Coconut water: what it is
Coconut water is the liquid that naturally forms inside the coconut. Coconut water differs from coconut milk first of all due to the lack of coconut pulp fibers: water is just water, a completely liquid juice.
Coconut water is made by drilling a hole in the still green coconut and letting the liquid flow inside, without adding anything else.
Coconut water 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 tend to suffer from low blood pressure in summer, or to lose important minerals with sweat. Potassium, combined with sodium, is also useful for muscle and heart health and to keep blood cholesterol levels regular;
> It is a source of magnesium : like potassium, magnesium is also useful for athletes and to replenish the dispersed salts after even moderate physical activities. Furthermore, magnesium has the ability to regulate mood;
> Contains phosphorus : essential for the health of nerve fibers, when combined with magnesium, and in general is useful in the transformation of energy;
> It has antibacterial properties 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.
Coconut milk and coconut water: differences
Coconut milk is the drink obtained by mixing coconut water, or normal source water, with coconut fiber, properly processed and reduced to powder.
Coconut milk is a valid vegetable alternative to the common milk of animal origin.
Like coconut water, coconut milk also contains potassium, sodium, magnesium and potassium: this allows the use of coconut milk like water as a supplement and to counteract the formation and presence of LDL cholesterol. Coconut milk, however, is more useful than coconut water, as it also supplies useful fat to the body, and fibers that stimulate intestinal peristalsis .
Finally , coconut milk has a greater presence of carbohydrates than coconut water, about twice as much as 5 g per 100 ml of milk, compared to water.
The main difference is therefore in the fact that coconut water is a drink rich in minerals, while coconut milk is a more complex and nutritionally rich food .
Even the calories are different : the coconut water has very few, around 20 Kcal per 100 ml, while the coconut milk contains a quantity such as to exclude it in low-calorie diets, about 190 Kcal: coconut milk, in fact, it is particularly "fat" because together with the fiber the lipid part of the coconut pulp is also inserted into the drink.
If on the one hand this makes it inadvisable for those who want to lose weight, it is instead an indispensable drink for those who, like sportsmen or those who perform physically exhausting work, need easily accessible energy .
