Angela Pifer, Certified Nutritionist
I just did an interview with Kiro Radio reporter Tim Haeck on the health benefits of coconut water. Here is the article:
Here is the article link: http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=695196
Tim Haeck, 97.3 KIRO FM Reporter
Gatorade has been around for years, a staple on sports sidelines from Little League to the NFL. Vitamin water made a push a few years back. Now the big drink craze is coconut water, but is it really all that?
Distributors promote the benefits of drinking coconut water, not just for hydration but for cooling the body, elevating metabolism, promoting weight loss and maintaining the proper balance of electrolytes. Marketers have seized on the electrolytes.
Certified nutritionist Angela Pifer, in Bellevue, says her clients often mention electrolytes when she asks why they drink coconut water.
“I usually pop back very quickly – Are you working out more than two hours? And are you working out in a very hot, humid space? Then you’d need an electrolyte replacement. But most people don’t need an electrolyte replacement.”
Pifer says most of us won’t realize any special benefit from coconut water.
“I hear this offered a lot as a sports replenishment, but the typical person that is drinking this is maybe going to the gym for 45 minutes or an hour, and even if they’re doing a spin class for an hour, you still don’t need an electrolyte replacement,” says Pifer. “We really can get all the replacement and replenishment that we need from just water.”
Coconut water might not have great health benefits, but it won’t hurt you. But Pifer does cautions about the processed version of the product.
“I’d say that when you’re looking at a beverage that’s been pasteurized, and now flavors are added, and we’re seeing preservatives added, it’s starting to kick into more of a commercial food product and not an actual food,” says Pifer.
Pifer thinks coconut water is overpriced and overhyped.
“They’re over-promising benefits and under delivering,” says Pifer. “They are expensive. They definitely are. I think for people trying to watch their money right now they could just drink water. It would be
great.”
Lots of people swear by coconut water. In fairness, it contains two key minerals, sodium and potassium, but you can get that stuff in your normal diet.
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I would also like to add, that fresh, raw young coconut and water is a healthy addition to a meal plan. BUT, the issue I have with this food item is that it is becoming too commercialized and is now a processed beverage. Here is the nutrient breakdown of raw coconut (most processed beverages do not reflect this nutrient breakdown and they have added sugars).
| Coconut water (Cocus nucifera), Fresh, Nutrition Value per 100 g (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base) | ||
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
| Energy | 19 Kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.71 g | 3% |
| Protein | 0.72 g | 1.5% |
| Total Fat | 0.20 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.1 g | 3% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 3 µg | 0.75% |
| Niacin | 0.080 mg | 0.5% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.043 mg | <1% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.032 mg | 2.5% |
| Riboflavin | 0.057 mg | 4% |
| Thiamin | 0.030 mg | 2.5% |
| Vitamin C | 2.4 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 0 IU | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin K | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 105 mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 250 mg | 5% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 24 mg | 2.4% |
| Copper | 40 mcg | 4.5% |
| Iron | 0.29 mg | 3.5% |
| Magnesium | 25 mg | 6% |
| Manganese | 0.142 mg | % |
| Zinc | 0.10 mg | 1% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Auxin (Gibberlin) | Present | — |
| Carotene, beta | 0 µg | — |
| Cytokines | Present | — |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 0 µg | — |
| Leucoanthocyanin | Present | — |
Seattle Nutritionist Angela Pifer
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