Coconut water can be considered low fiber, but may not always be suited for a low fiber diet.
I guide numerous clients through low-fiber diets after medical procedures. Therefore, I’m often answering the question is coconut water low fiber a lot. Well, it is a bit trickier to answer this question than most people realize.
In this post, I will explain why coconut water may or may not be considered as well as why it also isn’t always suitable for a low fiber diet. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Yes, coconut water does have fiber. For every cup of coconut water, there is around 2.64g of fiber. Naturally, the actual quantity can vary a bit.
This isn’t necessarily very low but isn’t too high either. For instance, most doctors will inform you that you can have bananas on a low fiber diet. And, each small banana has about 2.36g of fiber. Therefore, in comparison, coconut water isn’t as high in fiber as certain fruits and juices.
However, does it belong to a low fiber diet? Well, this is a bit more complicated to determine…
Traditionally, a low fiber diet limits your fiber intake to around 10g a day. This is recommended for adult females and males.
Thus, when you are on this diet, you have to consider how your total fiber consumption adds up. In this case, coconut water may not seem exactly low in fiber, when you have to make room for other foods that contain small amounts of fiber.
This is especially true since coconut water may not be as nutritious as other foods in your low fiber diet.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to remove coconut water from your diet completely. Instead, you may want to only drink half a cup of coconut water instead of a full cup. Then, the fiber content becomes negligible.
You may also not want to drink coconut water every day. Wait until you are off your low fiber diet to really indulge in coconut water. After all, most low-fiber diets are temporary due to their restrictive nature.
Now, coconut water may not always be allowed on a low fiber diet. Understand, one of the main reasons for a low fiber diet is to give your digestive system a break while it is recovering from surgery or a medical procedure. Thus, you have to cut out any food or drink that can irritate your stomach.
In some cases, coconut water can act as a laxative.
For some people, coconut water simply doesn’t agree with them. Thus, they experience a variety of digestive issues including stomach upset and diarrhea.
If you fall into this category, then your doctor will advise you to stay away from coconut water until you are all healed up.
Even if you aren’t sensitive to coconut water, though, you do need to be careful. This is because coconut water is high in potassium. Drink too much of it and it will cause a laxative effect.
Of course, this can easily be avoided if you stick to just half a cup a day and also take care to minimize your potassium intake from other foods as well.
Of course, when in doubt, always speak to your doctor before adding anything to your low fiber diet. They will be the best judge of what you should be consuming.
And, if you notice any side effects at all, make sure to cut the coconut water out of your diet immediately. Remember, you can start drinking it again once you are all healed up.
So, there you have it – coconut water may be considered a low fiber drink, depending on the situation. Nevertheless, you do have to be careful about adding it to a low fiber diet. Always seek advice from your doctor before doing so.
Did you enjoy this post? Then make sure to check out our Pinterest page! We have tons of other posts of coconut water, coconut oil, and lots of other coconut products!
