Vita Coco is one of the most popular coconut water brands. The company describes their products as delicious, hydrating and responsibly sourced.
But what's actually in Vita Coco other than coconut water? Is it healthy? Which Vita Coco drink is the healthiest? And does the plastic packaging make it less healthy?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Vita Coco to give our take on whether or not it's healthy.
We'll provide our pick for the healthiest Vita Coco drink, discuss the downsides of plastic packaging, and compare the healthiness of Vita Coco to other coconut water brands.
Key takeaways:
- Coconut water is hydrating and has research-backed health benefits
- Vita Coco Original has added sugar but Vita Coco Farmer's Organic doesn't
- We consider Vita Coco to be healthy
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Vita Coco Original are shown below:
Coconut water is the main ingredient, and has a host of research-backed health benefits.
It's to be superior to plain water and "processed" sports drinks for rehydration after exercise.
Coconut water is also naturally rich in the electrolytes potassium, sodium and magnesium, as we documented in our review of Kiala Greens.
Added sugar is a negative in our opinion.
Although there are only two grams (g) per container, added sugar in excess can be pro-inflammatory, and coconut water is already naturally sweet, so we find this inclusion to be unnecessary.
Vitamin C is a natural preservative and is included at a safe dose.
Overall, we consider Vita Coco to be healthy, but we don't consider the Original version to be the healthiest version (as we'll discuss in the next section).
What's the Healthiest Vita Coco Drink?
We consider Vita Coco Farmer's Organic to be the healthiest drink sold by the brand.
Its only ingredient is shown below:
There is no added sugar in this formulation, so we consider it to be the healthiest Vita Coco drink.
Organic foods have also been shown to have lower levels of toxic metabolites than conventionally-raised foods, as documented in a medical review published in the Nutrients journal.
Does Plastic Make Vita Coco Unhealthy?
Vita Coco is sold in plastic cartons and bottles.
This is a negative from a health perspective, because plasticizing chemicals can leach from packaging into foods and drinks.
These chemicals can disrupt human hormone function, as we documented in our article on is Naked Juice actually healthy.
We still believe that, on balance, Vita Coco is healthy.
However, we would consider an equivalent product (organic coconut water) in healthier packaging (glass bottle for example) to be a healthier choice where available.
Vita Coco vs. the Competition
Here's how the healthiness of Vita Coco stacks up against other coconut water brands in our view:
Harmless Harvest
Packaged in plastic. Only ingredient is organic coconut water.
Winner: Tie
Costco
Packaged in plastic. Only ingredient is organic coconut water, but outcompetes on pricing.
Winner: Costco
Bai
Contains many synthetic additives including citric acid, which is clinically shown to be pro-inflammatory in some individuals.
Winner: Vita Coco
We Tried Vita Coco Ourselves
As the author of this article, I wanted to try Vita Coco myself to share my thoughts on the taste and health effects.
I purchased two large bottles at my local Whole Foods, and had some with some salted nuts as a healthy snack.
The consistency is much thinner and more "watery" than the Whole Foods 365 brand I usually purchase. I prefer a more flavorful and slightly gelatinous coconut water.
The slightly sweet taste of this product pairs well with a salty snack, and I'd recommend this combo to anyone trying Vita Coco.
Since it's a food product, I didn't notice any immediate health effects, but the potassium content is great, and it feels hydrating and healthy.
