Coconut water – the new Gatorade?
Yesterday's news?
After your next intense workout, instead of grabbing your usual energy drink, consider reaching for… coconut water! Apparently since the mid-2000s, three major coconut water manufacturers have contributed significantly to the coconut water craze: Vita Coco, O.N.E., and ZICO. Vita Coco boasts backing from such celebrities as: Madonna, Matthew McConaughey, and Demi Moore. PepsiCo is invested in O.N.E. And in recent news, ZICO will be the sole coconut water to be sold at Target stores nationwide (effective Feb, 2011). 1
Why is coconut water being touted as ‘nature’s Gatorade’?
“Coconut water has 15 times the electrolytes found in most sports drinks. And it’s a natural food, not a man-made product like a sports drink. Most sports drinks have a lot of added sugars like high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and artificial coloring. But plain coconut water contains naturally occurring sugar and minimal (if any) other ingredients. It’s also much lower in calories.” 2
What is coconut water?
Coconut water is the clear liquid from a green coconut. (Note: this is different from coconut milk, which is made from the white pulp inside mature coconuts).
What can be found in an eight-ounce serving of coconut water?
- 45 calories (zero from fat or cholesterol)
- 10-25 grams of sugar per serving (less than most fruit juices)
- Five essential electrolytes:
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Potassium: 600 mg–over 2x’s the amount found in one banana
- Phosphorous
Read on:
http://caloriecount.about.com/coconut-water-new-health-food-b484153
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/4847-coconut-water-the-new-coke-
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Wow. Who knew? I never even thought to check any sports drink for the evil, corn-derived, high-fructose corn syrup. Now, I wonder if coconut water will hold up in a bicycle water bottle through hot and cold. Thanks for writing!