Yes, coconut water is dairy free. As such, it is suitable for anyone who is lactose intolerant or on a vegan diet.
There are a lot of misconceptions about coconut water. This is why my clients will often come up to me with questions like, is coconut water dairy free. If this is something that you have been wondering as well, then let me explain.
In the following post, you will discover what coconut water is and why it is considered dairy free. Let’s get started!
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Well, the answer to this is pretty simple. Understand, the term “dairy”, refers to cow’s milk as well as products that are derived from this milk. This includes butter, yogurt, cream, etc.
As coconut is a drupe, there is absolutely no relation at all. This means that all coconut derived products – including coconut water are free of dairy.
In case, you are wondering what coconut water is or what it is made of, well, this is a bit more complicated. To simplify it, coconut water is a substance that is formed within the center of the coconut. It is enclosed by a layer of coconut meat which, in turn, is enclosed within the coconut shell.
Green coconuts have the most amount of coconut water. As the coconut begins to mature, this water is absorbed into the meat. Thus, there is more meat and less coconut water in mature coconuts.
Well, then, why is there confusion about coconut water being a dairy product? This might stem from the fact that many people get confused between coconut water and coconut milk. In fact, some may use the terms interchangeably.
However, they are quite different from each other. While coconut water is formed inside the coconut, coconut milk is made from coconut meat. The coconut meat is shredded and then soaked in water. The resulting liquid when the coconut meat is squeezed out is coconut milk.
It is fairly easy to understand why people assume that coconut milk contains dairy. The milk looks a great deal like cow’s milk. However, as with coconut water, coconut milk doesn’t contain any dairy at all.
As mentioned, you can drink coconut water if you are lactose intolerant. This, of course, is because there isn’t any dairy to cause any side effects.
This doesn’t automatically mean that coconut water is suitable for everyone, though. You should know that coconut water is pretty high in potassium.
Therefore, if you already eat a high-potassium diet or have high potassium levels in your system, coconut water may cause issues. In such an instance, it may act as a laxative. In high doses, it may be considered toxic.
For the most part, though, coconut water is pretty safe for most people to drink. Just remember to enjoy it in moderate doses. This will reduce the risk of any side effects.
As you can see, coconut water is completely dairy free. Therefore, if you are vegan or lactose intolerant, there is nothing to worry about! You can enjoy coconut water.
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