Is coconut water an acquired taste?

[Anonymous]

If you like it, great, but if you don't, no need to work to like it: It's nothing special.

http://time.com/3559621/coconut-water-nutrition/

Should I Drink Coconut Water?
Mandy Oaklander @mandyoaklander Nov. 6, 2014
Is it really worth the price and hype?

Coconuts
4/5 experts say no.

Coconut water—salty, sweet, translucent—gets many health freaks amped up. Electrolytes! Potassium! A natural hangover cure! But it also sets 4/5 experts’ eyes a’rolling.

“I’d rather spend my money on natural foods and not an expensive, over-hyped fluid,” says Nancy Clark, a registered dietitian and sports nutrition counselor. “It is a good source of potassium, but so are bananas and potatoes. ”

In fact, manufacturers do love to claim that coconut water packs as much potassium as a whole banana. It also has as much sugar as a banana—even an unsweetened version can run you 15 grams of sugar per bottle. But it packs none of the fiber the fruit does.



Coconut water is famous for nutritional posturing. Tod Cooperman, MD, president of the independent tester of health products ConsumerLab.com, conducted a study on coconut water in 2011. Most of the products it tested failed to meet their mineral claims and came up short on sodium and magnesium—two of coconut water’s heralded electrolytes. “While it’s certainly safe to drink coconut water, it’s been overhyped and even mislabeled,” Cooperman says. “If you plan on using it for mild hydration, it’s fine. But if you are doing prolonged physical exercise, you are losing sodium (not potassium) in your sweat, and coconut water is not a good source of sodium.”

The findings were used in a class-action lawsuit against Vita Coco in 2012 for exaggerating its nutritional claims with words like “super hydrating,” “nutrient-packed” and “mega-electrolyte.” The company agreed to a $10 million settlement.

Even so, the health halo of cocoH2O hasn’t gone away. Though it’s healthier than a regular neon-colored sports drink and does pack an impressive amount of potassium, “drinking one to two boxes of coconut water a day could lead to an increased intake of 60 to 120 calories a day, more for flavored waters or larger sizes, which adds up, particularly if one is trying to lose weight,” says Maya Rao, MD, a nephrologist at Columbia University. Both she and Jennifer Koslo, PhD, a registered dietitian and specialist in sports dietetics, recommend plain, boring, unhyped water for the average person. A 2012 study—which Vita Coco funded—found little difference in the hydration or performance of men after they worked out and drank bottled water, coconut water or a sports drink.

But before you totally cast aside the tropical fruit juice, Kristin Kirkpatrick, registered dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services at Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute, rushed to the liquid darling’s defense. If you’re looking for a break from regular water, it’s a much better choice than a sports drink loaded with excessive sugar, she says. And athletes aren’t the only ones who could use some extra potassium: “Individuals that may be struggling to get enough fruits and vegetables (major sources of potassium) in their diets” can benefit as well, she says. “Potassium may help to ward off stroke and early death in women, according to a 2014 study in the journal Stroke, and decreased potassium levels may be linked to a higher incidence of blood pressure.”

So should you drink coconut water? If you like your bananas unpeeled, de-fibered and super-expensive, this drink is for you. But free and boring water, plus a cheap piece of fruit, appears to work just as well.

[Anonymous]

Coconut water is like Gatorade -- it's more than just water. If you are really dehydrated, you will be missing some sugars and salts. That's why it's better than just plain water sometimes.

[Anonymous]

We'll never know! I hate Gatorade too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We'll never know! I hate Gatorade too

Me too. I love all things coconut except coconut water. I tried it out of a fresh coconut even, but it tasted blah. I love water and just drink that -- never had an issue with hydration drinking straight water.

[Anonymous]

I hate coconut water. It tastes dirty to me, not at all refreshing. Even fresh coconuts on the beach in the tropics gross me out.

[Anonymous]

Hands down the best tasting coconut water is Harmless Harvest. Everything else is disgusting. It's super pricey but worth it to me.

[Anonymous]

I don't like it at all. I say this as a yoga teacher who has tried a lot of different brands. Regular water is great for me.

[Anonymous]

For about 6 months I completely loved it. Then I couldn't stand the stuff. Coconut overload.

[Anonymous]

Coconut water fresh out of a green coconut is awesome and amazing.

However, what you find in stores here is terrible.

Interestingly, on a recent visit to Hawaii, I tried the coconut water from a seaside kiosk, and it was utterly horrible. The coconut was kept soaked in a tub of cold water and it was almost salty.

Fresh coconut water in a freshly harvested green coconut is beyond amazing and deliciously sweet, and the flesh inside melts in your mouth like sweet cream.

[Anonymous]

I like it. It helps with headaches for me when regular water doesn't. So I don't know if it lives up to the hype, but it works for me.

[Anonymous]

be thankful you hate coconut water, OP and previous posters. I like it, and it's expensive. So it's a luxury I have every few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Agree it's gross.

[Anonymous]

Love coconut but despise coconut water. The only flavor I get is salt. Truly awful.

[Anonymous]

I love all other things coconut too, but yeah, coconut water tastes like ass. Though it's not as bad when completely fresh out of the coconut, coconut trees are scarce in DC.

[Anonymous]

Unless you are an extreme athlete, you do not need to drink more than regular water to replace electrolytes. The coconut water craze is just another gimmick to get your money.