This was something I got asked on my I Quit Sugar forums a lot. I promised to get to the bottom of the conflicting information…Et voila!
coconut water green smoothie, via The Alkaline Sisters. Recipe below
In a coconut shell.
1. yes, there is in fact sugar in coconut water
All coconuts contain sugar. The levels depend on the type of coconut, and it’s age. Something to note though, even the coconuts with the higher levels of sugar still only contain around 2.95ml of sugar per 100ml, which is not a lot. As I’ve shared in my I Quit Sugar ebook, best to stay under 4.7ml of sugar per 100ml. Of course, a bottle of coconut water – which is how most of us get our coconut water – is generally about 300ml. So. In one bottle there can be up to 9g of sugar, which is 2.5-ish teaspoons.
2. yeah, but how much of that is fructose?
Well. Not so much. And this is what counts. A Brazilian study found the sugar content of an average baby coconut to be made up of:
glucose 50%, sucrose 35%, and fructose 15%
So fructose makes up a maximum of 32 per cent of the total sugars (remember: sucrose is 50/50 fructose and glucose), and often a lot less (depending on the age of the coconut).
All of which means when you look at that total sugar value on the label, it’s a little misleading. Unlike coke or fruit juice, where we know half (or more) of the sugar content is fructose, coconut water’s sugar content is mostly glucose (which is fine, metabolically speaking).
4. can we still drink it?
Yep. Go for it. The amount of fructose is minimal. But do check the label, and think about keeping your intake to about 200ml (a small cup). Oh, and don’t drink the flavoured ones…the fruit pulp turns it into a fructose fusion!
5. go for the younger coconuts
The concentration of sugars in the water of a coconut increases in the very early months of maturation. This process slowly falls back again at full maturity of the coconut. But, as the coconut ages, there’s less water. So, if you’re buying a whole baby (green) coconut
pick a fresh one between 4 – 6 months, if you have the choice
6. what’s the deal with coconut water and fructose malabsorption?
People with fructose malabsorption are often told to steer clear of products with coconut. I contacted Dr Sue Shepherd for her advice on this. Sue is an advanced accredited practicing dietician who lectures in gastroenterology at Monash University. Her PhD research was in aspects of coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and fructose malabsorption. Sue developed the Low FODMAP Diet, which has been accepted worldwide as the first-line dietary therapy for someone with IBS and fructose malabsorption.
Sue: There are two pathways by which we absorb fructose. Firstly, fructose is absorbed freely across the intestine. In people with fructose malabsorption, this pathway is impaired. The second pathway is where fructose is carried across the intestine by glucose (glucose “piggy backs” fructose). This pathway is still active in people with fructose malabsorption, so they can still consume foods with fructose in them, as long as there are equal [or more] amounts of glucose present.
Since coconut water contains a lot more glucose than fructose, all is good. I hope this makes sense??
Sue again: Coconut water is a healthful drink, and is suitable for people with fructose malabsorption. I recommend C Coconut Water. It is 100% organic, nothing added. Great taste – not too strong, and also a great price. I get mine from Spelt Quinoa. It is an amaaazing shop full of organic goodness. Gemma, the owner is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful.
7. a fun fact
The scientific name for a common coconut is cocos nucifera. Cocos means “spectre goblin” or “grinning face” and nucifera means “bearing nuts”. I like the imagery!
8. a coconut water recipe while we’re here…
This one is courtesy of The Alkaline Sisters. Bless ‘em.
green smoothie
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 3 medium Kale leaves, torn
- 5 stems fresh mint
- 3 stems fresh parsley
- 2.5 cm piece fresh ginger
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup coconut water
- fresh juice of one lime
- 1-2 tsp udo’s oil [optional, or hemp or flaxseed oil - Sarah]
- 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds [optional, or chia seeds - Sarah]
- 2-3 drops stevia [optional, or 1/4 tsp stevia granules]
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and mix until smooth, adding a little filtered water if needed for consistency.
To learn more about why coconut water is so good, check out what The Alkaline Sisters have to say here.
Do you drink coconut water? Any particular recipes you love?
YEEEEHAAAH!!
I drink between 2 & 5 coconuts a day. But at least always one first thing in the morning and one before bedtime.
Excellent before & after yoga (or any exercise). Excellent when racing around and not eating properly, excellent to kill a hunger pain and give you a bit of energy, and …. Im pretty sure … and for anyone who has suffered from this will agree this is a huge claim …. coconuts have, I believe, had a huge role to play in the disappearance of my rosacea …. I eat the flesh too …. yummy!
I know I will have to consider the carbon footprint at some point, just not yet …. maybe we need to know more about that. Haven’t tasted a bottled one yet that didn’t make me gag – I love the real thing. do we grow them here?
Love your work Sarah!
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March 6th, 2012 at 9:32 am
Oh yes, the carbon footprint issue. It concerns me too….
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Thanks so much for finding this out!! You have made my day, for the last 2 years I have only drank water, milk or a glass of red wine because everything else sugar in it. You have put a smile of my face!! Love the blog.
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Woo hoo!!! Thanks soooooo much Sarah for clearing this up for me. Off to buy some now. You’re ace xxx
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I have been having 2 lots of coconut water everyday for a while now .. I make protein shakes out of them and I honestly believe that it is the coconut water that has stopped cravings for anything sweet.
The coconut water is fairly filling as well and since I have been diagnosed with UAT I have had to alter my diet a lot, so by using the coconut water & some of the pulp it has certainly helped my stick to my plan and actaully enjoy it.
I have often wondered if I was getting too much sugar in my diet because of the c/water but it does not seem to be affecting me in any way so I will continue to use it and enjoy the good health benefits from it.
Thanks Sarah for your blog.
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Thanks Sarah for giving us this valuable information. Like Netta, I have 2 cans each day in my shakes. This has also stopped my cravings for sweet things so helping me quit sugar & less champagne!
Until I read “I Quit Sugar”, I had never tried it, now I have the perfect brand. I did try a few, I guess it comes down to one’s individual taste.
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Hey Thanx Sarah for sharing our healthy coconut smoothie! Your post was filled with some really great detailed info. I truly believe in the power of whole unprocessed foods and this is most likely why fresh young coconut water’s sugar content is safe and very beneficial since the body metabolizes the nutritional elements as a whole. Thus said, pasteurized waters are void of heat sensitive nutrients making them a little less beneficial, but still a whole lot better than a can of soda! Green Smoothie Cheer to you!
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the smoothie looks delicious, I’m off to buy the ingredients. thank you!
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A more healthful way to drink coconut water is to culture it first. By using a starter culture the bacteria will consume the sugar in the coconut water so it can’t feed the bad bugs in your gut. What you end up with is a fizzy “champagne like” drink which is more tangy than sweet. We call this young Coconut Kefir- YCK for short. It is a powerful alkalizer and detoxer as well as lining the gut with good probiotic bacteria. Full of electrolytes and mineral rich to support the adrenals.You can drink it neat, add to smoothies or turn into a mocktail by adding bubbly mineral water with mint and berries. Similarly you can culture the meat from young coconuts to make a pudding or yoghurt. As a nutrition consultant I get asked this question a lot and this is what I recommend to my clients following the GAPS and Body Ecology Diets. There are lots of videos of the process on youtube if you google – Body Ecology Diet – how to make young coconut kefir. I’m in the process of writing instructions which I’ll post on my Facebook page next week if anyone is interested http://www.facebook/Kitsas.Kitchen
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March 7th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
That sounds very interesting. Thanks Kitsa I’ll check it out .
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Oh so happy to read this! I drink water and nothing else, ditched the coconut water when I ditched sugar as I wasn’t sure…yay, something I love I can have!
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I fell in love with coconut water in Thailand it was a life saver when the heat became to much. Being at home now it’s not quite the same but I use it instead of powerade (suggested by doctor) for some bouts of low BP I’ve been having. Brilliant stuff!
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I love fresh coconut water, but I always have to get someone to open up the coconut for me! Does anyone have a trick for a delicate sort of dame with sore wrists?
I also wondered what brands of tetra-packed, canned, or bottled coconut water people preferred. I always buy products with “100% coconut water” and “no added sugar” on the packaging, but the flavour and supposedly natural sugar content differ vastly.
The best I have tried is Beyond coconut water in a glass bottle. Pandaroo (canned) tastes excellent, but way too sweet to have no added sugar despite its labelling. Any ideas/comments?
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April 29th, 2012 at 11:17 am
HI Amber
I couldn’t open coconuts either and it really frustrated me. So, my brother and I invented a coconut opener. It’s called cococut. We sell online and in some Harris Farms.
Hope that helps.
Cate
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November 14th, 2012 at 9:05 am
Best. Idea. Ever! Will be making a purchase as soon as I get home from travelling!
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November 14th, 2012 at 9:29 am
Oh god, don’t bother with $25 dollar options and will hurt your wrist, just go to Bunnings and get a nail punch and apply with hammer to desired spot on coconut to insert a straw.
November 23rd, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Hi Pippa,
Sorry you hurt your wrist using the CocoCut. The key is not to put too much downward pressure while turning back and forth. Meanwhile the base must be held very firmly to keep the coconut from spinning in your hand. Remember coconuts have a wooden shell so they are hard to open. The CocoCut provides a safe way to open them to get the meat as well as the water. Here are some videos with tips for easy use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AbAwpUrU5E
http://youtu.be/-PIZopBYIE4
Hope that helps.
Cate
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Awesome, thanks for that Sarah! I love coconut, but I’ve been avoiding it because I thought it might flare up my IBS, which I had found had become far more mild since cutting out the sweet stuff. I’ll try bringing some in and see how it goes!
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March 8th, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi Rebecca. Check my reply to you which I replied to the post after you by Belle.
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Sarah, I’m following the IQS ebook but I’m having a lot of trouble with yoghurt. There is not one brand I’ve seen that has only 4.7g sugar per 100g as you mentioned. Even the ones where the ingredients are only whole milk and live cultures, the sugar is up around 7g at least. You seemed to say this means there’s around 2.3g added sugar (above the lactose component). Where’s this sugar coming from? What’s the story? Cheers.
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March 8th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Hi Rebecca, I use Barambah Organics All Natural Yoghurt (light blue label) which has a sugar content of 4.7g per 100g. It is creamy and yummy and readily available. I get mine from Harris Farm.
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March 8th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Sorry, first post, replied to Belle instead of Rebecca.
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June 12th, 2012 at 12:13 am
Hi belle, chobani only has 3g per 100g.
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The coconut I use has 15g per 300m, I shouldn’t have it is my thinking. Is that right?
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Hi there, only on 4th day of quitting sugar and today was the test surrounded by an office full of sweetsa nd cookies for a birthday celebration. I had couple of sips of c/water when i got home and after reading this post and comments i will try other brands as im not so sure about the taste just yet. Is it normal to be this dehydrated? I drink a lot of fluids anyway as I exercise most nights but am very thirsty from waking to sleeping.
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were about in melbourne can i get a real good coconut water and cooking oil i live near cranbourne thank you so much
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May 22nd, 2012 at 2:44 pm
Debra, I’m not so sure about Cranbourne, but you can definitely find both coconut water and quality oil from good health food stores. I get mine from GoVita at Knox and have seen products sold in other shops around Melbourne. I know that’s far-ish for you, but it’s most definitely around!
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Interesting article, we have reviewed a variety of coconut waters at our website in regards to taste, personal benefits and packaging. We have found it is perfect after exercising and I have to admit I only got sick after I hadnt consumed any coconut water in a few months, coincidence or not I’m not sure.
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[...] previously about the incredible health benefits, and benefits for sugar quitting, of coconut water here and here. Some coconut waters can be quite bitter and have an “over-travelled” taste. [...]
hm… wouldn’t say FODMAPS is the best for IBS. Did that and been there, it made me worse. Good luck for anyone trying it though!
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[...] give the unflavoured variety a try – my pick of the bunch, Kokomo. I discovered it through Sarah Wilson’s blog. It’s a relative newcomer to the drinks market, but unlike so many sports drinks and vitamin [...]
[...] when it comes to both coconuts and a green smoothie, and you can be as creative as you wish. Sarah Wilson and The Alkaline Sisters do a great job with tips and explaining the amazing benefits of coconuts [...]
[...] give the unflavoured variety a try – my pick of the bunch, Kokomo. I discovered it through Sarah Wilson’s blog. It’s a relative newcomer to the drinks market, but unlike so many sports drinks and vitamin [...]
People with fructose malabsorption still cant have coconut milk or cream though, or so i’ve been told.
i find this strange. i’m assuming the actual coconut meat must contain more fructose and little glucose, bringing the overall fructose level up significantly without the glucose to counteract that?
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[...] we are on coconut water, here's another interesting article Is there fructose in coconut water? | Sarah Wilson In a coconut shell. 1. Yes, there is in fact sugar in coconut water All coconuts contain sugar. [...]
[...] 3. Drink coconut water fresh out of the shell. I’m finding they sell them everywhere now, from Thai restaurants and small grocery stores to juice bars and health food stores. Seriously sweet, so try not to overdo these. Sarah can explain the coconut / sugar situation here. [...]
Chi has the lowest natural sugar levels of all the brands.
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Thank you so much for this info I’m gluten free and have fructose malabsorption Sooo Happy I can try coconut water now
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Can anyone explain the difference between coconut water and coconut juice?? I prefer the taste of the juice and the sugar content didn’t seem to bad. Thanks!!
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great news for someone with fructose malabsorption!
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