Coconut water, it’s all the rage. And it should be. Mother Nature designed the perfect vessel for a drink that is refreshing, slightly sweet, and hydrating. And add to that, it’s full of necessary electrolytes, making it an excellent replacement for that nasty chemical-filled Gatorade and Powerade.

One of the most popular health drinks on the market, it contains a unique combination of B vitamins, vitamin C, micronutrients, and phyto-hormones. Scientific research found that coconut water has abundant benefits:

• prevents heart attacks.

• lowers high blood pressure.

• has anti-aging effects.

• fights free radicals, helping prevent cancer.

• contains trans-zeatin (effective in treating Alzheimer’s and dementia).

That being said folks, buyer beware. Packaged coconut water is really flooding the market (in bottles and cartons, powdered, frozen, flavored, carbonated, and sweetened). So many choices, so many claims. Like many good things, though, much coconut water available today isn’t what it says it is. With all these choices and all the marketing hype coming at us, it’s confusing and difficult to know if you’re getting the real deal. (Many thanks to the site, www.foodbabe.com, for encapsulating this information for us!)

Then there’s the cost. At around $3 a bottle, you want to be sure it’s worth it! Basically, you want coconut water that’s the least processed and still has the majority of its nutrients intact. The best is always going to be directly from a fresh coconut – but, of course that’s not always available. So food manufacturers, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, and other conglomerates, have come to our rescue with O.N.E., Zico, Naked, etc. And oh how they’ve ruined a perfectly perfect product:

Using concentrate instead of fresh juice: Some coconut water companies get away with saying their drinks contain “100% Coconut Water” that’s “All Natural” even though it’s made from a reconstituted concentrate. Fresh coconut water is heated and reduced to a syrup. It’s cheaper for them to import this coconut water syrup, to which they later add water prior to packaging. Any juice that has been heated to this extent loses most of its nutrients and all beneficial enzymes are destroyed.

Using water of mature coconuts: (A BIG deal.) Young coconuts on the tree are green, containing an abundance of nutrient-loaded water. As they begin to age, the nutrients in the water begin to seep into the meat of the coconut, and the water becomes less nutritious (aka depleted).

This also happens when young coconuts are picked and allowed to lie on the ground in the sun for an extended period of time. While older “mature” coconuts can be used to make coconut oil, coconut milk and other coconut products, the coconut water from older coconuts is discarded by reputable companies because it’s lacking nutrients and doesn’t taste good.

But as the popularity in coconut water spiked, less-reputable companies realized they could increase profits if they used mature water rather than the truly healthy young water. Profits, that’s always the bottom line. So be sure to look for a brand made from young coconut water.

Adding “natural flavors” or sweeteners: Young coconut water is sweet, so there’s absolutely no need to flavor or sweeten it – unless you’re hiding something. Guess what happens when mature coconuts are used? It tastes acidic, so companies mask this taste with natural flavors or sweeten it up with sugars. Just remember: if you see plain coconut water on the shelf with any natural flavors or sweeteners added, it’s from mature coconuts and not worth your money.

Pasteurizing with heat: Coconut water is very delicate, naturally perishable, and should be kept cold. Most folks don’t know this. Young and unadulterated coconut water will always be found refrigerated. Notice that most bottled and boxed coconut waters are on non-refrigerated shelves. And check labels; you’ll see that many brands have expiration dates up to two years! This is because most coconut water is heat pasteurized, which literally means that it’s been cooked to a very high temperature to kill bacteria and extend its shelf life.

Heat also destroys vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and enzymes (meaning benefits and flavor are lost). And if coconut water is from concentrate, this would be the second time it’s heated.

So reputable companies kill bacteria while keeping the nutrients intact using high pressure processing (HPP). The absence of heat makes HPP the best way to preserve the goodness in coconut water, while extending its shelf life a little.

Dipping whole coconuts in formaldehyde or sodium metabisulphite: Many non-organic coconuts are preserved for transport by dipping them in chemicals, including formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. These chemicals seep into the coconut meat and contaminate its water.

OK, it’s good to know what to watch out for. But what we really want to know is what brands are reputable and offer pure, unadulterated coconut water?

First, brands to avoid (because they are so heavily processed that the final product barely resembles natural coconut water). Here’s what independent researchers. To save space and your time, I’m omitting the reasons why these brands should be avoided. But they all have to do with the information above:

• NAKED JUICE COCONUT WATER

• O.N.E. COCONUT WATER .

• ZICO

• COCOZONA

• VITA COCO

• GOYA

• C2O

• PURITY ORGANIC

• COCO LIBRE (Organic)

• MUNKIJO (Organic)

• COCO HYDRO by Big Tree Farms (Organic)

• WHOLE FOODS 365

• TRADER JOE’S

Now for a few passable brands:

• TASTE NIRVANA (Organic)

• AMY AND BRIAN (Organic

• HARVEST BAY (some varieties are certified organic

Finally, the top picks for packaged coconut water. (NOTE: There are many more available on the market or may be available in your neck of the woods. Please use this information as a guide to find the best coconut water in your area.)

This next list is as close to the real thing as you can get. They don’t use heat processing or concentrates (no water cooking). Some use HPP to kill bacteria, and a couple of these brands serve it up raw and unpasteurized.

• HARMLESS HARVEST (Organic) – the favorite in every research group.

• JUICE PRESS (Organic)

• EXOTIC SUPERFOODS (Organic)

• LIQUITERA (Organic) – only available in New York.

• VITAL JUICE (Organic) – only available in Washington and Oregon (but can order it online on Amazon).

• UNOCO (wild coconut) – only available in California right now.

• SUJA (Organic) –a blend, Tropicaloe, made from freeze-dried coconut water mixed with pineapple, apple, aloe, lime, mint and spinach juices; HPP preserved; exclusively sold at Whole Foods stores.