Aug. 20, 2012 Coconut water really does deserve its popular
reputation as Mother Nature's own sports drink, a new scientific
analysis of the much-hyped natural beverage concluded at the
244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical
Society (ACS) in Philadelphia on August 20. However, people who
engage in strenuous exercise that involves a lot of sweat might
want to take it all with a grain of salt ― literally ― or stick
with a more traditional sports drink like Gatorade, said
Chhandashri Bhattacharya, Ph.D. "Coconut water is a natural
drink that has everything your average sports drink has and
more," said Bhattacharya. "It has five times more potassium than
Gatorade or Powerade. Whenever you get cramps in your muscles,
potassium will help you to get rid of the cramps. It's a healthy
drink that replenishes the nutrients that your body has lost
during a moderate workout." Bhattacharya said that the potassium
in coconut water also may benefit other people who do not
exercise. The typical American