Coconut water may be latest fad

During a recent trip to grab some groceries, I couldn’t help but notice product displays of coconut water at just about every turn from the juice aisle to the checkout counter.

Coconut water has become the latest craze for consumers seeking what’s hot in healthful beverages.

Move over, pomegranate and acai berry juice, coconut water is here.

Registered dietitian Janet Helm, who writes about “fad-free healthy eating” in her blog called Nutrition Unplugged, noted, “Coconut water has been anointed nature’s sports drink, and cartons of the electrolyte-laden liquid are appearing in gyms, yoga studios and the hands of the Hollywood elite.”

Recent studies show that coconut water (not to be confused with its higher-calorie cousins coconut milk and coconut cream) does deliver low-calorie, fat-free sports-drinklike benefits to athletes or anyone who needs to rehydrate after strenuous exercise.

But you have to like the taste, said Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at the University of California-Davis.

“If you enjoy the taste, you’re apt to drink more, and that’s crucial to properly rehydrate after exercise.”

Applegate pointed out that coconut water, although an excellent source of the mineral potassium, is short on sodium — the primary nutrient needed for rehydrating and electrolyte balance post-exercise.

To use coconut water, Atlanta dietitian Marisa Moore said you have to like the price: “At about $1 per cup, it is not the most economical way to stay hydrated, plus it has a short shelf life once open.”

What about health claims that coconut water delivers super nutrition to thwart disease? Moore said: “Many of its health and healing claims have yet to be substantiated with peer-reviewed studies.”

Helm summed it up, “Coconuts may be enjoying their day in the sun; just don’t expect them to work miracles.”

Nutrition info

Coconuts have long been a staple food and beverage in Southeast Asian nations, where the fruit is harvested for its meat, oil, milk and water. Here are nutrition facts to consider. Keep in mind that coconut water is fat-free, but other coconut products are high in calories and saturated fats linked to increased risk of heart disease.

Coconut water: Hydrating if you like the taste and price. Coconut water is a clear, thin liquid from inside green or young coconuts. One cup of an unflavored variety contains 20 calories, no saturated fat, 250 milligrams potassium and 150 milligrams sodium.

Coconut milk: A thick, white liquid made by extracting some fat from the grated meat of a mature coconut. 197 calories, 20 grams saturated fat per cup. Only 18 milligrams calcium per cup, compared with 122 milligrams in cow’s milk.

Coconut cream: Hello, piña colada lovers. This is the almost-solid cream that rises to the top of coconut milk. It’s often sold in cans with added sugars and thickeners. Count a whopping 400 calories and 30 grams saturated fat per cup.

Coconut oil: It’s the fat in a lot of nondairy coffee creamers. This is the fat extracted from coconut meat. It’s often sold as virgin coconut oil. 120 calories, 13 grams saturated fat per tablespoon. Nutrition note: If you switch to coconut oil for cooking, you’re not just consuming more saturated fats, you’re missing out on the benefits of healthful fats in olive oil and other unsaturated oils such as canola.