Coconut Water

New Yorkers may have many things readily available to them, but what they don’t have is fresh coconut water! What they have instead is Vita Coco – coconut water in Tetra Pak.

Thanks to this company, an expat friend in New York can now claim that coconut water is all over the city. And the company’s latest figures report 2009 sales volume of $20 million, 2010 sales of $40 million, and expected 2011 sales of $100 million.

And just what facilitated this coconut water’s successful invasion of the finicky American market? Yoga. You find this hard to believe? Check out this Slate article.

As for the health benefits of coconut water, Dr. Bruce Fife, a certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician, and considered the world's leading authority on the health aspects of coconut and related products, asserts the following:

“Coconut water has a normalizing effect and gives the body a boost of energy so that it can overcome a number of health-related conditions. It is effective in relieving dehydration, fatigue, constipation, and other digestive disturbances, kidney and bladder disorders, and vision problems such as glaucoma and cataract. It is reported to turn back time, so to speak, by reversing or slowing down the aging process. Coconut water also has an alkalizing effect on the body, helping to counteract or balance the effects of acidifying foods which are so common in our diets. Research shows that coconut water can improve blood circulation, lower elevated blood pressure, and reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes. Studies have been so impressive that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has approved coconut water to carry the claim that it may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke."

As anywhere in the entire the Philippine archipelago, coconuts are ubiquitous here in Bohol. They sell for about 20 pesos each. And drinking coconut water has been an important part of my health regimen.

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