There’s a lot going on with coconut water, and many believe that it is a more effective beverage to keep yourself hydrated than H20 itself. Well, it is indeed true that it has many benefits to our bodies, and we can certainly say that it is a tasteful, awesome way to keep ourselves hydrated. But are the rumors actually true?
There’s a lot to take into consideration to properly say whether it works as effectively, or even better than regular water, and some coconut water-based sports drinks even contain substances such as electrolytes, an important component in our body that is depleted whenever we sweat and lose liquid.
How Coconut Works
The first thing we should note is how coconuts evolve. This fruit usually takes almost a year to fully grow and create both its meat and liquid which contains so many nutrients, but after six months, the fruit starts to produce both, yet in lower quality.
This fruit grows in the palm tree and has many variatios, each one varying in size, taste, and sugar levels. The main thing to mention about it is that it contains a high level of water, usually surpassing 90%, along with nutrients such as potassium, proteins, carbs, between many more.
Coconut water and meat have become one of the many flavors people add to dishes and even desserts, drinks, or snacks. Many countries in South America add coconut shredded meat to dishes such as fish, lamb meat, rice, and even lizards like iguanas.
Nowadays, coconut water has become a rather controversial topic, as mentioned in this article. This controversy comes because of the following question: Is the liquid provided by coconut more effective than your standard water?
Answering the Question
Many believe that the reason why coconut water is portrayed as a hydration powerhouse is because of the levels of sugar, nutrients, and electrolytes contained in it. In fact, a single cup of this beverage has 10% of the RDI (The recommended daily intake) of many nutrients, such as sodium and potassium.
In comparison, regular water doesn’t contain these components, nor sugar and electrolytes, which are depleted when we exercise or practice any physical activity.
Now, if we take as an example sports drinks based on this specific fruit, the benefits can vary, but they are vastly better than your regular coconut water.
More specifically, drinks such as watermelon coconut water sports drink focuses not only on providing the nutrients found in coconut, but also electrolytes, which are very important for the body.
Electrolytes work as an electric current conductor, which determines how effectively certain body functions will be performed. Our muscles, brain, lungs, and heart depend heavily on electrolytes to work properly since some of their body functions cannot be performed without electric currents happening in our bodies.
Electrolytes also contain and work thanks to nutrients like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride, some of which are provided by coconut water.
Of course, sports drinks are loaded with these, which furtherly enhances its effects in the body.
Here’s more detailed information about it https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/electrolyte-water#exercise.
Now, there are other benefits to electrolytes and coconut, which include an improved performance during physical activities, as well as a more effective way of keeping your body hydrated.
While we exercise or do physical activities, we sweat and lose liquid. Believe it or not, it can cause an imbalance of electrolytes in our body, which can cause several side-effects we may have experienced before.
Things like dizziness, short breath, headaches, stomaches, dry mouth, muscle pain, and other regular symptoms caused by physical effort can be dealt with this.
Of course, everything in excessive amounts can be harmful to our health. If we consume too many electrolytes, we might suffer from an imbalance, which is as equally harmful to our bodies.
In Conclusion
Depending on your preference, coconut water as a sports drink may be one of the best alternatives to keep yourself hydrated. I wouldn’t recommend it as an everyday beverage, or as something to consume when you lead a sedentary life.
It is better enjoyed when you practice some sort of sport or hobby that involves movement which causes you to sweat. If you don’t, I’d recommend it is a beverage only if it comes from natural sources that are not as loaded with too many electrolytes for your body.
Some people use them to replace beverages filled with calories, to lose weight, so it is actually reasonable to use it to lose weight purposes.
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