Is Coconut Water Healthy? How to Reap Its Benefits for Our Body

Coconut water is touted for its super-hydrating qualities and all-natural origin. But when you really break it down, is coconut water good for you?

This trendy tropical beverage has a number of health benefits that you probably don’t know about. From electrolytes to antioxidants, let’s dive deep into the benefits of coconut water by looking at its nutritional facts. And if you don’t like the taste of coconut water alone, we’ll even include a few tips on how you can enjoy coconut water in creative ways.

Coconut Water Nutrition Facts

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, one cup of unsweetened, ready-to-drink coconut water has the following nutritional profile¹.

• 44.1 calories
• 0.54 grams protein
• 10.4 grams carbohydrate
• 9.6 grams sugar
• 17.2 mg calcium
• 14.7 mg magnesium
•  12.2 mg phosphorus
• 404 mg potassium
• 63.7 mg sodium
• 24.3 mg vitamin C

As you can see, coconut water is a good source of potassium — and it’s also a low-sodium and low-calorie beverage that supports hydration and other health benefits.

Is Coconut Water Hydrating

Yes, coconut water is definitely hydrating. This is due to coconut water’s diverse content of electrolytes like sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium². These electrolytes help maintain normal blood volume and prevent dehydration. 

Because of this, coconut water can help reduce fatigue, stress, and muscle tension. Similarly, coconut water hydration also helps with recovery from exercise or hangovers³.

What Are the Benefits of Coconut Water?

Beyond hydration, the health benefits of coconut water stem from their antioxidant content. Research shows that coconut water contains antioxidants like flavonoids, as well as plant-based compounds with antioxidant properties like caffeic acids and catechin⁴.

These antioxidants can help reduce inflammation in the body, and in turn help fight off free radicals that could cause cell damage. As a result, consuming such antioxidants regularly can help reduce one’s risk of chronic diseases like heart disease⁵.

What Does Coconut Water Do for the Body?

The antioxidant compounds in coconut water can benefit your body in several ways, like:

• Supporting heart health⁶
• Improving the health of the gut microbiome, in turn reducing risk of gastrointestinal health issues⁷
• Enhancing immune health⁸
•  Supporting iron absorption through its vitamin C content⁶

Why Is Coconut Water Good for You?

Now that you know what coconut water does to the body, let’s take everything you’ve heard so far and sum up exactly why coconut water is good for you. 

1. Its hydrating properties make coconut water one of the best liquids you can drink, alongside water itself. 
2. It can help you recover from hangover symptoms, which are typically caused by dehydration.
3. It’s a good source of potassium, which can support a heart healthy lifestyle.
4. This refreshing beverage is a flavorful, low-calorie alternative to sweetened beverages like juice and sodas, which can be extremely harmful to our health.

How Do You Add Coconut Water to Your Routine?

Although it can easily be enjoyed on its own, there are also creative ways to include coconut water in your healthy routine to make life interesting. Here are some examples of ways to incorporate coconut water in your diet:

FAQs

Is it OK to drink coconut water daily?

Coconut water is a low-calorie beverage you can drink everyday to support hydration and heart health. It should not be your primary beverage throughout the day, but it can help supplement hydration alongside water.

Is there a lot of sugar in coconut water?

There are nearly 10 grams of natural sugar in a cup of unsweetened coconut water. This is fine in moderation for most people, but may not be healthy to consume for those with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes. However, when it comes to diabetes risk, it’s a much healthier alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages like soda.

What are the pros and cons of coconut water?

The pros of coconut water are that it is naturally low calorie and a good source of potassium and other electrolytes. It is also fairly low in sodium, which is heart-healthy. And let’s not forget the antioxidant content of coconut water, which can enhance immunity and reduce inflammation in the body.^7,8

Even though coconut water is healthy for most, there are some people that should limit or avoid coconut water. First of all, those with chronic kidney disease should avoid coconut water because of its high potassium content. As their kidneys are not able to filter potassium from the body well, consuming a lot of potassium could cause those with kidney disease to develop hyperkalemia, or too much potassium in the blood².

Secondly, coconut water contains around ten grams of natural sugar per cup. Therefore, people with prediabetes, diabetes, or other people who need to limit carbohydrate intake to manage their health, may not benefit from drinking more than one cup of coconut water daily.

Sources:

1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174831/nutrients
2. https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/is-coconut-water-healthy
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7473379/
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11696670/
5. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/how-potassium-can-help-control-high-blood-pressure
6. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/jfq/7286503
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38278200/
8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353603073_An_Overview_on_Coconut_Water_As_A_Multipurpose_Nutrition
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7231580/

Staci has been a registered dietitian since 2010 and has treated hundreds of patients for nutrition-related issues ranging from … More about Staci Gulbin, Registered Dietitian

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