Is Coconut Water Good for Weight Loss? Information You Need to Know
By bulksupplementsdirect
Table of Contents
Researchers have directly linked excess weight gain to various health complications such as coronary heart diseases and psychological disorders.
But it doesn’t have to get to that point; you can work out and change your diet. For instance, you can replace your favorite soda drink with pure coconut water.
But is coconut water good for weight loss? Yes, it has the potential to help with weight loss.
A study showed that coconut water could reduce adipose tissue mass, such as belly fat. Therefore, we have compiled this guide to give you all the relevant information about this drink that has a natural cooling effect.
Additionally, we will cover the nutritional value of coconut water and how it aids in weight loss.
Moreover, you will learn about the benefits of coconut water. That being said, let’s get to it.
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Overview of Coconut Water
Coconut water is the clear juice found inside a green coconut. This liquid is lower in calories than coconut milk and coconut oil, full of saturated fat.
So that means you can use it instead of other drinks. Coconut water for weight loss is gaining traction because it is gentle on the stomach.
Unlike other detox drinks, such as ginger, it doesn’t cause a burning sensation in the stomach.
You can find it naturally in the dry drupe or packed in bottles. However, caution is necessary when buying packaged coconut water.
Some unscrupulous manufacturers use mature coconut water, concentrates, and flavors to dupe buyers. Worse, some use dangerous chemicals like sodium metabisulphite or formaldehyde to preserve coconut water.
Hence It’s best to read the ingredients and ensure that there are no added sugar or any preservative and harmful chemicals.
Coconut Water Nutritional Value and Significance
This healthy drink is better for weight loss than other fruit juices. Consuming coconut water gives you the following nutrients and minerals per 100-gram serving:
Calories
With 19 Kcal per 100 grams, coconut contains fewer calories than fruit juices. Thus, these low calories mean that your body won’t turn it into body fat. Therefore, drinking coconut instead of other drinks is good for weight loss and comes with other health benefits.
Carbohydrates
A serving of coconut water contains 3.71 g of carbohydrates. Additionally, the carbohydrates in coconut water are rich in dietary fiber, preventing sugar spikes and food cravings. As a result, it helps control the amount of food you eat. Also, it will help you lose weight. The fiber also binds with cholesterol in the digestive tract to lower bad cholesterol in your blood.
Proteins
You will have 0.72 g of proteins per serving of coconut water which is essential since it’s an appetite suppressant. Drinking coconut water will help you lose weight by reducing the calories you take. Instead of drinking plain water, it’d be best to sip coconut water daily as it will help you fight dehydration and lose weight.
Vitamins and Other Minerals
When you consume coconut water, you get 105 mg of sodium, 250mg of potassium, and high bioactive enzymes per serving. Potassium is an essential electrolyte that, together with the bioactive enzymes, helps burn more calories. As a result, you shed unwanted pounds. The natural enzymes also promote healthy digestion to boost energy production.
Unlike plain water, this healthy beverage also contains 24 mg of calcium, 25 mg of magnesium, and 0.29 mg of iron per serving. Moreover, the vitamins present per serving is 2.4 mg of vitamin C, 3.0 mg of folate, and 0.080 mg of niacin. These vitamins and minerals boost the metabolic rate, burn extra fat, and reduce body weight.
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How Coconut Water Can Help You Lose Weight
Instead of sugary drinks, take coconut water. Also, coconut water, with its impeccable taste, helps in weight loss in the following ways:
Diuretic Effects
Coconut water is a natural diuretic that causes frequent urination without causing electrolyte imbalance. Consequently, this process helps lose excess body fluid and general body weight, commonly known as “water weight.” However, this weight loss isn’t permanent, so combining it with proper diet and exercise is necessary.
Increasing Metabolic Rate
The metabolism rate determines how fast your body burns calories from the food you eat and beverages you drink. Therefore, a slow metabolism means your body will have to store the extra calories in fatty tissues for later use. Thus, coconut water helps avoid fat storage by increasing the metabolism rate. So, instead of our body storing the fat, it burns it into energy.
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Other Health Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water
Besides weight loss, coconut water has the potential for other health benefits, and here are some of them.
Boost the Immune System
Coconut water has antibacterial and antiviral properties owing to its nutrients and lauric acid, which increase your immune system’s ability to tackle infections. Besides immune boosting, lauric acid is good for digestion and maintains a healthy microbiome in your gut.
Treat Acne
Drinking coconut water also affects your skin, such as by treating acne. And the beverage has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that help in this treatment. Furthermore, it is a detoxifier and can reduce excess fat in your skin to prevent breakouts that develop into acne. Besides drinking, you can apply chilled coconut water to your skin to lighten blemishes.
Relieve Morning Sickness or Other Pregnancy-related Conditions
Regarding pregnancy, coconut water has proven to be effective in relieving morning sickness. And it does so by replacing the electrolytes an expecting mother loses through vomit. Moreover, coconut water also hydrates and helps with acid reflux, which causes sour burps as the baby bump grows.
Help with Efficient Digestion
Coconut water can also help with digestion since it soothes the stomach and speeds up sluggish digestion, which helps prevent bloating after eating. As a result, your body quickly processes food, takes in essential nutrients and discards waste.
Protect Against Free Radicals
Thanks to its vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as caffeic acid and shikimic acid, coconut water can help neutralize the damage that free radicals your body cells produce during cell metabolism. As a result, this protection prevents health problems such as inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.
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Lower Blood Sugar Levels
A study on diabetic rats showed that coconut could lower blood sugar levels. And further studies have shown that this hydrating drink can reduce blood glucose. Therefore, it is safe to say that you can drink coconut water to help with this condition. However, consulting your doctor before doing it would be best.
Prevent Kidney Stones
Coconut water can prevent kidney stones since it has diuretic properties. A 2018 study on humans found that coconut water increased urination, which helps get rid of chloride, citrate, and potassium to prevent kidney stones. It’s, therefore, best to drink coconut water instead of plain water when thirsty.
Regulate Blood Pressure
Bad cholesterol hardens and narrows your arteries, causing high blood pressure due to the strain on blood movement. In contrast, coconut water converts terrible cholesterol into bile acids and enables smooth blood flow. As a result, you will avert fatal cardiovascular diseases associated with high blood pressure.
Mitigate Retinal Damage
You can also take coconut water to improve eyesight since it reduces fluid pressure. Research has shown that coconut water protects against diabetic retinopathy (DR). The properties can be attributed to coconut water’s ability to decrease retinal inflammatory activities and oxidative stress.
Help with Post-workout Recovery
This drink is best for post-workout recovery, thanks to its electrolytes. The electrolytes direct the water flow in and out of your body cells, which repair the muscles and rehydrate them. However, it’d be best to take some proteins and carbs post-workout for proper recovery.
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What is the Best Time to Drink Coconut Water?
The best times to drink coconut water for weight loss include:
- Early in the morning: It will help to drink coconut water early in the morning on an empty stomach. Taking it before eating anything will help with constipation and effectively control morning sickness during pregnancy.
- Before or after a workout: Coconut water’s natural cooling effect makes it ideal for a sports drink. Hence, drinking it pre- or post-workout helps cool your body and hydrate simultaneously. As mentioned earlier, it also helps replenish the electrolytes you will have lost during an intense workout.
- Before or after a meal: This drink is effective if you want to control the amount of food you want to eat hence the need to drink it before eating. Furthermore, taking it after a meal helps fasten digestion, essential in preventing bloating.
- Before bed: You can also take coconut water to help you sleep better, as it helps in reducing anxiety. In addition, sipping coconut water before bed will make you calm and relaxed for a good night.
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Essential Tips for Preparation and Serving of Coconut Water
Consume coconut water while fresh
Experts recommend drinking coconut water when fresh from a green coconut because it will develop a strong smell after some time. In addition, the water will become sour, which is a sign that it has gone bad.
Don't add sugar or artificial flavors to coconut water
You shouldn’t add sugar to coconut water since it has a natural flavor. Adding artificial sweetener or sugar will render your efforts to lose weight by drinking coconut water useless. Consuming a lot of sugar, which will happen if you sweeten your coconut water, can lead to weight gain.
Drink tender coconut water for all the nutrients
Drinking water from young coconuts is more beneficial than drinking mature ones. The mature coconut might have high protein levels, but the tender ones have higher phenolic contents and more minerals.
Refrigerate packed coconut water after opening it
Most coconut water manufacturers pasteurize the content before packaging. The packed coconut water has a longer shelf life, provided you don’t open it. However, it’d be best to refrigerate after opening. For better taste, you should consume the coconut water within two to three days after opening it.
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Frequently Asked Questions On Coconut Water For Weight Loss
1. Is it safe to drink coconut water for weight loss?
It is safe to drink coconut water to lose weight and reduce belly fat significantly. So, you should stop eating high-calorie foods and incorporate healthy alternatives. Additionally, exercising for the best results in your weight loss efforts would be best.
2. Can you catch a cold or cough from drinking pure coconut water?
No, you can’t catch a cold from drinking coconut water unless you are allergic to coconut, which is rare. Instead, it would be best to drink it if you have a cold because of its hydrating effects.
3. Can you drink coconut water daily?
You can drink coconut water daily, provided you do it moderately. Thus, two to three cups are the ideal amount to take daily. And, instead of taking all of it in one sitting, you can have a bottle filled with coconut water and sip it throughout the day. This option is also ideal if you often need to remember to drink water.
4. How many extra kilos will you lose by drinking coconut water?
There is no ideal weight you will lose by drinking coconut water since it depends on your diet and exercise routine. Therefore, avoid high-calorie foods and sugary drinks and live an active life to lose weight and keep it off.
5. What are the safety precautions for drinking coconut water?
It’d be best if you don’t drink too much coconut water due to the risk of electrolyte imbalance. You shouldn’t take it if you are on blood pressure medication because of the minerals in coconut water. Consulting your doctor before doing so would be best. In addition, you shouldn’t drink coconut water two to three weeks before surgery since it lowers blood pressure.
Conclusion
Extra weight, such as belly fat, puts you at risk of cardiovascular diseases and affects you emotionally.
Fortunately, drinking coconut water can help you reduce belly fat and other adipose tissue mass. Known for its natural cooling effects, you can drink coconut water for additional health benefits besides weight loss.
Therefore, use the information in this article as you drink coconut water to hydrate, lose weight, and gain the other health benefits you have learned about.
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- Note: The content on this website is meant to be for information and it should not be taken as medical advice. The content and the products mentioned in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Always speak with a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise plan, and /or taking any supplements or changes.
