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The real water of life, aqua vitae if you will, is abundant in the tropics. And if you drink too much, it wonâ€™t make you tipsy. 🙂 Tap into a young, green coconut (or jelly) and therein lies the slightly sweet, semi-transparent liquid that islanders have long enjoyed as refreshment in the sunâ€™s heat. Coconut vendors can be found most everywhere in the Caribbean, so finding a â€œcold jellyâ€ isnâ€™t difficult.

It is coconut waterâ€™s unseen qualities that make it life-giving. Coconut water electrolytic balance matches the level in human blood. I once read that during World War II and the Vietnam War, when IV solutions were in short supply, doctors used coconuts for emergency plasma transfusions. The water was siphoned directly from the nut to keep wounded soldiers alive. It was also injected directly into the blood stream for re-hydration.

Nursing mothers can use coconut water as a natural, healthier alternative to processed infantâ€™s milk. It contains lauric acid, a fatty acid present in breast milk that has antiviral and antibacterial properties. Coconut water also lessens intestinal disturbances in feeding infants.

Sports drinks now face stiff competition. According to Morton Satin, chief of the United Nationâ€™s Food and Agriculture Organization,

â€œCoconut is the very stuff of nature, biologically pure, full of natural sugars, salts, and vitamins to ward off fatigue . . . and is the next wave of energy drinks.â€

Coconut water has high levels of potassium, vital in energy metabolismâ€”15 times the amount of potassium found in most sports and energy drinks. Plus itâ€™s naturally sweet, without the artificial chemicals found in sports drinks.

Medical research shows that coconut water is effective in dissolving painful kidney and urethral stones, a condition which is very common around the Caribbean. It also treats urinary infections, kills intestinal worms, and eliminates mineral poisons. How else can coconut water help in maintaining a healthy body? Let us know in the comments