Flu season is here, so it’s time to talk about the benefits coconut water can have for treating dehydration, nausea, and an upset stomach. Flu, short for influenza, is a virus that causes dehydration, stomach aches, nausea, and pain throughout the body. Having the flu is a horrible experience, especially for young children. This article shows how coconut water relieves the symptoms mentioned above and also has flu treatment recipes to help you recover quickly.
In order for your body’s immune system to function at its most efficient, your body must stay adequately hydrated. Coconut water has all five electrolytes your body needs to do this. Potassium is the main electrolyte needed, because an 8.5 oz serving has 15 times more potassium than other sports drinks, like Gatorade or VitaWater.
Because you’ll be more hydrated, you’ll feel better, and you’ll also heal faster, because your immune system will be working more efficiently.
It also has lauric acid, a mineral that benefits you while you have the flu because it helps soothe stomach irritation that accompanies the virus. Nausea is another symptom of the flu, because stomach irritation limits the stomach’s ability to hold food.
An old-school flu remedy that my mom used to help me rehydrate when I had the flu was to give me ice chips.
With what we know about the benefits of coconut water, why not take this flu remedy a step further and make ice chips out of coconut water? It will rehydrate you faster than water and will calm your stomach. There are also several flavors, with natural fruit extracts, with which you can make popsicles.
Although I didn’t have the flu, I did have food poisoning about 3 weeks ago, which was accompanied by violent stomach pains and frequent trips to the bathroom (sorry to be too descriptive). There was a box of coconut water left in the house with about 6 ounces in it and I prayed that it would help ease my pain.
During the 2 years that I have been drinking coconut water, it was the first time that I had used it to relieve any kind of medical symptoms other than a hangover. It always helped with my hangovers, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how much better my stomach got when I got food poisoning.
Within 15 minutes the pain was tolerable and continued to fade until I fell asleep.