Coconut water

Coconut water—sometimes called coconut juice—is the clear liquid found inside young coconuts, which are the fruit of the coconut palm. During the early stages of the coconut’s growth, this liquid holds the endosperm in suspension while it is in its nuclear phase. As the fruit matures, the endosperm shifts into a cellular phase and settles onto the inner surface of the coconut’s rind as pulp. For a long time, plain coconut water has been a common refreshment in tropical regions.

There, it is sold fresh, chilled, or packaged in cans or bottles. The liquid from young coconuts is often favored over that from fully ripe ones. In the Philippines, the water from young green coconuts is specifically called buko juice.

Harvesting

Fresh coconuts are usually picked from the tree while still green. To reach the liquid and pulp, a hole is drilled into the shell. In young coconuts, the liquid and trapped air can be under some pressure, so a small spray may occur when the inner husk is first pierced. Coconuts that have fallen to the ground are at risk of rotting or being damaged by insects and other animals.

Products

Street vendors selling fresh coconuts for their water cut them open with machetes or similar tools in front of customers. Commercially sold coconut water comes in aluminum cans, Tetra Pak cartons, glass bottles, or plastic bottles, sometimes with pieces of coconut pulp or coconut jelly added. Coconut water can also be fermented to produce vinegar (though coconut sap is more commonly used for that), and it is used to make nata de coco, a jelly-like food. In a 100-milliliter serving, coconut water provides 79 kilojoules (19 kilocalories) of food energy.

Risks

It is 95% water and 4% carbohydrates, with almost no protein or fat. It contains small amounts of vitamins and dietary minerals, each below 10% of the Daily Value. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that coconut water sold as “raw” may carry a risk of bacterial contamination. Anecdotal accounts from southern India describe a practice called thalaikoothal, in which an elderly person is made to drink excessive amounts of coconut water, leading to fever and death.

False advertising

The exact cause of death in these cases has not been determined. Regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have disallowed marketing claims that attribute health benefits to coconut water. They have warned producers that false claims—such as that coconut water is antiviral, lowers cholesterol, or regulates blood glucose—are inappropriate.

Some companies have faced class-action lawsuits over claims that their product is “super-hydrating,” “nutrient-packed,” or “mega-electrolyte.” In one case, plaintiffs alleged that Vita Coco falsely claimed its product had “15 times the electrolytes found in sports drinks” and misrepresented sodium and magnesium levels. The company denied wrongdoing and settled the lawsuit for $10 million in April 2012. Though doctors today do not recommend substituting coconut water for saline, it was a common practice during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The Documentation Center of Cambodia has cited the use of untrained nurses to administer green coconut water during the Pol Pot regime as a crime against humanity.