Coconut Water is Full of Nutrients

Coconut Water is Full of Nutrients
By Jon Alkire

The greatest quantities of coconut water are found in young coconuts that are still green. At this stage of maturity, the inside of the coconut contains little else than water – there is very little meat, and what is there is quite soft. The liquid has very little color, and is almost clear. Coconut water has a mild, almond flavor that many people find quite pleasant. This liquid has been consumed in many parts of the world for thousands of years.

Because they require high humidity, regular rainfall, and warm temperatures to thrive, coconut palm trees grow best in tropical areas. Not surprisingly, then, it was the people of the tropics that first consumed coconut water thousands of years ago. Because the water inside the coconut was filtered, it was a reliable and easy to obtain source of safe drinking water. The people of the tropics also consumed coconut water on a regular basis because of its pleasant taste.

For the indigenous people of the tropics, coconut water was much more than just a refreshing drink; it was actually prescribed as a medicine for those suffering from headaches, fevers, diarrhea, and other ailments. People believed the drink could increase a person’s energy levels and strengthen the heart. Expectant mothers drank the water from inside the coconut on a regular basis because they believed it would make their children strong.

Interestingly, there are modern examples of coconut water being used as a type of medicine. During World War II and the Vietnam War, the large number of injured soldiers meant there was often a shortage of IV solution. Instead of sitting around and hoping for more, however, medical professionals injected coconut water into the blood stream to help prevent dehydration. This could be done safely because the water is quite similar in composition to human plasma. Coconut water is different from all other natural substances in that it is the only one that can be injected into the bloodstream with no ill effects.

Thousands of years after people first began to consume coconut water, it is still a popular beverage. Thanks to international trade, it is no longer just people in the tropics that have easy access to this liquid – people all over the world are now discovering coconut water. India leads the world in coconut production, with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brazil also producing significant quantities. In many parts of South America, young coconuts are sold for the refreshing liquid they contain. In Costa Rica, coconut water is known as aqua de pipa, and it is widely available at beaches and other traditional stopping places along the nation’s highways.

In other locations throughout the world, coconut water is pasteurized to remove potentially harmful bacteria, packaged, and sold as a sports energy drink. Many people also use it as an ingredient in various recipes and mixed alcoholic drinks. Coconut water is over 95% water, but it also contains potassium, magnesium, sodium, and sugar. It is low in calories and fat, and contains no cholesterol. Because of its unique nutritional composition and pleasant taste, the demand for coconut water is likely to increase among diet-conscious consumers and athletes looking for energy drinks made of more natural ingredients.

Whatever your business – dietary supplements, functional foods, OTC, cosmetics, beverages or pet and livestock ingredients – AHD has the ingredients to meet your needs. For information on the chia products, contact AHD via our website at http://www.ahdintl.com/CoconutWater.html or telephone our sales department at 404-233-4022.

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Organic Coconut water in a Can Nature Factor

There is a new brand of coconut water just now appearing for sale at amazon. Believe it or not it is USDA certified organic and it comes in a 10 ounce can. I am excited to see this product in a can as cans are recyclable, regardless of what they say about tetra paks being environmentally friendly, they are still thrown out and not recycled.

The new coconut water brand is Nature Factor Packaged by Edward & Sons.

Country of origin is Thailand, most other coconut water water products are coming from the same source in Brazil. I am sorta curious to see if there is a taste difference due to the different region.

So far the cost seams competitive against non organic brands and is available at Amazon.

If you have tried Nature Factor coconut water, I would love to hear your remarks

Can Coconut Water Help Cure a Hangover?

Coconut Water: The Natural Hangover Elixir

Coconut Water For Weight Loss – Why This Can Help

By Maire Brody

Is coconut water for weight loss the latest fad diet, gimmick or theme for a diet book? Well, I can’t say for sure, but the point of this article is not to sell you on coconut water as some kind of magical solution to losing weight, but to explain why this can, when combined with other sensible practices, really help.

First of all, water itself is an important key to both good health in general and maintaining (or attaining) your ideal body weight. Water keeps your metabolism running smoothly. It keeps you hydrated when you exercise -which you should be doing if you want to lose weight. You’ve probably heard by now that you should drink eight glasses (or so) of water per day for optimal health. Many people read this, but still don’t drink enough water.

So where does the coconut enter the picture? Coconut oil has been getting quite a bit of attention in the health community recently. While some people, especially advocates of low fat diets, believe -or used to believe- that coconut oil is not healthy because it contains fat, more recent research shows that it’s a healthy kind of fat. It’s part of the paradox that some health experts have noticed –namely, that many traditional people have, for centuries or even millennia, been eating diets high in fat but have suffered virtually none of the diseases –and obesity– that are common today. Coconut oil is an example of a natural, high quality fat that is very healthy.

Now coconut water is a less concentrated form of this very healthy fruit, the coconut. But it is still very healthy. There are only a few things you can put into water that do not dilute it and make it less healthy. One is lemon. Another is coconut. Both are alkalizing, and help the body in many ways, such as digestion, blood sugar control and metabolism.

It is not recommended that you drink only coconut water. You should always drink plenty of pure water with nothing else added (though a slice of lemon would never hurt). But drinking coconut water every day would be a very beneficial addition to your liquid intake, especially if you can consume this instead of less healthy cold beverages such as soda or even most juices (which tend to be very high in sugars, even if they are natural sugars). For warm beverages, try green tea or hoodia. As far as coconut water goes, find a source of it that is natural and doesn’t contain extra sweeteners.

Now, once again, don’t expect coconut water by itself to make you magically lose weight. Several cups of this every day can really help kick your metabolism into gear, but it’s still up to you to burn off those calories by getting regular exercise. And, it goes without saying (or it really should!) that you can’t eat a high calorie, unhealthy diet and expect to make up for it by consuming one or two healthy things (such as green tea or coconut water).

Coconut water can be a great and very beneficial addition to an overall weight loss program. It’s a good tasting beverage that can turn into a healthy habit.

Is Coconut Water the Next Super Food Craze?

Okay, I will be honest here. I bought this website and domain name because I knew that Coconut water was on the verge of a new health trend. I did this for money, and secondly I did this because I was interested.  I  have an interest in getting to the top of search engines for the search term “Coconut Water” because I want people to know the truth- so many people got taken on the “Acai Berry” scams. I am so sick of hype marketing. So far I have not seen any scams related to coconut water but I have seen some over zealous claims.

I am not a health official or even a health guru so I am going to appeal to your common sense.

Moderation

Coconut waters intended market is to individuals whom have lost electrolytes due to vigorous exercise 3 hours or more. In other words, if you are sitting in front of the TV for 3 hours flicking the remote, you do not need coconut water.  However, there would be benefit to those people who work in intense heat where heat strokes are common : Roofers, Construction Workers, Factory Workers, etc… Personally, I have not worked out for 3 hours at time in decades (lol), But I will enjoy a coconut water after mowing the lawn and doing yard work. The point I am trying to get across is moderation. Example, Just because 1 beer a day is good for you does not mean that 25 beers a day is even better, the same goes with health products.

Outrageous Health claims I have seen

*Coconut Water for weight loss- If you drink coconut water instead of pop then yeah, you will loose weight. But then again, you could drink plain old water instead of pop, and you will loose weight.

* Coconut water for acne. I have mature skin with a severe cystic acne problem. So I decided to try splashing coconut water on my face 3 or 4 times a day for 2 weeks-no miracle cure for me. I should add I was also drinking 1 coconut water a day. I will note that coconut water did help a very little with inflammation and is good to stabilize your skin ph, which would make it a nice natural toner.  Coconut water has zinc in it, and zinc is a well documented acne aid. I just do not personally believe there is enough zinc concentrated in coconut water to make a difference to acne sufferers.

* Coconut water intravenously.  If you have read about the health benefits of coconut water than you have heard this.  That coconut water was used in IVs for dehydration in soldiers. This claim is true but keep in mind, they used fresh coconuts. It is among speculation, that the short time heating process, used in today’s Tetra Paks looses some of the beneficial enzymes. There has been no reports of people being fed intravenously via Tetra Pak.

*Coconut Water for Hair and skin. I read a report saying to put coconut water in you hair for an hour before bath for thickening and strength properties. I have thin hair so I gave this a whirl. I noticed absolutely nothing different with my hair. I did put the remainder of a 17 ounce carton in my bath water, and did notice a natural moisturizing effect on my skin, as though I applied lotion. I will note it is pretty expensive to put coconut water in the bath water- I won’t be doing this to often. In conclusion I am sure that coconut is better for your skin and hair than regular tap water (laden with pollution). However the benefits are so small, yet expensive. I think it is a treatment for the rich and famous to enjoy.

I think the year of 2009 will be the year of Coconut. Coconuts have come out of the closet, so to speak. Coconut oil is enjoying a new lime light as being a good for you oil. I read a forum the other day where people were eating coconut oil by the spoonfuls (gross).  Once again, please  use your common sense, and do your research before falling for the “Next Super Food Craze”.

While coconut oil would be good to replace other cooking oils, common sense should tell you that eating it by the spoonfuls may not be a wise decision

PepsiCo buys Brazil’s Largest Coconut Water Manufacturer

According to Forbes PepsiCo Bought Brazils Largest Coconut Water Manufacturer. I am not one to re-report the news. But I am left wondering what PepsiCo’s intentions are with this acquisition. I am sure they will continue to sell it to the current client base, but, I am sure they intend on marketing in the US eventually. I am left curious about how long it will take for PepsiCo to introduce a product to the US and what it will do to the current US Coconut water brands. How will it effect current coconut water consumers? Hopefully prices will come down,only time will tell.

Zico Coconut Water 11 ounce case of 12 sale

A total of 50% off can be obtained at Amazon using subscribe and save on the following coconut water products until August 30, 2009.Use coupon code ZICC5455 and subscribe for an additional 15% off. For free shipping spend $25 or more.

Is Coconut Water Truly Delicious?

I remember trying coconut water fresh from the coconut as a child and I was not impressed. I figured it was much like broccoli- something you enjoy more as you get older. Well I decided to try it again  with all the health benefits recently reported.

First I want to say,  I am not a health nut. As a matter of fact I am overweight. I hate drinking plain water and I drink hoards of sugar and milk  laden coffee. I was looking for a health beverage to help me consume water and cut back on the coffee. Coconut water sounded so delicious, and exotic and I love pina coladas, how could coconut water be bad.

I decided to buy 2 cases of coconut water from Amazon, as they had a 50% of deal and I needed $25 worth to get free shipping. I excitedly awaited my package of coconut water. Once it arrived I immediately stuck one in the freezer so I could try it right away. My first sip tasted like wood water with an odd thick consistency like saliva. My grandson age 2 1/2 wanted to try some, too. He now calls it eewey juice. I would not call the flavor of coconut water yummy or delicious. I would not call it awful, either. I did buy the 17 ounce carton and consumed the whole thing. I definately noticed a pep in my step, and I did feel full after drinking it. And my body temperature was definately cool ( I had just mowed the lawn). So refreshing is a good term to be used in the description of coconut water.

The whole point of this article is to give my honest opinion as many marketers tend to focus on the benefits, and exaggerate. I would not like readers to be disappointed in a product purchase that I gave a false representation of it. A person whom is on a diet and regularly consumes bland foods may have a different flavor opinion.

Overall, I will buy coconut water again because of the health benefits and the way it makes feel.

Now, Which brand of water tastes best?

This topic seams to be up for debate also if you read the reviews at Amazon. Recently a group of wine tasters did a blind taste test of  the top 4 brands of  coconut water, along with fresh green and brown coconuts. You can check out their findings here

CrushWineCo.com

O.N.E. Coconut Water, 11.2-Ounce Aseptic Containers (Case of 12) available at  Amazon