Author: Dr. Irsa Zafar
Post Designer: Hajira Mahmood
Abstract
Antioxidant Properties of Coconut Water on Human Health to Reduce the Oxidative Stress. Coconut water is an ancient tropical drink which represents the potential nutritional and therapeutics values. Coconut water is a natural sterile solution which consists of various active pharmacological components including, lipids, proteins, sugars and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus iron and copper. Consumption of either tender of mature form coconut water remarkably reduces the hyperlipidemia in cholesterol fed rats. Coconut water also helps to minimize the heart failure, diabetic effects, kidney stones. Coconut water is a good source to produce the beneficial medicinal effects against various diseases. Coconut water gives several pharmacological benefits like antioxidants, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory/analgesic and cardioprotective effects. This review explains several uses and health benefits of coconut water.
Keywords: Oxidative stress, Chemical composition, Antioxidant properties, Health benifits
Introduction
Staying hydrate is most important a man can do for his health. Staying hydrated can also help to intercept headache, constipation, lubricant the joints, minimize damage of kidney oxygen delivery in body and support physical performance. A human body consists of 60% water while the recommended water is 237 mL (8-ounce) glasses od water/day with (8×8 rule). Water is essential for the body cells and organs to function properly. Different types of water play an important role in our daily life such as normal gallon water, cucumber water, coconut water.
Figure 1: Coconut water in its mature stage of coconut
Coconut water is the transparent liquid present in the young coconuts which helps in oral hydration, intestinal flu, cholera and treatment of childhood symptoms. The fresh coconut water fascinates with rich contents and fresh taste by improving the accessibility and marketability of coconut water. Coconut water is also identified as isotonic beverage due to the balanced sodium electrolytes which helps to restore the lose of electrolytes by urinary pathway and skin.
Chemical Composition of Coconut Water
Primarily, the coconut water is composed of sugars (fructose, disaccharides, aldohexose), lipids (0.01%), water (94%) and proteins 0.02%). Other contents like minerals, metallic elements, manganese and calcium are also present in minute amounts in coconut water. Coconut water is composed of phytohormones like cytokinin, auxins, electrolyte minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, phosphorus and sodium, sugars and vitamins. The phytohormones are organic compounds which play an important role as regulators in plant growth in developmental process.
Table 1: Nutrients composition of coconut water.
| Nutrient contents | Percentage composition of nutrient contents | Nutrient contents | Percentage composition of nutrient contents |
| Total solids | 5.4 | Sodium | 48.0 |
| Reducing sugars | 0.2 | Calcium | 40.0 |
| Minerals | 0.5 | Magnesium | 15.0 |
| Proteins | 0.1 | Iron | 79.0 |
| Fat | 0.1 | Copper | 26.0 |
| Acidity | 60.0 | Phosphorus | 6.3 |
| pH | 4.5 | Potassium | 247.0 |
Applications and Health Benefits of Coconut Water
1. Antioxidants Properties
Access of unstable free radicals in the body during the metabolism process results in oxidative stress which in return increases the risks of chronic diseases. Coconut water contains a considerable number of antioxidants which helps to reduce the effects of chronic diseases. A study on the insulin resistant rats reveals remarkable reduction the oxidative stress, blood pressure, triglycerides and insulin levels when treated with the coconut water in 2012.
2. Antidiabetic Properties
Coconut water can help to reduce the blood sugar levels by improving the health conditions in human being. A study reveled in 2015, that the diabetic rats treated with coconut water showed the better maintenance of blood sugar level in comparison with the control group. It was also found that the rats treated with coconut water showed the lower level of hemoglobin (A1c) level which indicates the better control on long term blood sugar level.
3. Anti-inflammatory/analgesic Property
Coconut water also showed the anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting the prostaglandin activity which results in the reduction of inflammation. Other studies also revealed that the coconut water showed the analgesic activity by the thermal sensation of pain in hot plate and immersion test in which rats fed with coconut water was observed with the reduced pain sensation which confirms that the coconut water also exhibits the analgesic properties.
4. Application of Coconut Water in Kidney Stones
Kidney stone can be avoided by the intake of enough flued in the form of pure gallon water or the coconut water. But studies have suggested that the coconut water is proved to be the better choice to avoid kidney stone. Kidney stone formed when oxalate, calcium and other compounds form crystals in urine which results in kidney stone. A study revealed that rats with kidney stone when treated with coconut water prevented the crystals to stick to the kidney or other parts of urinary tract.
5. Cardioprotective Effects of Coconut Water
The epidemiological studies indicates that remarkable digress of HDL can cause cardiovascular illness. A study revealed that coconut water may also assist in the reduction of hearts diseases in rats fed with 4 ml/100g of body weight for 45 days. The rats fed with coconut water showed a decreases level of triglyceride level and cholesterol which is a high dose. But a human being should consume 91 ounce (2.7 liters)/50 pounds (68 kg body weight) of coconut water to avoid the heart diseases.
Conclusion
Coconut water is considered to be a different type of juice due to its low acidity level, isotonic solution composition and low sugar contents. Coconut trees are wide distributed due to their pharmacological applications. The antioxidant, cardioprotective, antidiabetic properties and effects in kidney stones are due to the high intake of coconut fruit and water. Although coconut water is a natural beverage, delicious and filled with electrolytes which helps in the maintenance of human health by lowering the risks of kidney stone, heart failure, moderate blood sugar level by keeping the hydrated and fresh. However, the up-to dated research is also encouraged but more studies need to be done in future about the coconut water and its benefits.
References
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-water-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_10.
- Shrimanker, I., & Bhattarai, S. (2019). Electrolytes.
- Zulaikhah, S. T. (2019). Health benefits of tender coconut water (TCW). International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 10(2), 474-480.
- Tuyekar, S. N., Tawade, B. S., Singh, K. S., Wagh, V. S., Vidhate, P. K., Yevale, R. P., … & Kale, M. (2021). An overview on coconut water: As a multipurpose nutrition. Int. J. Pharm. Sci. Rev. Res, 68(2), 63-70.
- Bhagya, D., Prema, L., & Rajamohan, T. (2012). Therapeutic effects of tender coconut water on oxidative stress in fructose fed insulin resistant hypertensive rats. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine, 5(4), 270-276.
- Pinto, I. F., Silva, R. P., Filho, A. D. B. C., Dantas, L. S., Bispo, V. S., Matos, I. A., … & Matos, H. R. (2015). Study of antiglycation, hypoglycemic, and nephroprotective activities of the green dwarf variety coconut water (Cocos nucifera L.) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Medicinal Food, 18(7), 802-809.
- Pinto, I. F., Silva, R. P., Filho, A. D. B. C., Dantas, L. S., Bispo, V. S., Matos, I. A., … & Matos, H. R. (2015). Study of antiglycation, hypoglycemic, and nephroprotective activities of the green dwarf variety coconut water (Cocos nucifera L.) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Medicinal Food, 18(7), 802-809.
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