A Choice review finds the nutritional benefits of coconut water are often exaggerated

COCONUT water might not be all it is cracked up to be. A consumer group has found the nutritional benefits are often exaggerated.
A Choice review hasn't found little evidence supporting claims the trendy drinks - which cost as much as $4 a bottle - assist with rapid hydration, weight loss and digestion.
It branded them a waste of money, saying the health-conscious were better off drinking plain water and eating fruit and vegetables.




Choice spokesman Ingrid Just said some coconut waters were marketed as good sources of nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, but in reality contained little. A banana generally had the same amount of potassium.
Some coconut waters also were sold as an alternative to sports drinks but were not as effective for hydration.
Ms Just said there were "better and alternative ways to go".
"It is a fashionable drink at the moment and it probably gives you the sense you are projecting a healthy image and that is fine," Ms Just said.


"But if you are drinking it for specific health benefits like rehydration and potassium then there are probably better and alternative ways to go about getting those nutrients."
Choice had dietitians and a consumer expert review a range of coconut waters on the market.
Associate Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, of the Dietitians Association of Australia, said coconut was a better option than soft drinks because of its low sugar and calorie content.
But minerals and antioxidants were best found in fresh food and calcium in milk.
"Coconut water has received a lot of media attention as being a wonder health drink," Assoc Prof Itsiopoulos said.
"It is certainly not a harmful product - it is naturally sourced. But it is an expensive way to achieve hydration."

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