What could be more delightful, more deliciosa, than landing into the deep, pulsating heat and radiance of the tropics, primed and ready to enliven your body with lots of raw, living, delectably sweet, wonderfully hydrating coconut water, fresh from those local young green coconuts?  

After living in the tropics for a total of 5 years, spread, across nearly a dozen different journeys, from Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua, to India and Sri Lanka and briefer periods in Thailand and Queensland, Australia, I have made numerous mistakes and learnt many important lessons on the topic of thriving and optimising wellbeing in the tropics.

One of the most significant of these mistakes and lessons, concerns, yes, you've guessed it, coconut water. For a long time, being in the tropics meant I would be drinking my way through a lot of tender coconuts. Upon rising, I would often knock back 2 to 4 coconuts a day, with perhaps another 1 or 2 later in the afternoon. I felt good. I felt energised. The problem was, not immediately apparent, mind you, but I also seemed to lose weight after a few weeks in the tropics, like a good 2 to 4 kgs. I just chalked it up to the sauna-like conditions, the humidity and the greater detoxication that was happening by sweating so much more. After a few months in the tropics, I would get really quite lean, which I was not particularly happy about, as, if anything, I was trying to gain weight and build healthy muscle and fat.

I remember trying to eat larger meals and just consume more food in general, to compensate for the weight loss, but that didn't really help, as I ended up stuffing myself, and then the food would just sit there in my stomach and interfere with a restful nights sleep. 

Then one day it dawned on me. The coconuts. 

You see, coconut water is famously very cleansing, very detoxifying. Raw coconut water actually cues to the body to ramp up our standard metabolic rate, even if our constitution is a more sluggish kapha. Other tropical (and even non-tropical fruits) also do this, especially when they are in their more concentrated liquid form. They literally have the capacity to increase the speed that we oxidise or metabolise our food, and they do so by communicating, to the cells of our body, specific messages or cues regarding the local environment, the temperature, the UV and light levels, the humidity, even, that these foods, and now ourselves, inhabit. "It's hot out there guys, you won't need to carry so much fat around if you are going to be stationed here a while". 

Relatedly, the gentle rush of natural sugars that flow into the digestive and blood streams, via the fibre-less medium of living coconut water (or other fruit fluids), essentially signal to the body, that because fructose and glucose is in plentiful supply, with potentially more forthcoming, it must up the ante on our usual sugar metabolism and oxidation speed, so as to be ready and primed to breakdown the sugar molecules into usable energy, without causing a concomitant blood sugar spike. But there is more to the story than that.

Coconut water is actually a lot more sophisticated, a lot more complex than most people appreciate. Far from being just water with a little natural sugar, this ancient, tropical beverage contains substantial minerals, most notably the electrolytes potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium. It contains numerous vitamins, enzymes, the aforementioned glucose and fructose sugars, and even amino acids. What is even more interesting, perhaps, it contains a surprising belt of antioxidants and polyphenols, including Cinnamic acid (a honey scented compound also found in cinnamon and cacao),  Rosmarinic acid (the famed beneficial also found in rosemary, where it was first isolated) and Vanillin (the esteemed primary flavour profile from vanilla). All of these polyphenols, and a good 40 more besides, team up with the natural sugars to shape the distinct flavour and aroma profiles of the coconut's fluid, characterising not only specific coconut varietals, but also the specific coconut terroir, as well.

Coconut water not only exerts obvious antioxidant activity, it also exhibits various pharmacological activities as well, particularly by virtue of its unique electrolyte content, serving as anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic (reverses blood thickening and propensity for blood clots) and antihypertensive (reverses hypertension or high blood pressure), and significantly, for the thrust of our discussion here, coconut water acts as a diuretic. 

While consumption of coconut water can decrease blood pressure, help keep the blood at optimal viscosity, and indeed, be an effective rehydration fluid, overconsumption of coconut water can lead to increased, even frequent urination, which in the long run, can have a dehydrating effect. The issue lies with the balance of electrolytes. Electrolytes are absolutely essential minerals within plant, animal and human biologies, that carry electrical charge. Over abundance of one or more electrolytes, however, can upset the electrical balance that our bodies need to create desirable performance. The central nervous system is an electrical, or electrolytic system, which requires electrolytes to be within certain narrow parameters for healthy nerve transmission, and, for that matter, proper muscle contractions, which isn't only about thighs and biceps, but also about the deeply interwoven networks of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The cells, as a microcosm, also operate with similarly exacting requirements for our esteemed electrically charged minerals, so that they can generate energy, breakdown toxins and pass essentials through the cell wall, etc.

Overconsumption of coconut water can actually problematise our potassium to sodium, potassium to chloride, and sodium to chloride electrolyte balances, causing too much potassium to rush into the body and potentially offset our sodium and chloride levels. Coconut water is a wonderful source of natural electrolytes, but, truth be told, it is especially high in potassium, whereas the sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride minerals are present in much lower concentrations. As a result, any excess potassium is shuttled towards the kidneys for processing, where it is then jetted onwards for evacuation in the form of urine. In this process, additional electrolytes are also expended, causing a quite unintended diminishment of electrolytes and other co-factors, including enzymes. It is commonly stated that if you were on a desert island, drinking coconut water beyond a certain level can have a diuretic and laxative effect for this reason, and, counter-intuitively perhaps, we would run the risk of dehydration if we were to use coconut water as our exclusive fluid source on the island.

Diuretic substances basically encourage us to pee more, and most of them function as weight loss agents. Now, not all diuretic substances work in the same way, and, of course, many things that could be labelled "diuretics" are actually toxic, whether certain pharmaceuticals or particular plant products, and the body is merely watering down, disarming and evacuating the offensive substances. Regardless of the level of benevolence of the ingredients, the removal of water by the body, over a prolonged period, usually causes weight loss. The problem with this method of weight loss, is that you can easily end up flushing a lot of important electrolytes and salts out of your system at the same time. Nonetheless, so long as a high quality diet is consumed, replete with electrolyte rich offerings and a high-quality water is imbibed, riding on the detoxifying and diuretic effects of coconut water (or similarly diuretic substances, like herbal teas or certain raw fruit juices) can be a very effective and easy adjunct to a healthy weight loss regimen. Keep reading though, as there is one simply addition, that will make your coconut water more hydrating and less pee-inducing.

Some of you may have heard that the sterile, unopened coconut can actually be used to perform successful blood transfusions. This has been notably demonstrated in war time scenarios or if accident had occurred in more remote settlements, far from something considered a "hospital". Indeed, the Indonesian army often travel with a supply of young green coconuts as legitimate blood transfusion "kits", should something go awry in the field, and they are fully trained in their usage. During the Vietnam War, soldiers on both sides of the conflict, had their lives saved by the fluid of Cocos nucifera. The composition of coconut water is compatible with human plasma, though it represents better the fluid inside the cells (high potassium, lower sodium), rather than the fluid outside the cells which is lower in potassium. Despite its already accepted status within emergency use, through one effortless move, coconut water can actually be upgraded further, both in blood transfusion use and for its viability as a longer term rehydrating fluid. The move in question: the adding of a sprinkle of natural salt, thoroughly dissolved, I should add, before use/consumption. In this manner, the limitations of coconut water are remedied considerably through the increased presence of sodium and chloride electrolytes, creating a more effective and regenerative transfusion drip and imparting a more complete and quenching hydration. So, if you do find yourself stranded on that tropical island, palm trees in abundance, actually adding a teaspoon of sea water to your coconut water could literally be a lifesaver.

After realising the relatively profound effect that coconut water consumption was having on my temple, I decided to cut down to just 1 or 2 coconuts per day (upon rising is still my preference). Suddenly, as if by magic, I stopped losing weight in the tropics. I was able to continue, uninterrupted, to build my body through strength training activities, just the same as if I were in Canada or England. So, if you are someone that wants to lose weight, coconut water is a very effective choice. If you are wanting to maintain or gain weight, go easy on the coconut water.

Kyle Vialli (2025)