Coconut Water – The new sports drink?

In recent years we have seen pomegranate and acai juice drinks explode onto the scene with claims of being the new natural miracle drink, full of everything a body needs. Both these have come and gone, pretty quickly I might add, and now a new “flavor of the month” has emerged – Coconut water. So how does it stack up!

Coconuts are a very healthy, nutritious food containing 283 calories and 27g of fat per cup. They are packed with electrolytes and vitamins and contain a good helping of fiber and protein. Coconut milk has been known to help ease sore throat and even stomach ulcers, while coconut oil can heal cuts and burns. So what about coconut water?

Coconut water is the mildly sweet liquid inside unripe coconuts, not to be confused with coconut milk which is made from coconut meat. A study done by ConsumerLab.com on three of the leading brands of coconut water found that only one lived up to the claims in the label. Some of the claims of the other two brands were off by as much as a whooping 82%.

The report does state that although coconut water is a good source of certain minerals such as potassium, it is probably not the best way to rehydrate and replenish after a workout. It is not any better than just regular water and a banana. If you are engaging in very vigorous or prolonged activity then coconut water is not going to cut it.