Coconut water is rich in electrolytes that are beneficial for the body. This natural drink is usually consumed to improve the body's fluid balance after exercise or when sick to prevent dehydration. Not only that, several studies have found the potential benefits of coconut water for heart health.
If consuming coconut oil can increase cholesterol levels that are at risk of causing various heart diseases, drinking water from coconuts actually reduces the risk.
Coconut water lowers cholesterol levels
Coconut water contains various minerals and active components such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, l-arginine, ascorbic acid, which can affect cholesterol levels in the blood.
An early study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food said that coconut water can reduce the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. This test was carried out on male albino rats given coconut water at a dose of 4 ml per 100 grams of body weight.
Previously, the mice were injected with cholesterol which directly increased levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood. Levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides that are too high can cause disorders of the cardiovascular system that cause coronary heart disease, heart failure, and heart attacks.
After the rats were given coconut water, their cholesterol and triglyceride levels gradually decreased. In addition, giving coconut water to rats also reduced fat levels in the liver, kidneys, and heart.
This condition is caused by coconut water which helps increase the activity of the HMG-CoA enzyme that regulates fat metabolism in the liver. In addition, the active components in coconut water also accelerate the work of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that functions to break down fat in the heart and fatty tissue around the kidneys.
Continued research on the benefits of coconut water for the heart
Researchers then conducted further testing. This time they compared the benefits of coconut water for the heart with statin drugs that work to lower cholesterol. The study was published in the journal Food Chemical and Toxicology.
The study was conducted by feeding the mice a high-fat diet for 45 days. The high-fat food then increased levels of bad fats and triglycerides in the mice's blood. Researchers then measured how well cholesterol levels decreased after the mice were given coconut and statins.
The results showed that coconut water had a similar effect to statin drugs in lowering cholesterol in mice. However, the results of this study have not been able to fully show that coconut water has major benefits for heart health because testing is still carried out on animals.
In addition, the results of the study also showed a very positive recovery effect even almost equivalent to cholesterol drugs. For this reason, testing needs to be carried out more deeply, especially in humans or patients with heart problems.
Coconut water can reduce the risk of hypertension
In 240 ml of water there are 600 mg of potassium. This mineral has important benefits for controlling blood pressure so that it can reduce the risk of heart disease due to hypertension.
A 2014 study tried to test the benefits of coconut water against hypertension and was published in the journal Procedia Chemistry. In this study, the test was carried out on male rats who were injected with a high concentration of NaCl solution to increase blood pressure.
After that, the mice were divided into 5 groups. For 14 days, one of the mice was not given any medication, but the other 4 were given mineral water, isotonic drinks, coconut water, and blood pressure-lowering drugs.
The researchers then measured the heart rate of the 5 groups of mice. The results showed that the group of rats given coconut water experienced a drastic decrease in heart rate, even though the hypertension condition of this group of rats was the most serious compared to other groups.
Giving coconut water to rats with hypertension even showed better recovery results than giving isotonic drinks. However, the benefits of coconut water do not cause a decrease in heart rate as well as the influence of medical drugs.
Researchers say the test results are influenced by the potassium content in coconut water which plays an important role in improving blood circulation in the arteries. Therefore, consuming coconut water can help lower blood pressure.
However, further research is still needed to ensure the benefits of coconut water for heart health. From several studies, the electrolyte and mineral content in coconut water is known to have the potential to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of hypertension.
The effect of consuming coconut water certainly provides benefits for heart health. However, large-scale studies in humans need to be conducted to determine the actual effect of consuming coconut water on heart disease.
