Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Is cocunut water bad for High Blood Pressure/

06/10/2010

Question:

I have high blood pressure. I have tired unripe green coconut water several times and it possible has increased my pressure every time. But I read some website on the net and it says unripe green coconut water is good for High Blood Pressure. I have found the following information about salt (sodium) level in green coconut water on the web-Sodium – 252 gm per 240 gm of coconut water and at another site–100ml of coconut juice contains -Sodium, 105 mg. Is this too much salt? Do you know exactly what percentage of salt are there in unripe green coconut water? Can you please explain me if it is good/bad for high pressure? Are there any salt less dehydration saline water for high pressure people?

Answer:

Coconut water contains 252 mg of sodium in one cup (240 grams).
That amount is about 11% of the Daily Value of one’s sodium intake. The same amount has minerals that help protect from high blood pressure – 600 mg of potassium (17% Daily Value), 60 mg magnesium (15% Daily Value), and almost 60 mg of calcium (6% Daily Value).

One to two cups of coconut water may easily fit into a healthy diet of someone with high blood pressure, depending on the other foods that are consumed. I would encourage you to keep monitoring your blood pressure directly before and after you drink the product. Stop consuming the product if you see the trend towards higher blood pressure continue.

There is only one published research study that assess the effect of coconut water on blood pressure. It was a small study with 28 people that was published in 2005 in the West Indian Medical Journal. The group that received coconut water to drink every day saw a significant decline in their systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those who received bottled drinking water. Although encouraging, this is hardly enough support to recommend coconut water for people with high blood pressure.

For more information:

Go to the Diet and Nutrition health topic.