There’s nothing like the taste of fresh coconut water.  That’s one of the benefits of being in tropical countries. Just finding them sold everywhere all the time makes access to the natural stuff so easy.  Over the last few years there has been such a huge boost in the promotion of coconut related products. Go to any store and you’ll find an assortment of coconut juice or coconut milk.

With all the talk about coconut water what exactly are the benefits? In case you didn’t know, here are five health benefits of drinking coconut water.

1. Hydrates the Body 

Not only is it refreshing, but it’s also tauted for its ability to hydrate your body after extreme exercise or rigorous activity.  Drinking it is much better than most of the artificial sports drinks that claim to replenish the body after fluid loss.

2. Nutrient Rich

Coconut water has natural electrolytes that benefit your body; potassium,  calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. There is also a low level of sodium and sugar compared to sports drinks.  It’s also full of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, iron, vitamin C and zinc.

3. Helps Digestion

Coconut water is said to help those with difficulties with their digestive system. It contains a high fibre concentration  which aids digestion.

4. Lowers Blood Pressure

Because of the levels of vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, its said that drinking two glasses a day is a good natural way of treating blood pressure and hypertension.

5. Balance pH Levels

Because of its alkalizing ability, coconut water can help to balance your body’s pH levels. This, in turn, can help those with problems like diabetes, immune deficiency, osteoporosis and arthritis.

Keep in mind that it’s because of processed food that most people end up with high acidic levels in their body. Reduction of these foods in your diet is also a good help.

Caution

Although coconut water is praised for its health benefits, you must be careful when buying bottled or packaged versions. Many will have added sugars and extra sodium that could potentially contribute to more harm than good.

This can be a challenge when most people don’t live somewhere they have easy access to fresh coconuts like I did in my picture at the beginning of this post.

There are some grocery stores, natural and organic shops that do carry product that is good for you. Take time to read labels, checking the sugar and sodium content before you buy.

**If you have nut allergies it may not be a good idea to drink coconut water.

Bonus

Did you know that coconut water has similar properties to human plasma? That means in emergency cases coconut water can be used to hydrate the body using intravenous methods.

It also has hormones that help slow down ageing. Who doesn’t love that?