Full disclosure: I hate coconut water. I hate any beverage that is mildly sour. My husband and mother love to mix a few drops of juice into a bottle of water to, ‘add a little flavor’ and I find it vile. I still remember the day in the fifth grade when I reached into my lunch bag and found that my mom had snuck a few drops of orange juice into my bottle of water. It, literally, ruined my day. When she picked my up that afternoon I yelled, I cried, “how could you do this to me!?!” My poor mother, she received the majority (let’s be real, all) of my adolescent melodrama.
Unsweetened coconut water, if you have not tried it, tastes like mildly sour water. It is the clear-ish water in the center of a coconut; this different from coconut milk, which is made from its flesh. Fans and manufacturers claim that it is more efficient at rehydrating you than water and less sugary than sports drinks. A 2002 article in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science compared the effects of rehydrating with coconut water vs plain water and carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages (aka sports drinks). They found no difference in serum sodium and chlorine, serum osmolality, and net fluid balance. They did find that coconut water was significantly sweeter, caused less nausea, fullness and no stomach upset and was easier to consume in larger quantities compared with plain water and sports drinks. Although it should be noted that a different article, which also found no difference in the rehydration ability of these beverages, found that coconut water caused more bloating than water.
In English? Coconut water is good for you, but it isn’t going to replenish your electrolytes any more efficiently than plain water; do not rely on it as a nutritional supplement. Just like any beverage, too much is actually bad for you because it will imbalance your body’s electrolytes (everything in moderation). And if you’re still not sure what you should be drinking then remember: plain water is free.
Sprouted Health 