It is not uncommon; especially in this part of the world, for nursing mothers to exclusively feed their infants with breast milk, but do you know that you may consider supplementing it with coconut water? There are immense benefits in feeding infants with coconut water; Yes, there are.
Why do I advocate for coconut water for babies?
Babies require some certain supplements for effective growth and development, and all these are embedded in coconut water.
Coconut water, in lieu of breast milk, is another complete food for babies
The table below represents the nutritional content of coconut water (per 100 grams)
I will run through some major benefits embedded in coconut water:
1. Antibiotic effect
Coconut water has been proven to have antibiotic and antifungal effect on babies. It is one of the natural ways of treating bacterial infections in babies. And it also gives some boosts to the immune system in general. That is why it is strongly recommended for babies.
2. Minimal fat content
It has been proven that coconut water has a small amount of fat. That means, coconut water can actually prevent childhood obesity. Isn't that fascinating?
3. Transfusion/Infusion
Yes, you read right. Coconut water can be infused directly (just like infusing drip or blood) into the blood vessels.
During the World War II, there wasn't enough blood plasma available for transfusion. But coconut water was used for the same effect. Now this is getting weirder. Coconut water also cleanses and detoxifies the blood vessels.
4. Low sugar content
It has also been proven that coconut water has a low sugar content. In other words, it can help to prevent and treat Type2 diabetes in infants. This property of coconut water is also good for adults, as well as children.
5. Aids in digestion and cures gastrointestinal diseases
It is another proven fact that coconut water aids in digestion. It provides an immediate relief from constipation. And great news, coconut water now comes in handy in tetrapaks (well, for this part of the world. Not sure about other parts).
It is also a known fact that coconut water is very useful in the treatment of gastric ulcer.
6. Treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI)
Babies are prone to UTIs. And the worse part of this is; the causative bacteria can attach themselves to the bladder and kidney, and wreck some havocs there. But the antibacterial properties of coconut water will effectively handle this.
It has also been said that coconut water can dissolve kidney stone to a large extent.
Here's a little BONUS tip for adults before I continue:
Coconut water has an anti-aging property. So if you wanna look "ever young", you may want to consider having coconut water in handy :)
Measures and precautions to follow while feeding babies coconut water
Even though there are immense benefits in coconut water, there are measures you have to follow to get the optimal result:
- Serve it fresh: We know that coconut water comes in tetrapaks, but it is always preferable to serve if fresh. Also do not leave the coconut water on exposure to atmosphere for long, as this reduces its nutrients.
- Serve it slowly: Allow the baby to consume it bit by bit, not gulping it in large quantity.
- Look out for allergic reactions: Though this is rare, but you can't rule out the possibility of your child reacting to coconut water. And once you notice any of such, please stop at once.
Note: Do not store coconut water for long after extracting it (the optimum is a 24hour refrigerated period). Also try to consult with a paediatrician in the event of any reaction arising from the consumption of coconut water.
Thanks for reading
References for further reading: Ref1, Ref2, Ref3, Ref4
