Coconut water- eat pretzels instead.

What is so special about coconut water that people are willing to pay more for a liter of it than a gallon of gasoline?  Is coconut water the answer to our health problems?  Some claim that drinking coconut water has made them healthy and that it is the best recovery drink after exercise.  Don’t jump on the coconut water fad train so fast.

Coconut water is the fluid that is contained within immature coconuts, the fruit of the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera).  In contrast, Coconut milk is the fluid that is squeezed out of the protein rich white coconut seed meat. Using coconut water for hydration has a long history in many cultures- particularly those in which the trees are abundant.   The use of the coconut fruit for its meat and water dates back at least 4000 years.  Coconut water has even been used as an rehydrating  I.V. fluid in some remote areas of the world. 

Coconut water definitely has some benefits but it is not the perfect rehydrating solution.  Let us first examine the nutritional composition of coconut water:  1 cup (8 oz) of coconut water contains the following*: 

*Disclaimer- the amount of nutrients found in coconut water depends on the age of the fruit- so even this is not reliable (nor is it regulated)!

Macronutrients

-          Calories:  46

-          Fat (gm): 0.5  (4 kcal)

-          Carbohydrate (gm): 9 (36 kcal)

-          Protein (gm): 2 (8 kcal)

Electrolytes

-          Sodium: 252 mg

-          Potassium: 600mg

-          Magnesium: 60 mg

-          Phosphorus: 48 mg

-          Calcium:  57.6 mg

Other nutrients- Coconut water contains additional nutrients but none in significant amounts. Perhaps the most important would be vitamin C at 5.8 mg which is on average about 5.8% of the Daily Value. 

So yes, Coconut water has less than half the calories of soda (103 kcals per cup) and 20% less calories than a typical sports recovery drink such as Gatorade (63 kcals per cup).  Obviously it is a more nutritious choice than soda- simply from a caloric standpoint and it does actually contain some beneficial nutrients.   This doesn’t mean you should go and blow your savings on coconut water.

First off, it is relatively expensive.  Water is much cheaper and has been our primary form of hydration for a lot longer than coconut water.  How’s that for historical reference.  Coconut water will cost you $2 - $3 for 11oz. 

Unless we are engaging in intense exercise for a long duration (>60 minutes) we get a sufficient amount of our electrolytes from our regular food intake.  So the extra electrolytes in coconut water are not worth the money for those not so athletically inclined. Most of the extra electrolytes translate to $$ that ends up in the toilet (literally).  Those of us that participate in long episodes of rigorous physical activity (>60 – 90 minutes) need to adequately rehydrate and provide sufficient kcals and electrolytes for recovery.   Coconut water is not a sufficient form of rehydration for sport or for recovery from illness (such as vomiting or diarrhea). This is because we mostly need to replace sodium after long sweaty workout – the amount of sodium in coconut water is not sufficient. 

Many of the manufacturers claim that you should drink coconut water because of the benefits of added potassium.  Coconut water has 2.5 times the amount of potassium as a banana (as claimed in the advertisements and this is going to depend on the age of the fruit from which your coconut water was extracted) – however, most of us don’t need that much potassium- even after an exhausting long endurance workout. In addition, coconut water does not have sufficient calories for exercise recovery. What we need is sodium and calories– you would be better off eating something salty and drinking water.  

On an important side note: those taking potassium sparing diuretics (used commonly as a blood pressure lowering medication) should talk to their doctor before consuming coconut water.