Is Coconut Water Good for Diabetics?
The coconut is a fruit with an outer hard shell which is green and sometimes yellow. We call this shell the husk. There is usually some sweet water inside with a white fleshy substance which is delicious to eat.
When it is aged, the husk of the coconut gets brown (after the outer section is shaved away), and the fleshy piece on the inside becomes so hard that it can be grated and used in rice and beans, porridge and a host of other meals/recipes.
The case for whole foods with coconut water taking a bow.
Wholefoods Galore to Fight Diabetes and More
I feel especially blessed to live in a place where I have an abundance of fruits and vegetables which are great to prevent and treat a number of diseases/illnesses. I would have preferred a more disciplined society, but, I must confess that I do love the fact that I can get some foods whilst driving, without even getting out of my car.
Coconut fruit/water is one such whole food that I see on a number of streets being sold by vendors. I can even get it cold if I want and they will cut it open for me to eat the meat/flesh as well. What a blessing?
I can also get pre-packaged coconut water in the supermarket. I prefer the one I see the people cutting on the roadside, or in the market. That way I know they do not add anything to the coconut water. The one in the supermarket is sometimes too sweet and some of them just taste different, so I don’t mess with that stuff anymore.
Coconut Water is a Big Deal, just when you thought it was something else.
What’s the Big Deal About Coconut Water?
Now you are asking, should she be drinking coconut water and is coconut water good for diabetics? Let us now take a look at her nutrients and the benefits we derive from consuming, not just coconut water, but also the “meat.” This is that white fleshy section on the inside.
Vitamins and minerals are worth the money spent on coconut water. Is that a fact, or is it merely fiction?
Vitamins and Minerals in Abundance
The coconut fruit has tons of vitamins and minerals. When we drink two cups of coconut water for the day, we get 30% of the magnesium our body needs for the entire day. Please note that you can get these two cups from one coconut fruit. Also, be reminded that magnesium has some benefits for those diagnosed and wanting to prevent diabetes.
The same two cups of coconut water also give us twenty (20) % of the Vitamin C our bodies need for the entire day. The same is true for the sodium content in coconut water. Please click and read this article about the role of Vitamin C plays in our bodies and the benefits for especially diabetics and pre-diabetics.
Manganese is needed to activate enzyme activity and guess what? We should be drinking more coconut water for its manganese content. Please click and read about digestive enzymes and the control of diabetes.
Free radicals are produced when our cells are metabolizing. This is a normal thing to happen, however, sometimes too much is produced and then we experience oxidative stress. This can damage our cells and will, therefore, increase the risk of us being further ill from other diseases.
I know that you are way ahead of me and so you figured out that coconut water helps to protect us from free radicals by reducing the harms they cause. This is achieved by making some changes to the free radicals. When this is done, the free radicals are less of a threat to our bodies. The power of coconut water!
I hear a little whispering about calories. What exactly is being said?
What Did you Say About Calories?
For those of us who are diagnosed with diabetes and are overweight, we are happy to be able to drink coconut water and be assured that whilst we pack in the nutrients she offers, we are also consuming a low-calorie drink. Please be reminded at this point that a number of diabetics are also overweight.
Apart from the occasional smoothie, I do not like to drink my calories, but when I know it is loaded with vitamins and minerals, I will indulge. This is the reason I still drink some homemade smoothie, shakes and coconut water straight from the husk, no processing or bottling.
Click here to see what I use to make my smoothies and shakes at home.
I, however, understand perfectly well that there are people who are struggling to kick the soda and sugar-loaded drinking habit, and so, to those people I would suggest that they do the research on coconut water in an effort to see if this could be a part of the solution.
Let’s now see if coconut water is great for hydration.
Are you Hydrating?
With its low-calorie content, coconut water is also a good option for people who are not consuming enough water. This could prevent dehydration, especially in the hottest weeks of the year.
Summer is around the corner, and once you have tasted some cold, fresh coconut water, straight from the husk, then you will agree with me that it is a wonderful and smart hydration option for the Summer.
I know we mentioned diabetes before, but let us look some more on diabetes and coconut water duo.
Diabetes/Coconut Water Duo
So, once again we will ask the question “Is coconut water good for diabetics?” I would think with the above said, then the resounding answer should be “yes.” Let’s now change that “yes” to a “YES.”
Including coconut water in our weekly or possibly daily diet is one way to reduce the blood sugar numbers we so hate to see spiked and rightly so because of the many ills she brings with her. Yes, we need to keep those numbers low.
What are the scientists saying on this matter?
Some Research Notes
Studies done concluded that coconut water is diabetes-friendly and that it can, in fact, regulate our blood sugar and reduce some of the symptoms associated with high blood sugar (diabetes). For me, this is a WOW statement.
The sad thing is that I must confess that I have not had coconut water for about three (3) weeks now. Yes, I agree with you and I feel a bit ashamed of my neglect, I will be drinking some coconut water next week. I am so excited to see this information.
When they did the research on some rats they discovered that the HbA1c levels were lower after they drank coconut water. Interestingly there were no spikes for a long time. This means that it stabilized their blood sugar. Okay, so scientists are of the opinion that this will be the same for us (human beings).
Alloxan? Never heard of this before. Tell me more, please.
A Little Side Note About Alloxan
I oftentimes wondered how they got these rats to be diabetic. I read in an article by Suzy Cohen, that they inject the rats with Alloxan and they become diabetic. This is also used to bleach flour to that lovely, pure white that some of us love to consume.
Note that she stated that there are no concerns about humans and the use of this diabetic-causing substance given to rats. Am I concerned? Yes. I prefer whole wheat flour and there are tons of alternatives made from other whole foods such as cassava and almond to name only two options.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that coconut water is an excellent, low-calorie, nutrient and mineral dense option for those of us diagnosed with diabetes. This wonderful fruit will help to lower our blood sugar numbers, prepare the free radical damages done to our cells and even rehydrate us during the hottest weeks of the year.
Coconut water helps to give us a significant amount of Vitamin C, Manganese, and Magnesium we need to be diabetic-free and they also aid to make us healthier in the long run. This precious fruit has been dubbed as diabetic-friendly and should, therefore, be considered by all wanting to be free of this lifestyle illness.
Continue reading here: Homemade Vegetable Soup-Simple Dinner Recipe
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