When you think of coconut water, images of a tropical beach flanked by a turquoise ocean may appear in your mind. You imagine a vendor pushing a cart with fresh green coconuts, pulling out his machete to chop the top off revealing the pure white core, and you drink it right from the shell, warm and sweet.
Bliss. Right?
But you don’t have to have your feet on sand to get coconut water. Coconut water is widely available and in a dazzling array of options. That’s good, but also…you’ll see.
First, what is coconut water?
Coconut water is made from the liquid inside green coconuts. It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor; 95 percent of the coconut is, you know, water; the rest contains electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. This results in a nutrient-rich drink that is low in sugar and calories.
An average 6-to-7-month-old green coconut provides about a half to 1 cup of water. That’s expensive! A green coconut can cost $10 and up for one.
(Be careful with your ‘nuts: Coconut water is different from coconut milk, which is made from water and the flesh of mature coconuts. Coconut milk has a high fat content and only contains 50 percent water.)
What are the benefits?
Coconut water is loaded with electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium, all of which replenish lost nutrients. The natural electrolytes play a crucial role in the body helping with kidney function and muscle contractions.
Recently, many people have used it to help hangovers or as a post-workout drink.
Hmmm, this sounds familiar. Electrolytes, vitamins, hangover relief, post-workout recovery…Where have we heard this before? Oh, right.
Is coconut water better than an energy drink?
Coconut water doesn’t contain caffeine so it won’t give you an energy boost like an energy drink.
Guess what does?
Kill Cliff’s line of energy drinks, duh. There are three lines, in fact.
The Ignite line delivers 150 mg of clean, all-natural caffeine in each 12-ounce can. Ignite beverages come in 7 remarkably original flavors, including two new ones, Cherry Lime Grenade and Fruit Punch Knockout.
Kill Cliff’s Energize x Recover drinks have 25 mg of natural caffeine, no sugar, B-vitamins, electrolytes and come in five subtle, naturally sweet fruit flavors but not coconut flavor.
And let’s not forget the new line, Octane, with the new Killer Cliffsicle, a sugar-free, vanilla-and-orange stroke of genius that has 125 mg of caffeine WITH 25 mg of CBD distilled from 125 mg of broad spectrum hemp. Tasty AF, as they say.
You know how Kill Cliff’s energy drinks are like coconut water, except better? They deliver substantial amounts of B-vitamins, vitamin E, electrolytes, magnesium, and potassium, and you don’t have to chop off the top with a sharp object. Just pop the can and enjoy.
