Coconut Water: Benefits for Heart Health and Blood Pressure

KOMPAS.com – Coconut water can be a healthy drink choice that also refreshes the body.

Coconut water contains electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and magnesium, all of which can help replenish lost nutrients.

This means that coconut water can be a good drink to consume after exercise or during mild illness, although it may not be better than plain water.

Another benefit that coconut water offers may come from its low calories and being free of fat and cholesterol. If so, can coconut water help keep the heart healthy?

Also read: 5 Reasons Why Coconut Water is Very Healthy for the Body

Coconut water supports heart health

Drinking coconut water can help reduce the risk of heart disease. In a 2008 study, researchers fed mice a diet high in fat and cholesterol.

Apart from that, the researchers also gave a high dose of coconut water (4 ml per 100 grams of body weight) to one group of mice.

After 45 days, the group given coconut water experienced a reduction in cholesterol and triglyceride levels similar to the effects of statin drugs used to lower cholesterol.

However, keep in mind that this is a very high dose. In human terms, this amount is equivalent to a 68 kg person consuming 2.7 liters of coconut water per day.

A 2005 study showed that coconut water may also be beneficial for lowering blood pressure in individuals suffering from high blood pressure, but more research needs to be done in this area.

Also read: Is it true that coconut water can prevent kidney stones?

One of the reasons coconut water is associated with lowering blood pressure is its impressive potassium content (500 mg of potassium in 8 ounces).

Potassium, so far, has been shown to lower blood pressure in people with high or normal blood pressure.

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2023-12-29 10:00:00
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