Is Coconut Water High In Cholesterol?

With everyone becoming more aware of the risks of excess cholesterol, the low cholesterol level of coconut water is a great reason to drink it. So why do so many think coconut water is high in cholesterol?

Coconut water is naturally cholesterol free, as certified by the USDA. However, it still contains saturated fats, meaning it can raise your LDL cholesterol levels if consumed in excess.

It’s difficult trying to assess all the claims that are out there, particularly around coconut water where some adverts have gotten into trouble with the FDA. In this article we explain why coconut water is cholesterol free but not entirely cholesterol risk-free.

Coconut water and cholesterol

Coconut water is not high in cholesterol. Let’s make that clear from the start.

The United States Department of Agriculture lists the cholesterol content as 0mg per 100g of coconut water as cholesterol does not naturally occur in coconut water. The USDA fact sheet for coconut water lists the nutrients contain in coconut water and is available here.

Coconut water is packed with amino acids and electrolytes, and naturally cholesterol free!

However, there is a total lipid content of 0.2g per 100g. Whilst this is a relatively low amount of fat – 0.2% by weight, nearly 90% of this total is comprised of saturated fatty acids. In a 330ml serving of coconut water this is around 0.62g of saturated fats.

Compare this to the amount found in one egg – 1.15g, and you’ll see this is a pretty low amount! The FDA recommend aiming to consume no more than 20g of saturated fats per day.

Saturated fats are common in animal-derived products such as dairy. Consumption of excess saturated fats has been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol levels. Excessive saturated fats in your diet are a key risk factor for developing high cholesterol levels.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids make up the rest of this total. However, these are generally considered ‘good’ fats. Higher levels of these fats in your blood are able to lower your cholesterol levels, as previously explained.

What is cholesterol, really?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance important for human health and disease. Whilst it is essential for various processes in the body, too much cholesterol is bad as it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks.

We need cholesterol as a vital component of our cells. It helps to make the cell membranes stronger and more rigid. Too much cholesterol is a problem as it will build up in fatty streaks on the inside of arteries. Over many years, these streaks will grow and harden until eventually they can completely block a blood vessel. Occlusion of an artery in the brain – a stroke – or heart – a heart attack – is a life threatening emergency.

Cholesterol is considered a silent killer as there are often no symptoms before a heart attack or similar event. The only way to know for sure is to have your cholesterol levels checked by a healthcare professional.

The difference between good and bad cholesterol

There are many different forms of cholesterol, categorized by their density. In the body, cholesterol and other fats form spherical structures that travel in the blood and lymphatic vessels. These structures are known as lipoproteins.

There are two main types of lipoproteins. These are: LDL – low density lipoprotein; and HDL – high density lipoprotein.

LDLs are considered ‘bad’ cholesterol as these are more likely to form fatty deposits in blood vessels. Whilst HDLs are ‘good’ cholesterol.

HDLs can actually pick up LDLs and escort them back through to your liver where they can be properly broken down.

Having more HDL than LDL is beneficial for your cardiovascular health.

Foods that contain cholesterol

Cholesterols are typically found in all animal cells, and many plants. When we eat animal fats such as butter, cream, and lard the cholesterol in these is absorbed by the gut before becoming predominantly LDLs in our bodies. On the other hand, many plant oils become HDLs. This is because animal fats are predominantly saturated fats. Whereas plants typically contain much higher quantities of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

A diet high in fruits and vegetables with plenty of fibre is a great way to lower your LDL cholesterol and increase your HDL cholesterol.

The key takeaway is animal fat is often saturated and leads to ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. Whereas plant fats are often unsaturated and lead to ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

Is Coconut Water Good for Lowering Cholesterol?

Whilst coconut water will not lower your cholesterol by itself, consuming coconut water as a part of a healthy and balanced diet will likely improve your cholesterol levels.

In previous years, some coconut water brands claimed that coconut water itself would lower the HDL cholesterol levels in your blood. The FDA did not agree with the basis behind these claims and so they’ve subsequently been retracted.

Class-action lawsuits were settled out of court due to the lack of evidence behind these claims. So, if you see companies online promoting this as a benefit of coconut water, know that there is no solid scientific evidence behind these claims.

In fact, drinking too much coconut water might even increase your HDL cholesterol levels because it contains saturated fats. However, rest assured you’d need to drink a lot of coconut water for this to be a big risk.

So, Can You Drink Coconut Water with High Cholesterol?

Absolutely! As coconut water is cholesterol free you can drink it with high cholesterol. It is still important to remember that drinking too much coconut water might increase your cholesterol levels because of the saturated fat content it contains.

Studies have demonstrated that in rat models of high fat diets, coconut water administration can decrease fat levels in the blood. The same is true of cholesterol levels. In some cases, these results have shown that coconut water can affect cholesterol metabolism in a similar way to statins – a type of cholesterol lowering drug.

Just because coconut water has demonstrated some effectiveness in cholesterol reduction in rats, does not mean this necessarily applies to humans. It’s important to note that the reasons for these effects are still unknown, and you should always speak to a health care professional if concerned about your cholesterol levels.

Overall, you now know that coconut water is cholesterol free. Companies cannot make specific claims about whether coconut water can lower your cholesterol levels or not due to a lack of evidence.