
water a rich source of the major minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium, in
addition to the trace elements iodine, zinc, sulfur, selenium, sulfur,
manganese, boron and molybdenum.
Wow, that’s a lot of scientific
language to describe such a modest looking fruit, don’t you think? But now that
you know all the wonderful stuff it contains, don’t worry about the fancy words. Just go get
yourself some coconut water and enjoy, knowing that you are doing your body
good!
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