Can Drinking Coconut Water Clear Acne?
One of the most hailed examples lately is usually coconut water, which has exploded in popularity as a natural post-workout drink along with also is usually often coined as “nature’s Gatorade”. the idea all started off back in World War 2, when according to one old tale, doctors giving blood transfusions to wounded soldiers realised they’d run out of saline solution to replenish their blood electrolytes.
In a last ditch attempt to save their troops they tried coconut water instead, along with also inside process discovered which the soldiers responded extremely well. This specific led to coconut water being dubbed as having an equal nutritional profile to human blood, or being a “blood replacement” along with also some gym rats caught on along with also theorised which the idea would likely have an optimal profile of nutrients for replenishing the electrolytes (sodium along with also potassium) lost in sweat.
Hence, coconut water became a common post-workout drink although since then the public at large has caught on. Over the last few years sales of coconut water have rocketed; sales of the Vita Coco brand went by $4 million in 2007 to $20 million in 2009.
Coconut water is usually believed to aid detoxification along with also be the most hydrating liquid on planet earth. Most importantly the idea’s currently getting celebrity endorsements for enhancing skin tone.
is usually the idea true, or is usually the idea nothing although crafty marketing hype? The truth is usually which a dodgy diet is usually by far the biggest cause of acne (diet is usually about ten times as important as hygiene). Could coconut water clear acne as well?
The acne nutrition is usually overrated
First of all, to become a true expert, you need to know what coconut water actually is usually. When you eat a whole coconut for its flesh, you first have to get a hammer or a screwdriver to pierce the “eye” on the outside of the shell, otherwise you can never access the inside of the shell.
Before you then rip the nut apart however, you first must pour out the clear watery liquid by within. This specific is usually coconut water; the idea’s very different by coconut milk, which is usually a combination of coconut water along with also the coconut flesh mashed up into a liquid.
Young coconuts having a green shell contain a dramatically higher water content compared to older brown hairy ones. You might have seen pictures of Thai holiday makers sucking water out of green coconuts having a straw. which’s the coconut water they’re enjoying.
Read Annihilate Your Acne – get the greatest diet ever for radiant along with also clear skin!
South East Asian people have been drinking coconut water for thousands upon thousands of years although only nowadays has coconut water spread to the West. the idea’s sold in bottled form, having been manufactured in South East Asia.
although is usually the idea truly nutritious at all for acne? The answer is usually yes – coconut water does contain decent amounts of acne minerals like magnesium along with also potassium.
However, the amounts are too low to make the high cost of drinking a bottle of coconut water per day worth the idea for acne.
Consider the quantities of acne minerals along with also acne vitamins in coconut water per 240 gram cup:
Vitamin C – 10% of the RDA.
Magnesium – 15%.
Vitamin A – 0%.
Calcium – 6%.
Iron – 4%.
Vitamin B6 – 4%.
Vitamin E – 0%.
B12 – 0%.
Manganese – 17%.
Selenium – 3%.
Potassium – 17%.
Vitamin D – 0%.
Sugar – 6.3 grams.
As you can see there’s decent amounts of acne minerals in there. The story cooked up by manufacturers is usually which because coconuts grow on palm trees next to the ocean, they absorb all the plentiful nutrients found in salt water.
Coconut water looks particularly great for magnesium, a mineral which helps acne through improving sleep quality, suppressing blood levels of stress hormones, improving the insulin sensitivity of energy stores, along with also manufacturing glutathione. Because properly absorbed, acne-friendly sources of magnesium above 10% of the RDA are rare, This specific is usually pretty not bad.
However, the big flaw is usually the cost. Just imagine if you drank a 240 gram cup per day; if you bought the cleanest brand, Vita Coco, the idea would likely cost you over $40 per month. which’s only to obtain a modest percentage of the RDA for one acne mineral. If you need magnesium you’d be far better off just buying the Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil supplement, which would likely empty your wallet by $10 per month, along with also actually provide the full 400mg RDA every day.
Coconut water would likely be better value if the idea contained various other acne nutrition. However, the 10% of the RDA for vitamin C is usually pretty dire considering which white potatoes, the staple carbohydrate source of Western civilisation, contains 64% of the RDA per 0 gram serving.
Even a plateful of greasy fries by McDonalds would likely give you way more vitamin C than coconut water. Coconut water lacks zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, along with also selenium. the idea’s a decent source of manganese, although coconut flesh has far more, with 75% per 100 grams.
What about the post-workout nutrition? the idea’s mainly due to the 17% content of potassium, a mineral which is usually excreted along with also depleted through sweating. common workout formulas contain both potassium along with also sodium.
Coconut water is usually indeed a decent source of potassium, although the same amount can be obtained by two bananas, some potatoes, or sweet potatoes. Bananas are a particularly excellent post workout snack. Anyway, potassium has some minor roles in acne, such as in regulating inflammation, although the idea’s not as vital for acne as selenium or zinc.
A waste of sugar calories
240 grams contains only 6 grams, which is usually only slightly more than low sugar fruits such as the strawberry or raspberry. What’s interesting is usually which coconut water tastes incredibly sweet when poured straight out of the coconut. I was once very weary of the idea for which reason. Yet somehow, nutrition tables say which the idea contains nearly nothing.
Nevertheless, the sugar is usually still enough to add to your daily totals. For clearing acne, you have a limited sugar budget; you intake would likely be better spent on antioxidant along with also acne nutrient-rich fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, or even an apple. A few studies suggest which coconut water has strong antioxidant activity:
- This specific 2012 study gave mature coconut water to diabetic rats along with also observed a fall in oxidative stress. Levels of the antioxidant glutathione increased while markers of lipid peroxides such as malondialdehyde fell.
- This specific 2015 study found which coconut water prevented oxidative stress in drugged-up diabetic rats.
- This specific 2012 study gave rats which were previously fed a high-fructose diet tender coconut water (TCW) for three weeks. Markers of lipid peroxides fell, antioxidant enzymes increased, along with also there was a decent fall in blood pressure. Insulin sensitivity also increased.
However, the idea’s much smarter to eat sugar by fruits which have more documented antioxidant along with also free radical lowering powers. Fruit antioxidants also have extra powers; quercetin improves gut health, pomegranate punicalagins lower cortisol, pineapple contains bromelain which enhances protein digestion. None of the coconut water studies were on humans either.
Then there’s the fiber issue, chiefly which coconut water contains none. The sugar in fruit is usually far safer than which added to a can of coke because the idea is usually bound up in natural fiber structures which slow its digestion along with also absorption into the bloodstream where the idea does damage. Coconut water does not have This specific benefit.
Important – why vitamin C transforms your skin (although nobody realises the idea)
When doing health research the idea’s common to find a series of generic looking health websites which say which any given plant-derived food is usually “rich in essential minerals, vitamins, along with also antioxidants”. Coconut water in particular is usually a food where websites rattle off a laundry list of the nutrients the idea contains tons of.
However, these websites must all be getting information by each various other in a revolving door scenario, rather than looking at the raw data. Coconut water has traces of many nutrients although decent amounts of few, when the idea comes to the cost of keeping the diet up.
An acne-friendly sports drink?
For the cost tag, the minerals in coconut water are definitely not worth the idea. although what if you’re a weight lifter, an aspiring athlete, or anyone which needs an energy boost?
the idea’s no secret which common energy drinks lead to acne; most are loaded with free floating sugar along with also extra sweeteners such as aspartame, which can damage your gut health.
Furthermore, brands such as “monster” energy drinks contain up to 500mg of caffeine, equivalent to 6 or 7 cups of coffee. While caffeine is usually safe for acne at low levels by one or two cups of organic coffee per day, which much will spike your blood cortisol levels massively along with also virtually guarantee pimples.
Since coconut water contains neither high levels of sugar nor caffeine, the idea won’t give you acne like the others.
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Coconut water is usually an acne-friendly alternative, although the next question is usually whether the idea’s an effective alternative. Some studies are optimistic. One 2007 study found which coconut water enhanced with sodium was as effective as drinking a commercial sports drink for post-exercise rehydration. Another observed which coconut water caused less fullness, nausea, along with also stomach upset along with also was easier to consume in large quantities.
However, there’s a serious flaw: coconut water is usually lacking in sodium compared to commercial sports drinks. You lose a lot more sodium (salt) through sweating than any various other nutrient. A nice drink full of potassium along with also water alone will not cut the idea. The lack of sodium is usually why despite its usage in World War 2, doctors today say which they would likely never consider using coconut water instead of saline. In fact, the application wasn’t widespread anyway. Coconut water was mainly used as a last resort blood transfusion in tropical areas such as Singapore, where the British along with also Americans were beating back the Japanese.
Some athletes using coconut water like to add sea salt to their liquid, to create the ultimate natural post work-out. This specific would likely work, although you could add sea salt to any various other drink. Additionally, a sugar-laden sports drink is usually the one instance in which all which free floating sugar isn’t which bad for acne, because you burn the idea up through exercise so fast along with also the idea never gets a chance to wreak havoc.
Then there’s another problem; the cost tag is usually still far too high. You’ll need at least a cup to get adequate amounts of potassium along with also water, along with also sodium if you pour the idea in. which will still contain a $40 cost tag per month. In my reckoning you would likely be much better off bringing a couple of bananas, which have a natural wrapper along with also contain just as much potassium. For the sodium you can add sea salt or Himalayan salt to any drink of your choice.
A not bad energy drink is usually a homemade fruit smoothie, which will combine moderate amounts of free floating sugar with an enormous amount of acne antioxidants along with also phytonutrients. Add some sea salt to the mixture, along with also make sure the original mixture contains bananas (beetroots also have lots of potassium), along with also you’ve got a classic acne-friendly workout drink with no need for coconut water.
Coconut water has interesting properties for ageing
Cytokinins are phytohormones, or plant hormones, which regulate the development, aging along with also growth of many different plants. Coconut water contains especially high amounts of cytokinins.
Coconut water is usually actually a secret of traditional Chinese herbalists for watering crops along with also accelerating their growth. which includes orchids along with also traditional Chinese medical herbs. By watering plants with coconut water along with also the cytokinins within, herbalists can accelerate the plant’s cell growth enormously along with also send profits through the roof.
How is usually which connected to our skin? When applied to humans along with also various other animals, cytokinins have potent anti-aging effects on cells along with also tissues. Treating cells with cytokininins leads to a halt inside normal degenerative processes of aging, with the result which overall aging slows down considerably. This specific works when applying coconut water topically, although scientists have also shown which eating a diet rich in cytokinins may possess the same effect.
Vitamin D – the greatest nutrient for a bright along with also glowing skin tone
Coconut water is usually the best natural source of cytokinins. the idea’s possible which This specific anti-aging effect is usually one reason why celebrities are going so mad for the idea. Rumour has the idea which elite anti-aging professionals recommend coconut water to their expensive clients as well.
Even so, the idea seems which the coconut water has to be fresh out of the coconut. The pasteurised varieties imported, stored along with also sold over many weeks by Southeast Asia are likely to be sterile along with also useless.
Conclusion – nothing special for acne
The whole “superfood” phenomenon is usually not without nuggets of truth for us acne patients; kale is usually very high in vitamin C along with also vitamin A, pomegranates are rich in antioxidants like punicalagins, along with also broccoli contains an anti-inflammatory molecule called sulforaphane.
However, coconut water falls right into the failed superfood category alongside chlorophyll along with also wheatgrass.
Coconut water is usually not unhealthy for acne at all, with the only slight downside being 6 grams of unbound sugar. the idea has decent amounts of magnesium along with also potassium along with also may increase blood antioxidant levels. However, not bad quality (fresh, non-pasteurised, cold-processed) brands will turn you into a hobo within weeks.
Compare coconut water to sweet potatoes. By eating 400 grams of sweet potatoes every couple of days for some acne-friendly carbohydrates, you can get 24% of the RDA for magnesium. inside UK which would likely cost you only £7.50 per month. Meanwhile, drinking coconut water daily would likely set you back by over $40 per month, without providing many calories, nor the massive vitamin A along with also antioxidant content of sweet potatoes.
If you’re looking for some coconut goodness for acne then you should simply buy the whole coconut. Coconut flesh truly is usually healthy; the idea’s not quite a superfood for acne, although the oil contains lauric acid, which has potent anti-inflammatory along with also anti-bacteria properties. the idea contains decent amounts of magnesium (8% per 100 grams) along with also is usually one of the greatest sources of manganese. Coconut’s selenium content of 15% is usually also great for acne.
Coconut has been shown repeatedly to lower LDL (bad) along with also total cholesterol along with also increase HDL cholesterol. The flesh will contain residues of the water itself as well. Here inside UK, a medium sized coconut is usually great value for money, costing just 80p. There’s enough flesh inside to last for three or four days.
Finally there’s the best part – a whole coconut can give you half a modest glass worth of coconut water for free! There’s no need to waste money on a bottle. the idea will be completely fresh unless the coconut itself is usually rotten.
What do I suggest you do with the idea? Drinking coconut water tastes great, although there won’t be enough within one individual coconut to provide much magnesium or potassium.
Hence, the best option is usually to apply the idea your face, to inundate your cells with cytokinins along with also potentially stay young forever.
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Thanks for reading!