I grew up knowing only the brown hairy coconuts with delicious meat inside…but none of the delicious water that I have grown to know and love…that changed when I first holidayed in Asia and now I am resident here I have had my own tree laden with beautiful Green Coconuts…
Our coconut palm
Coconut water is one of natures natural cleansers and can help rid the body of accumulated irritants, waste products and toxins.
Barley water, lemon juice, coconut water and bel sherbet are also very effective liver tonics, says Shashibala, senior consultant, Ayurveda, Moolchand Medcity, New Delhi. Jun 2, 2009.
Today I will be looking at Green Coconuts and the lovely healthy water which is inside them.
Over the next three weeks, I will look at Barley Water, Lemon Juice and Bel Sherbet (Bael Sharbat) and the benefits…I do remember my mother making barley water for us in the summer months she used to keep a jug in the fridge.
Coconut water is high in potassium, which can flush out excess water from your body which means it’s great for detox, weight loss and for people with water retention problems. Coconut water soothes the stomach, is easy to digest and helps prevents constipation.
So easy to digest that the soft flesh of the very young green coconuts is one of a baby’s first foods here, in fact, young Lily was enjoying the very soft easily digestible coconut meat at only a few months old it was one of the first foods her mummy introduced her to…
Coconuts take 12 months to fully mature and stay mostly green until fully mature… while the coconut meat is maturing they contain mostly the healthy, nutritional water.
As the coconut matures Its water becomes sweeter, and a jelly-like meat forms, which gradually thickens and firms up…it is this meat in its very early stages of growth that we feed to babies.
Once matured the meat inside thickens, hardens, and develops its high-fat content. The coconut is then much lower in water.
The water and tender meat of green coconuts are packed with electrolytes and micronutrients.
As a coconut ripens and transforms from mostly water to mostly meat, its nutrition content changes drastically.
Coconut water has a similar sugar and electrolyte composition to those of oral rehydration solutions, so it can be used to replace fluid loss from something like mild diarrhoea …In fact, coconut water is offered to patients with diarrhoea in many tropic regions to replace the fluid loss from the gastrointestinal tract and to reduce the need for hospitalisation.
It is also said that during WW2 coconut water was used instead of saline…I have found no proof as to the validity of that and maybe it was a one-off as a sterile option…the reality is it probably wouldn’t work overall or long term due to its composition but maybe it saved a life…
I most certainly am convinced of the benefits of drinking coconut water…
My morning drink of fresh coconut juice with the very soft young meat.
Many people prefer it to bottled sports drinks as a natural rehydration beverage …all I would say is beware of bottled coconut water as many have added sugar also check the percentage of coconut water ideally it should be 100% …Check your labels carefully…
Nowadays, ready to use tender coconuts, are imported from Thailand and Malaysia, thus now they can be easily available in the USA, European Union, and Canada.
In the stores, coconut water is also sold in packets, and bottles as well. However, its overall nutritional profile may not be the same and up to the mark in terms of vitamins and enzyme levels, since some additives and preservative need to be added to it to enhance shelf life.
If you are lucky enough to be able to purchase green coconuts choose the heavy ones and be assured they are much easier to open when young and bright green.
Also do not confuse the coconut water with coconut milk…they are two different products the milk is produced by adding water to grated coconut meat. Coconut milk contains about 50% water and is very high in coconut fat.
An average green coconut provides about 0.5–1 cups of coconut water. One cup (240 ml) contains 46 calories…along with less sugar and carbohydrates compared to most juices. Apart from these, coconut water also has minerals and electrolytes like sodium and potassium.
A very healthy drink indeed…
Thank you for popping by and reading this post…Do you enjoy drinking coconut water and feel the benefits? I would love to hear from you in comments as you know I love to chat…Love Carol xx
Retired? No one told me! 