Ensure Summertime Health with Phytonutrients and Dietary Interventions

Adequate hydration is important at all times, however summer activities and warm temperatures enhance the requirement for electrolytes and water in the body. Sports drinks help to replace lost fluid and electrolytes, and natural coconut water is the healthful option. In addition to quenching thirst and replenishing electrolytes, the nutrients and growth factors in green coconut water help to hydrate and protect the skin as well. Coconut water, the liquid endosperm of green coconuts (Cocos nucifera), is a refreshing beverage, a natural rehydration medium, and is used as a supplement in nutrient media for tissue culture.

Because it offers higher amounts of electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium than regular sports drinks, coconut water is known as a “natural isotonic sports drink.” Functioning as a prebiotic, coconut water solids support beneficial bacteria in the gut. The endosperm abounds in essential nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, sugars, vitamins, minerals and growth factors, that nourish the growth of the embryo in green coconuts, and therefore potentially support healthy cell growth and metabolism in other living tissues as well.