6 Pros and Cons of Coconut Water

As you may have also noticed, coconut water has been recently creating a stir in the world of nutrition and fitness, where you have seen a lot of people downing the drink after intense sessions of workout. It might seem so traditional, but why are so many people drinking it? As you can see, the drink has been found to supposedly provide a lot of health benefits, such as preventing certain illnesses like those of the kidney and heart, being an excellent source of electrolytes, and slowing down aging. Now, you might be wondering if these claims are true or not. To find out, here are the pros and cons of coconut water:

List of Pros of Coconut Water

1. It contains electrolytes.
This natural liquid is referred to as the sports drink from Mother Nature thanks to its electrolyte content. In fact, it is loaded with sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride and calcium, which are all good for the body. This means that it is particularly beneficial after workouts and any physical activities to replenish the body fluids you will lose through sweat.

2. It is great for hydration.
As previously entailed, coconut water is effective in rehydrating after an exercise. Even professional athletes, such as tennis player John Isner, drink it after a match. According to them, this drink is able to keep them going during long matches and prevent them from cramping in the most humid conditions. It is even said that it can alleviate hang-overs!

3. It contains low calories.
This natural drink contains much lower in calories compared with many other commercial sports drinks, which means that it should be a great option for those who need extra hydration for a variety of health reasons, but do not want to gain extra pounds from extra calories.

List of Cons of Coconut Water

1. It comes with fallible claims.
You might have heard it, but drinking a lot of coconut water will not help you cure of serious medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes and other diseases stated in the media or in other bogus marketing presentations.

2. It offers a taste that you might not like.
If you have not tried drinking coconut water, you might wonder if its taste is as good as sports drinks. Well, this can be strictly subjective, as sports drinks have a variety of artificial, exotic and sugary flavors, while coconut does not.

3. It might not be appropriate for elite athletes.
Athletes who sweat abundantly during long workouts might not find coconut water very useful. In fact, sports nutrition experts do not also suggest sports drinks for these individuals, stating that they actually need supplements and other rich sources, such as bananas, raisins and pretzels, to replenish your stores.

If you are living an active lifestyle and do not mind the taste of coconut water, then it could be a great choice for an after-workout drink. After all, it is completely natural and does not contain added sugars and artificial ingredients that many sports drinks have. However, it also comes with some drawbacks that you should consider before making it a staple of a drink.