If someone asks, “Is coconut water good for weight loss?” A short answer would be yes, it is. Coconut water has, over the recent past, grown in popularity. This nature-provided sports drink has been around for years.

However, many people wrongly use coconut milk for coconut water interchangeably, believing they are the same thing. Let’s get this straight: Coconut milk is a creamy white hue that incorporates coconut flesh, while coconut water is that clear liquid inside young coconuts.

This liquid contains electrolytes and flavor with plenty of weight loss possibilities and other health benefits tacked inside.

This refreshing drink provides one with an instant boost of energy thanks to natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals such as potassium. Sip it anytime you wish, but you could derive more health benefits when you drink it appropriately. Read on to learn more.

Nutritional Profile of Coconut Water

The natural beverage is low in fats and calories and comes with electrolytes. It contains plenty of magnesium, potassium, and calcium. In addition, it also has other nutrients like vitamins B1, B6, and C in smaller amounts.

Unsweetened coconut water contains fiber, which is handy in slowing digestion and making you feel fuller for longer. This situation lets you eat fewer calories, resulting in weight loss. It also contains arginine, a precursor to nitric oxide.

Arginine improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to body cells, increasing the burning of calories and promoting weight loss.

 

The Benefits of Coconut Water for Weight Loss

Weight gain can bring you many health challenges, such as reduced mobility, risks of chronic diseases, and more. While most home remedies may not work, try out coconut water, as it has the following benefits.

• Raises Metabolism

Coconut water contains electrolytes such as the previously mentioned calcium, potassium, and magnesium. These help fuel your body’s metabolism, which in turn contributes to helping you burn more calories throughout the day.

The more you burn calories, the more weight you lose. The best part is that when you drink coconut water, you can burn calories even while sleeping or exercising. Also, unlike other drinks, this one is gentle on your stomach and boosts digestion.

It also increases the metabolic rate thanks to the high concentration of bioactive enzymes.

• Regulates Blood Sugar

Coconut water regulates blood sugar; hence, it is the best drink you can recommend to a diabetic person. The unsweetened water helps to control sugar levels in the blood.

The one thing you have to make sure about is to limit the intake, given that it contains natural sugar. People with high blood sugar often have difficulty losing weight because their bodies produce insulin, which then causes the body to store fat.

Fats make it challenging to lose weight. On the other hand, low blood sugar makes one feel hungry and, ultimately, overeat.

Coconut water can help regulate your blood sugar because it is low on the glycemic index rate at 54. This index measures how fast a food or drink raises blood sugar levels. Digestion works slower on foods with a low glycemic index.

The fiber in the drink also helps slow down glucose absorption into the bloodstream, helping to keep your sugar level balanced. The electrolytes in the water help maintain fluid balance, thus regulating blood sugar levels and helping keep your weight in check.

• Improves Blood Circulation

Many individuals who struggle with obesity and being overweight often receive diagnoses of atherosclerosis. This condition occurs when a plaque made up of fats and cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries.

The buildup occurs when your body is inactive, e.g., lying down or sitting for many hours, bedridden, watching TV or at a computer for long hours, etc. This condition could lead to weight gain, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, etc.

Coconut water can help, thanks to its magical arginine and anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory properties. These effects help proper blood circulation throughout the body and reduce plaque formation in the arteries. They also act as a heart tonic by lowering your chances of heart disease.

• Balances pH levels

Coconut water contains beneficial electrolytes, and it is also alkaline. It can restore your body’s pH level if it is acidic. It is suitable for reducing heartburn and acid reflux.

The stomach acids in the esophagus tend to be culprits for heartburn and acid reflux. It can be due to eating large meals, pregnancy, being overweight or obese, or some medical conditions.

Some remedies could be eating smaller amounts of food often, quitting smoking, losing weight for overweight or obese individuals, or drinking coconut water with alkaline and beneficial electrolytes. Coconut water soothes the inflammation and helps reduce stomach acids that could have refluxed back to the esophagus.

• Boosts Hydration

Coconut water contains beneficial electrolytes that can protect you against dehydration. You, therefore, need this if you work in hot weather conditions or spend most of the time outdoors.

Hydration can help you lose weight in several ways; for instance, it makes you feel fuller. Sometimes, your body may mistake thirst for hunger when dehydrated. But when you drink more fluids, you get fuller and eat less, thus helping you lose weight.

It also helps you burn more calories since the process needs more water. And, while hydrated, you can exercise more effectively than when dehydrated. Exercising harder and more helps burn more calories. Coconut water boosts hydration and enables you to achieve all these while preventing overeating.

Is Coconut Water Good for Weight Loss?

For anyone wondering if coconut water is good for weight loss, the above section highlights its benefits and how it could help you shed some weight.

This natural drink contains very few calories compared to other beverages such as soda, sports drinks, fruit juice, milkshakes, etc. Hence, it is a good choice for anyone trying to cut weight or watch their calorie intake.

It is also high in the beneficial electrolytes that ensure your body functions properly. The electrolytes in the drink prevent dehydration, which could lead to weight gain. The arginine in coconut water boosts metabolism, and the fiber suppresses appetite.

There is improved digestion among people who drink coconut water as well. It can detoxify the body, help reduce inflammation, improve heart health, regulate sugar levels, and boost your immune system; hence, you should make it your go-to beverage for losing weight.

Why Some People Think Coconut Water Is Not Good for Weight Loss?

Some experts argue that coconut water is not that great for weight loss. They cite various reasons, such as:

• It Is High in Calories

Unsweetened coconut water contains a good amount of calories. For example, 1 cup of 240 ml contains approximately 45 calories. When compared with water, this is a lot. Therefore, some experts say that if you intend to lose weight, you should instead go for a beverage with less calories, such as water or unsweetened tea.

• Natural Sugars

A cup of 240 ml of unsweetened coconut water contains approximately 9 grams of sugar. Again, it may not seem like a lot of sugar, but when you compare it to water, the difference is like heaven and earth.

A beverage with no additional sugar would be more appropriate for anyone who intends to shed some pounds. In this aspect, unsweetened tea or water would make a better drink than coconut water for anyone looking to lose some weight.

• Could Cause Bloating

Some people experience bloating once they drink coconut water. This bloating happens because the drink’s fiber slows digestion and bloats in your stomach. However, it doesn’t happen to everyone.

If you are affected this way when you drink coconut water, you may want to consume it in moderation. Or substitute coconut water with a different drink that works better for you and contains lower natural sugars and calories.

When Is the Right Time to Drink Coconut Water?

Besides weight loss, this beverage has other health benefits, such as improving skin health, boosting immunity, and stimulating metabolism. It is a natural cooling agent, too; however, you should drink it at the appropriate time of the day to gain all its benefits.

Drink it early in the morning for maximum benefit of its nutrients and goodness. The beverage is soft and less intense in the stomach, unlike other detox drinks, e.g., lemon or ginger water. Drinking coconut water is devoid of any burning sensation or gastric issues.

Coconut water aids metabolism. Drinking it in the morning on an empty stomach will help you burn more calories and kick-start your metabolism all day. It will also keep you hydrated throughout the day, preventing constipation along the way.

Drink it in the morning, as it helps clear your skin. Do you often forget to drink water in the morning or during the day? You could pack a bottle of coconut water in your backpack and hydrate your body throughout the day.

 

Takeaway

Is coconut water good for weight loss? We have given you both a short and elaborate answer to clear your doubts. If you are looking for a natural remedy to lose weight or to put your calorie intake in check, then coconut water is way better than most alternatives.

We can trace its benefits to weight gain and immune system boost, hydration, heart health, and protection against kidney stones. Take advantage of the benefits contained in this beverage by drinking it in the morning, and ultimately, you will see how coconut water creates a lasting, good impact on your health.

 

 

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