Coconut water: what it is
L'coconut water and the liquid that naturally forms inside the coconut. Coconut water differs from coconut milk first of all in the lack of fiber in the coconut pulp: water is just water, a completely liquid juice.
Coconut water is obtained by making a hole in the still green coconut and letting the liquid flow inside, without adding anything else.
Coconut water it is used as a supplement thanks to its mineral and vitamin content:
> Contains potassium and sodium in an optimal ratio: this makes coconut water a valuable aid for athletes and for those who, in summer, tend to suffer from low blood pressure, or to disperse important minerals with sweat. Furthermore, potassium, combined with sodium, is useful for muscle and heart health and for maintaining regular blood cholesterol levels;
> It is the source of magnesium: like potassium, magnesium is also useful for athletes and for replenishing dispersed salts after even moderate physical activities. Furthermore, magnesium has the ability to regulate mood;
> Contains phosphorus: indispensable for the health of nerve fibers, when combined with magnesium, and in general it is useful in the transformation of energy;
> It has properties antibacterial thanks to the presence of lauric acid: this makes it an ally of the immune system, helping the body to defend itself from viruses and bacteria.
Read also Coconut, properties and benefits >>
Coconut milk and coconut water: differences
Il coconut milk it is the drink that is obtained by mixing coconut water, or normal spring water, the fibers of the coconut, suitably processed and reduced to powder.
Coconut milk is a great plant-based alternative to common milk of animal origin.
Like coconut water, coconut milk also contains potassium, sodium, magnesium and potassium: this allows for use coconut milk like water as a supplement and to counteract the formation and presence of LDL cholesterol. More than coconut water, however, coconut milk also brings useful fats to the body, and fibers capable of stimulating intestinal peristalsis.
Finally coconut milk has a higher presence of carbohydrates than coconut water, about double and to the extent of 5 grams per 100 ml of milk, compared to water.
La main difference therefore lies in the fact that coconut water is a mineral-rich drink while coconut milk is a more complex and nutritionally rich food.
Also calories are different: coconut water has very few, around 20 Kcal per 100 ml, while coconut milk contains a quantity such as to exclude it in low-calorie diets, about 190 Kcal: coconut milk, in fact, is particularly "fat ”Since, together with the fiber, the lipid part of the coconut pulp also enters the drink.
On the one hand, this makes it unadvisable for those who want to lose weight, on the other hand, it is an indispensable drink for those who, like sportspeople or those who perform physically exhausting work, need to energy easily accessible.
Read also Cosmetic uses of coconut milk >>
