el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2014/eldonnews.org
HEALTH
STYLE
THE NATION
EH COCONUTS / The clear liquid from inside young fruit is consumed by health enthusiasts, but it may not help much. / Daniel Lim / el Don
DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE
Referred to as a “miracle drink,” the clear liquid from inside the young green
fruit is comparable to tap water mixed with baking soda.
BY SOULIMAN MAIDA / el Don
Despite all the hype, coconut
water just might be one big financial
scheme. To get the same results, and
possibly better, a cup of water with a
banana will do the trick.
Referred to as the “miracle drink,”
the water brands like ZICO and
O.N.E. tell the public that this beverage will help alleviate ailments such
as kidney disease, common cold and
osteoporosis. These claims led the
public to purchase a total of $400
million a year over a 10-year period.
A green coconut has minerals in
its liquid; however, the minerals are
also found in other fruit as well. A
medium sized banana has 422 mg of
potassium on average, compared to a
bottle of coco water that carries 660
mg of potassium.
Per ounce coconut water has 5.45
calories, 1.3 grams of sugar, and 61
mg of potassium. In comparison, Gatorade has 6.25 calories, 1.75 grams of
sugar, and 3.75 mg of potassium. Related to other fruit for example apples,
which have 135 mg of potassium, are
one of the most dominant snacks on
the food charts.
Coconut water, however, can get
pricey. Target sells a 12-ounce Gatorade for 50 cents compared to an
11.8-ounce Goya coco water for 89
cents. Water from the faucet or
bottled will provide benefits to the
body, and with a simple trick it might
beat Gatorade, PowerAde and
coconut water.
Water mixed with baking soda is
used to aid athletes through strenuous exercise, as well as prevent lactic
acid build up. Overused muscles get
tense and fatigued leading to pain
during the exercise. Baking soda delays the lactic acid increase and helps
the athlete perform longer.
In 2008 the International Journal
of Sports Medicine took a look at
the performance of a 200-meter
swimmer. Results showed that after
consuming the water and baking
soda mixture, there was a substantial
improvement in performance.
Coconut water will not do everything you’d like it to do, though
maybe it is an alternative to your typical Gatorade and both do the job. But
health experts will never recommend
cutting out regular H2O.
Two nurses who cared for the
first person killed by Ebola in the
U.S. have tested positive for the
disease, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention confirmed.
The original patient, Thomas Eric
Duncan, traveled from Liberia to
visit family in Dallas.
He began showing symptoms
and went to the E.R. but was sent
home despite a fever and his
travel history.
Three days later, Duncan
became violently ill and was
transported back to Texas Health
Presbyterian Hospital, where he
was admitted and died Oct. 8.
Now that the disease is stateside,
panic has set in. Both Duncan and
Amber Vins