Nutritional Benefits Of Coconut Water

With a growing awareness of health issues most of us are thinking twice about what we put into our bodies, be it food or drink, and that’s now big business.

Coconut water is one of the fastest growing beverage categories  due to its natural hydrating qualities, great taste and nutritional benefits.  It is a great source of nutrients, contains calcium and magnesium, and the same amount of heart healthy potassium as a banana or a glass of orange juice. And that’s just a few of its ‘superdrink’ claims,  it’s no wonder big brands like Pepsi & Coke are getting in on the act. There are now 250 companies that have a beverage with some form of coconut water in it.

COCONUT WATER’S NUTRITIONAL FACTS & HEALTH BENEFITS

What is it that sets coconut water apart from other beverages on the market today?

1. Coconut water is rich in essential electrolytes.
Electrolytes are electrically charged ions that help your cells maintain and transmit voltages and impulses to and from other cells. Electrolytes play a vital role in your body, especially in maintaining proper functionality of your nerves, heart, and other muscles.

The electrolytes present in your body include:
– Potassium
– Sodium
– Chloride
– Magnesium
– Calcium
– Phosphate
– Bicarbonate
– Sulfate

Of these electrolytes, coconut water contains about 600 mg of potassium (17 percent of your daily value) per serving. That’s more than a banana.

Coconut water is also rich in:
– Magnesium, 60 mg per serving or 15 percent of your daily value
– Sodium, 252 mg per serving or 11 percent of your daily value
– Calcium, 58 mg per serving or 6 percent of your daily value
But if these electrolytes are already in your body, why would you need to ingest more?

2. Coconut water contains zero additives.
Coconut water is an all natural beverage that comes from its source, a young, green coconut. That said, coconut water’s one and only ingredient is coconut water, which means its additive-free.

3. Coconut water is fat-free and low in calories.
Fat-free coconut water contains a mere 46 calories per serving and zero grams of fat and zero grams of trans fat.

4. Coconut water is cholesterol-free.
As it contains no fat or trans fat, coconut water also contains zero cholesterol.

5. Coconut water contains all natural sugar.

6. Coconut water is rich in vitamins.
The vitamins in coconut water help you maintain healthy cellular function, boost your immunity and promote your metabolism.

The essential vitamins in coconut water include:
– Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps boost immunity. Each serving of coconut water contains about 5.8 mg of vitamin C, which is about 10 percent of your daily value.

– B Vitamins
Coconut water contains vitamin B6, Riboflavin (B2), Thiamin (B1) and Folate (B9). These B vitamins work together to breakdown foods and create energy by boosting metabolism.

7. Coconut water is a natural diuretic.
As a diuretic, coconut water increases urine flow.

8. Coconut water contains a large amount of dietary fiber.

9. Coconut water contains protein.

10. Coconut water is safe to drink for all ages.

COCONUT AS A RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE & USED IN WATER FILTRATION

You may be asking yourself  “what does all this have to do with water filters”?  Well, Not only is coconut water good for you, coconut shells are a renewable energy source.  In terms of base materials, coconut shell and wood are renewable resources. Coconut plantations with millions of acres of land continue to provide all the benefits of green trees to our environment in spite of using billions of coconut shells per year for activation.

Coconut shell carbon provides a significantly higher volume of micropores than either coal, wood or lignite-based carbon.  It is very popular in the potable water purification industry and has been proven highly effective for the removal of tastes and odors and is particularly effective in trihalomethane (THM’s) removal and other chemicals from municipally supplied water. Coconut shell-based carbon has the highest hardness compared to other types of activated carbons, which makes it the ideal carbon for water purification.

Most carbon water filters are either made with granular activated carbon (GAC), or powdered block carbon material. Those with carbon block are the most effective, since there is a larger ratio of activated carbon surface area to water, and also because the powdered block form is denser and water travels through it more slowly. The larger surface area created by the block carbon, and the more time the water is in contact with the carbon, the more contaminants are removed.

Activate carbon water filters are rated by the size of contaminants they remove. These range from around 50 microns down to 0.5 microns. The smaller the measurement the more effective the filter. A number of different substances are used to make the carbon for these filters, such as bituminous, wood and coconut shell. Of these, coconut shell is the most expensive, but has been found to also be the most effective. It has the ability to remove even the smallest particles of contaminant.

When choosing a carbon water filter, the decision must be made between an activated carbon water filter and a carbon block water filter. Since the activated carbon attracts negatively charged contaminants- like chlorine, benzine and cancer causing chemicals–and the block carbon provides the most effective filter, the water filter should be the activated carbon block water filter.

Sources:

http://www.thewaterpage.com/

http://www.watertechonline.com

http://www.qualitywaterfilters4you.com

http://trendsandthingsblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/hello-world/