8 Uncommon Benefits of Coconut Water
The question that lands the most in our inbox is, “Why coconut water?”
We went through a handful of ideas when we were looking for a healthy alternative to sports drinks – something truly Greater Than. After research and testing - using coconut water for the base of our electrolyte drinks was a bit of a no-brainer.
The benefits of coconut water are incredible - it’s no surprise that we've kept it at the core of all of our Greater Than drinks.
Coconut water has recently grown more popular because of its hydrating benefits. It’s great for a post-workout, helping you rehydrate or even boosting your energy levels. But there are a variety of benefits you may not even be aware of. We wanted to take a minute and present some of the benefits of coconut water that we learned about when we decided to go with Greater Than.
What’s Great About Coconut Water?
Coconut water, often described as having a nutty, sweet taste, is a clear fluid found inside green coconuts. Don’t confuse it with high-fat coconut milk, which is made from water and the flesh of coconuts or coconut oil.
Coconut water is technically considered to be a form of juice and contains up to 94% water and very little fat. Even though it isn’t very fattening, coconut water contains various health benefits that make it an excellent choice for our organic electrolyte drinks!
One of the main reasons we love coconut water so much is because it contains electrolytes, minerals, sugar, and vitamins. Because of its electrolytes and sugar, coconut water contains easily digestible carbohydrates.
The Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water
Coconut water has an array of benefits that other fluids, especially sugary sports drinks, don’t have. Coconut water can be a great source for hydration and help you and the whole family, making us at Greater Than love it even more.
Natural Low-Calorie Hydration
A 2002 study that tested the effects and results between water, sports drink, and coconut water had exciting results as well. Although all three felt equally hydrating after drinking coconut water, users experienced less nausea and felt less ‘full.’
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals in your blood, urine, tissues, and any bodily fluids that help to balance the amount of water in your body, balance your pH level, move nutrients into your cells, and make sure your body is functioning the way it needs to.
They are also a key ingredient to what makes our drinks so hydrating -- and more importantly – electrolytes are packed in coconut water.
Coconut water drew our attention because of its natural electrolyte attributes. An eight-ounce serving of coconut water has more than twice the electrolytes and half the carbohydrates as a traditional sports drink. Yeah, seriously.
Better (Or Should We Say Greater?) Than Sugary Drinks
Coconut water has less sugar than many sports drinks, sodas, and juices. That’s why we made it such a big part of our own electrolyte drink because we know you value your family’s health.
It can be a great substitute for recreational and professional athletes because it can replace lost fluids. Since it has so many hydrating benefits, it is often considered to be a good choice for anyone, especially if you just finished an intense workout.
Attributes to Healthy Blood Pressure
Coconut water is loaded with potassium – 1 cup yields over 15% of your daily recommended value, so with coconut water comes the benefits of a heavy potassium diet. Did you know that adding potassium to your diet can help maintain healthy blood pressure? In some cases, it even helps reduce it.
Potassium directly counteracts the effects of sodium within our bodies. A 2005 study followed subjects that drank coconut water daily and were able to see a drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure when the water had shown no change.
Since potassium can help reduce blood pressure, a 2014 study shows that coconut water could also help promote heart health. Although it can play a role in having a heart-healthy diet, always talk to your healthcare provider about the right diet.
Not only does it help to lower blood sugar levels, but it could also help a person with diabetes control their blood sugar as well. It’s important to note that unsweetened coconut water contains natural sugars, so be aware of your overall intake.
A 2015 study shows how researchers found that coconut water led to improvements in blood sugar control and lowered them in a rat model of diabetes. Pretty interesting!
Weight Loss
Honey Khanna, dietician for Max Healthcare, reports that coconut water’s high potassium levels can help those with weight problems as the potassium flushes out excess water and helps with water retention. Khanna also highlights that “It contains small amounts of micronutrients. These [micronutrients] help boost immunity in the body to a small extent and help detoxify the body.”
One cup of coconut water contains only 45 calories, making it a better substitute as a hydrating drink than sodas and juices, which are high in calories, sugar, and carbohydrates. That’s another reason why we knew it would be the perfect addition to our electrolyte, low-sugar, no-additive electrolyte drink.
Antioxidants
Just when you thought there couldn’t be more to say about coconut water, guess again. Coconut water contains antioxidants, which help to protect cells from damage. Many people take synthetic antioxidants, but we love how coconut water provides it for you naturally.
Although not many studies have been done to show the effect the antioxidants of coconut water have on people.
Potential Kidney Health Benefits
Like how coconut water can promote heart health, the same can promote kidney health.
Interestingly enough, a 2018 study found that participants without kidney stones had coconut water, which helped them lose citrate, potassium, and chloride while urinating, suggesting that coconut water can help prevent kidney stones from forming.
Another rat model study in 2021 shows coconut water may have helped prevent kidney damage from diabetes.
Making Your Body Less Acidic
Lastly, the pH level of coconut water is great for reducing the acidity in your body pH levels. An acidic pH level within your body has been linked to a huge variety of health problems. The pH level of coconut water helps counteract the acidity of your diet and helps bring your body back into an alkaline state.
Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
Since we’ve confirmed that coconut water has a variety of health benefits, it can also act as a good source of hydration for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
It can be a good source of hydration for pregnant women since it is hydrating and provides electrolytes. On top of that, coconut water can replace any lost electrolytes and lost fluid from morning sickness since it has potassium, sodium, and magnesium.
It also is considered as a way to boost your milk supply if you are a breastfeeding mother. It is safe to drink while nursing since it contains no sugar additives or fillers other drinks may have. Many moms swear by coconut water as their drink for breastfeeding, and we do, too!
Ready to give us a try? At Greater Than, our Trial 6-Flavor Variety Pack contains endless benefits for mothers and the entire family! After all, not all hydration drinks are created equal.
It’s Not Magic, It’s Mother Nature
If you’re looking for a creative way to get your hydration levels up besides drinking water, coconut water can be a great alternative. Staying hydrated has a variety of benefits, and coconut water is a great way to get your energy levels boosted, support your digestion, improve heart health, help you lose weight, and so much more!
Although studies are ambiguous in terms of coconut water versus regular water and coconut water’s nutritional effects, we know that the pros seem to outweigh any cons when it comes to how good coconut water is.
When we made Greater Than, we wanted to give mothers an opportunity to enjoy a delicious, refreshing electrolyte beverage without the side effects of those traditional neon sports drinks that we see in store shelves all across the country.
Greater Than is for much more than just the gym. Our sugars come from the natural fruit juices we use in the creation process. Drink this at the dinner table or on the go. Just because it’s delicious doesn’t mean you should feel guilty!
Sources:
Rehydration After Exercise with Coconut Water | PubMed
Fluid and Electrolyte Balance | Medline Plus
The Control of Hypertension by Use of Coconut Water and Mauby: Two Tropical Food Drinks | PubMed
Research Article: Tender Coconut Water | International Journal of Scientific Research
How Can Antioxidants Benefit Your Health? | Medical News Today
Coconut Water: An Unexpected Source of Urinary Citrate | ResearchGate
Effects of coconut water on blood sugar and retina of rats with diabetes | PubMed
15 Benefits of Drinking Water and Other Water Facts | Medical News Today