Coconut water a hit after vaccination

Fresh and tasty: Vaccine recipients are flocking to coconut water stalls like this one along Lorong Abu Siti in George Town to keep hydrated.

GEORGE TOWN: Coconut water seems to be the fad these days for those who have just been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Traders in Lorong Abu Siti and Lorong Selamat in Penang are reporting brisk business, with one shop reporting a 30% sales increase.

“My customers would smilingly declare they have been vaccinated,” said AK Coconut Trading managing director A. Loganathan.

“According to them, they heard that coconut water cools down their system and helps with hydration.

“Some of them have upcoming vaccination appointments and buy coconut water to drink it immediately after getting their jabs.”

His shop, which opens between 8am and noon, has been seeing a lot of vaccine recipients of late.

Anba Coconut Trading Sdn Bhd wholesaler P. Sarasvathy said she met many customers who went to her shop right after getting their jabs.

“They say they want to prevent fever by keeping their bodies cool. They believe coconut water will do that,” she said.

Senior nurse R. Shobana Devi, 55, said she had come across people who brought coconut water to their vaccination appointments.

“One woman carried two plastic tumblers of it. She said she read in vernacular papers that coconut water is the best drink after vaccination,” said Shobana.

But as refreshing as it is, there’s no science to back the claim.

According to Pantai Hospital Penang senior dietician Verona Lee, people probably prefer coconut water to plain water as it is more palatable.

“Coconut water doesn’t really have any extra edge over normal drinking water other than electrolytes and a little sugar,” said Lee.

For those who feel feverish or get the chills after the jab, she said that keeping hydrated was important.

Penang Medical Practitioners Society president Dr Parmjit Singh said there was no evidence to show that coconut water was better.

“Drinking normal water is good enough after vaccination. It is best that people not follow such things blindly,” he noted.

It was reported that consuming coconut water after vaccination was also a popular practice in Singapore.

A doctor there was quoted as saying that the extra nutrients and antioxidants in coconut water makes it a good fluid to ease those who feel feverish after vaccination.