Coconut water is known in Hindi as ‘nariyal paani’ and it is an excellent alternative to aerated drinks, beverages and sports drinks. It is delicious to taste and is low in calories. It also has a lot of health benefits. It is good for your skin and hair also.
Benefits of Coconut Water for Skin:
Clears out acne:
Mix half a cup of coconut water with a teaspoon of honey and apply it on your skin. Wash after 10 minutes. This helps in treating acne.
Decreases signs of aging:
As you age, signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines and age spots may appear on your skin. But if you take care of your skin well, you can delay these signs of aging. Coconut water is a good remedy for delaying signs of aging. Mix 1 tablespoon of coconut water with 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt. Apply this on your face and wash off after 15 minutes with cold water. Do this twice a week.
Coconut water contains cytokines, which promote cell growth and helps in repairing the skin faster. Yogurt contains lactic acid, which is an effective but gentle exfoliator. So, it removes dead skin cells and keeps your skin moisturized.
Effectively Moisturizes skin:
Proper hydration is essential for healthy and beautiful skin. Sun, harsh soaps, pollution and chemicals can remove natural moisture from your skin. Applying coconut water can help in keeping your skin well hydrated.
Make a face mask with 2 tablespoons of coconut water, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply this on your skin with the help of cotton balls and massage gently. Wash after 30 minutes. Applying this every alternate day can keep your skin well moisturized.
Treats bacterial and fungal skin infections:
By applying coconut water topically on the affected parts, you can get relief from skin infections due to the anti-viral, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties present in it.
Benefits of Coconut Water for Hair:
Makes hair soft and smooth:
Coconut water can add shine to your hair. For this, after you shampoo your hair, wash your hair with water. Now take 1 cup of coconut water and dilute it with 4 mugs of tap water. Use this as the final rinse. With regular use, you will see that your hair become healthier and shinier.
Promotes hair growth:
Apply coconut water on your scalp and massage your scalp gently with your fingertips. You can leave it overnight and wash in the morning with a mild shampoo. With regular use, your hair will start growing well.
Health and Medicinal Benefits of Coconut Water:
Aids digestive system:
As you know, for proper digestion you need to take in enough fiber in your diet. This makes your digestive system function properly. Coconut water is rich in fiber and therefore good for the proper functioning of the digestive system. The water you get from a single coconut provides you 9% of the amount if fiber that you need per day.
Helps in weight loss:
If you want to lose weight effectively, drink coconut water regularly. It is low in calories by but contains enough of dietary fiber in it. It is also low in sugar compared to other aerated drinks. The fiber in coconut water keeps your stomach full for a longer period and thus reduces hunger. As a result, you will eat less.
Helps to manage diabetes:
Diabetic patients can also have this drink. It helps in lowering the levels of blood sugar in diabetic patients and also prevents the formation of blood clots. However, diabetic patients must keep a regular check on their blood sugar for signs of hypoglycemia when they drink coconut water.
Maintains optimum cardiovascular health:
Adding coconut water to your daily diet helps in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy and in functioning properly. Have tender coconut water once a day. This can lower the risks of heart attacks and also reduce blood pressure and hyper tension. However, one coconut may contain about 5 gm of sugar in it. So drinking too much of it may not be good.
Maintaining healthy blood pressure:
According to studies made, coconut water can lower blood pressure in people suffering from high blood pressure. It is also good for lowering hypertension and reducing the levels of cholesterol. The antithrombotic effects of coconut water make it great for preventing blood clots as well.
Metabolism rate is improved:
With improved metabolism, you burn more calories. Coconut water is great for improving your metabolism. This is because it is a good source of manganese, which burn carbohydrates and fats into energy.
Prevents as well as treats dehydration:
You suffer from dehydration when the water present in your body drops. This can happen when you drink less water or when you lose water from the body through excretion. Coconut water helps in hydrating your body. So, this water is often taken after a workout. Dehydration also removes essential slats and nutrients from your body, which you can get back by drinking coconut water.
Reduces risk of kidney stones:
When crystals that should go out of your body along with urine fail to go out and accumulate in your kidney, you will suffer from kidney stones. This condition takes place due to a number of reasons. Sometimes this may cause pain and may lead to serious health problems. According to researches made, coconut water helps in reducing the amount of crystals that are deposited in the kidney and reduce the formation of kidney stones. So, drink coconut water regularly to stay away from kidney stones.
Reduces stomach bloating:
Bloating is often caused due to gas in the stomach. Sometimes, it is also the result of taking in too much of sodium in your diet. Coconut water contains potassium in high amounts, which has the power to reverse the effects of sodium.
Relive muscle cramps:
Muscle cramps can take place when your body is deficient in potassium. Taking foods rich in potassium helps in solving this problem. Excessive exercising can also cause muscle cramps, which can be treated by consuming electrolytes. Coconut water is rich in potassium and other nutrients and therefore an excellent drink to avoid muscle cramps and provide you energy.
Strengthens bones and joints:
Coconut water is rich in calcium and magnesium, which are needed for strong bones. So, drinking coconut water is good for strengthening your bones.
