Fermented Coconut Water [Your Probiotic Guide]
If you're looking for a refreshing, probiotic summer drink, how about fermented coconut water? Which probiotic strains grow well in coconut water, according to research?
I first came across the idea of fermenting different foods with specific probiotic strains in Dr. William Davis’ videos about SIBO yoghurt.
In most of his recipes he uses thick liquids such as cream, pureed fruit and coconut milk. He also has a recipe for S. boulardii fermented in juice and another for B. subtilis made with kombucha.
I got bored with the thick consistency and started looking for something lighter and refreshing for the summer, so coconut water immediately came to my mind.
Can you make probiotic drinks with coconut water?
Surprisingly yes, and this has been confirmed by several studies that I discuss below.
The probiotic content they achieved in final drinks is impressive so anyone with access to good-quality, reasonably priced coconut water might be interested in fermenting it for health benefits.
I also found coconut water kefir recipes but this article focuses on probiotics you can use to make homemade coconut water drinks.
Which probiotics can you use to ferment coconut water?
I looked at several studies to see which strains were used in fermentation but ideally you want to choose the one that has been researched for your specific health condition.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1
A lyophilized strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1 (Clerici-Sacco, Italy), also known as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, was selected as it is one of the best studied and documented probiotic strains, with more than 300 clinical studies that have proven its efficacy and safety, is stable in acid and bile, has good adhesion to the mucous cells of the human intestine, and produces lactic acid. In experimental animals it has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce lipogenesis (Kim et al., 2013; Kun-Young et al., 2015), while in humans it has a positive immunomodulatory effect that could help reduce repeated rotavirus diarrhea episodes (Sindhu et al., 2014)
How to ferment coconut water with Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1?
In the study they used coconut water, inulin and Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1 and fermented the mixture for 8 hours at 35 °C (95 °F).
In the final probiotic drink they achieved roughly 8 billion live bacteria per ml, which means about 820 billion CFU in a small glass - an exceptionally high probiotic content.
Lactococcus lactis-IO1
This strain also grows well in coconut water, although the study suggests that unpasteurized coconut water works better.
It seems Lactococcus lactis-IO1 is not available as a supplement, but studies suggest that Lactococcus lactis in general helps regulate immune activity.
Lactobacillus acidophilus MTCC 10307
Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the most popular and widely available probiotics. In the study it was used together with coconut water, hibiscus tea and honey to produce a probiotic drink.
They used about 8 billion CFU of Lactobacillus acidophilus MTCC 10307 as a starter in 150 ml of liquid.
The mixture was fermented at 37 °C (98.6 °F) for 24-48 hours.
A mixture of hibiscus extract and coconut water (1:3 ratio) was prepared and 15 % honey was incorporated as a natural sugar source. Subsequently, 1 mL of activated L. acidophilus (7.8 × 109 CFU/mL) was inoculated into 150 mL of the mixture in a sterilized glass bottle. The fermentation process was carried out by incubating the bottle at 37 °C for 24–48 h to develop the probiotic beverage.
Immediately after fermentation they achieved about 300 million CFU per ml, which is 30 billion CFU in a 100 ml glass.
What’s also interesting:
The fermentation process significantly enhanced the total phenolic and flavonoid content, leading to improved antioxidant activity, including effective scavenging of DPPH and hydroxyl free radicals.
Lactobacillus acidophilus L10 and Lactobacillus casei L26
Another study used both Lactobacillus acidophilus L10 and Lactobacillus casei L26 to ferment coconut water.
They both grew well at 37 °C (98.6 °F) and after 2 days the probiotic drink reached 100 million CFU per ml, which is 10 billion in a 100 ml glass.
My Final Thoughts on Probiotic Coconut Water
As you can see, Lactobacillus grows well in coconut water, so if you need a particular strain in higher counts and have access to good-quality coconut water on a regular basis, you might want to make your own probiotic drinks at home.
