Is Coconut Water a Fad?

Coconut, or monkey face water, is a low-fat high in electrolytes completely pure and natural beverage.  Mainly found in the tropics, coconut is cleaner than distilled water and that’s saying a lot for a liquid.

Coconut scientific name Coconut nucifera, meaning “nut bearing monkey tree”.  There are many types of coconuts, as there are many types of palm trees.  Some types of coconuts are: Jamaica Tall, Malaya Dwarf, West Africa Tall, Tampakan Tall, Cameron Red and Fiji Dwarf.

In Ayurveda, coconut is worshiped as Vishnu and Satya Narayan, the Lord of Truth.  Coconut meat is easy to digest and high in calories, is a good source of vitamins B and minerals.  Coconut has a blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates, enzymes, health enhancing growth hormones and phytonutrients.  Since its an ionic mineral that resembles human plasma is the best natural sports drink for rehydration, far superior than energy drinks and low in sodium, 25 mg and low in sugar, only 5mg.

A Class on its Own

Coconut: Scientifically Proven to Treat the Following

Used intravenously for more than 60 years as a serum. Wards off disease.  Aids in exercise performance, improves digestion, feeds friendly bacteria, lowers blood pressure, improves good cholesterol levels, and enhances immune function. Contains 50% lauric acid, one of the most abundant sources for lauric acid so it is also highly recommended for pregnant women or those that are lactating.  Lauric acid is a strong bactericidal, it is effective as an antibiotic alternative for acne or acne vulgaris.

Lauric acid is a triglyceride, a saturated fat that raises cholesterol levels, is present in breast milk.

Coconut contains the same level of electrolytes we have in our blood. Is full of natural sugars, salts and vitamins.  Coconut water is better than milk and orange juice.  Coconut water has saved  soldier’s lives, used as an intravenous solution to prolong life.  In fact, coconut water is known as the fluid of life.

Coconut water is the best choice in replenishing minerals because of the following components: 100 grams of coconut water contains 95.5 water, 0.05 percent nitrogen, 0.25 percent potassium, 0.56 percent phosphoric acid, 0.69 percent calcium oxide, and 0.59 percent magnesium oxide.  Contains 46 calories.

Coconut slows aging process.  Ails the kidney and bladder, is better than processed baby’s milk.  Coconut water fights viruses that cause flu, herpes and AIDS, reduces the risk of cancer and enhances blood circulation.

Coconut water is antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiprozoal and antioxidant.  Has no harmful side effects, all its side effects are beneficial to the body.  Reduces inflammation, relieves pain caused by hemorrhoids and kills bacteria that cause throat infections and urinary tract infections.

Coconut water stands on the other end of soda and carbonated drinks. Improves insulin secretion  utilization of blood glucose, and calcium and magnesium absorption.  Develops strong bones and teeth.  Functions as a protective antioxidant.  Increases metabolism so it helps in weight loss.  Prevents obesity and overweight.


End of the World? No Worries! Sip on a Coconut!
Credit: A Million Lives

Coconut and Cholesterol

Due to its reported benefits, coconut (like many other naturally derived treatments and beneficial components) threatens the pharmaceutic and allopathic medicine. 

Coconut is high in saturated fats. There are different kinds of saturated fats.  The public tends to think that “all saturated fats are bad”.  This is not true.  There good saturated fats and bad saturated fats, just like there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.  Good saturated fats are easier to break down or digest, normally they have a vegetable source.  Bad saturated fats, the ones that clog up arteries and places the heart at risk, come from animal and man-made sources, like high fructose corn syrup.

The reason why animal or man-made saturated fats are bad is because of their long chain of fatty acids. This makes them more difficult to digest, so they end up store in the body, slowing metabolism and promoting obesity.

The reason why coconut contains good cholesterol is because its main component, lauric acid, a medium fatty acid, breaks easily into the fatty acid monolaurin.  This natural immune booster, also known as glycery laureate is a monoglyceride surfactant found in mother’s milk, it is claimed to be effective against the H1N1 virus. (Ray Sahelian, M.D.).  A commercial form of monolaurin is marketed as Lauricidin, but its solid form does not guarantee full body absorption.  Nobody can do it better than Nature.  Clinical studies have proven monolaurin effectiveness in HIV patients.

There is Coconut Water, Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil, all Beneficial

Note that there is coconut water, coconut milk and coconut oil, all beneficial.  This article focuses on coconut water, which comes from young coconuts, as opposed from coconut milk, which is higher in good cholesterol since it is mixed with the coconut meat or inside peel.  Coconut oil is pressed from the coconut meat or inside peel.

Coconut has enough potassium and glucose to threat cholera patients as it happened in the Pacific Ocean atoll of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands where it was used to compensate for the sodium and chlorine deficiency.

Other studies report that mature coconuts, 9th month and beyond contain no significant concentrations of glucose and sodium of any potential value for rehydration (1993).  Coconuts take less than a year to mature, the closer they are to their maturity peak, the less water available.

Why are Americans so fat? They gobble religiously on high fructose corn syrup.  Sports drinks are not healthy, and this is a fact, according to Margo Wootan, director of Nutrition Policy at the Center of Science in the Public Interest, “they do not want any official sanctioning of the idea that sports energy drinks are associated with obesity”. (Washington Post, 2007)

Coconut water contains a far higher level of potassium than most energy drinks, an average of 294 vs 117 mg.

Coconut is Not a Nut

A Nut Carries an Edible Seed

One final note in regards to those allergic to nuts.  Coconut is not a nut.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition of “nut”, besides crazy, is “a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel” or “a dry indehiscient (mature) one-seeded fruit with a woody pericarp (exterior)”.  Both definitions carry the word “seed”.  There is no seed inside a coconut.  It so happens that the coconut has that name, but it does not belong to the nut family.  According to the dictionary, coconut is a fruit.  It belongs to the subfamily Cocoideae.  With 27 genre and 600 species, coconut is a class on its own.

The Food and Drug Administration have coconuts (or palm tree) listed as a tree nut, or a major food allergen, along with almonds, cashews and Macadamia nut.  Interestingly enough, they state that oysters, clams, mussels or scallops are not major food allergens. I wonder who’s the nut.

Coconut water has no harmful side effects, still not FDA approved for any official claims. In compliance with section 201(p) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, any claims in promoting products “for the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of the disease” are subject to this law.  So this information shall be deemed for entertainment purposes only... until further notice.