Some of us have ice water coursing through our veins. Others have the red hot blood of a lover. It’s also been reported that coconut water is another option. Yes. The liquid found inside a coconut has been repeatedly put forth as a substitute for blood plasma. As it turns out, it is not at all a suitable replacement for a number of solid reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it “is not identical to the plasma. Instead, it is closer to the liquid inside the red blood cells, with low sodium and high potassium – the exact opposite [of blood plasma].”
Blood plasma is an essential component of blood. It’s the liquid portion that is made up of protein and salt. The other components of our blood – the red and white blood cells and platelets – float in this liquid. It’s also 92% water, which is why it makes sense that another liquid might take its place. But since blood plasma does a lot more than provide a medium for blood cells and platelets, the composition of the liquid matters. A lot. The most important function is to keep the pH balance in the body so that cells can function properly.
Still, there are anecdotal reports of coconut water being used in a pinch. One time was in 1942 in Cuba when 12 children received filtered coconut water in their veins. Another was during WWII when medics for more than one force reported using coconut water when they ran out of IV fluids. It wasn’t until the 1950s that formal research into the use of coconut water proved that it is not identical to plasma. It’s not even identical to the IV fluids used to hydrate patients and keep their blood volume at an acceptable level. There is a report that a patient in the Solomon Islands received coconut water when there was no other choice. He survived. Still. He only had the treatment for a couple of days. It can hardly be said that he has coconut water running through his veins.
I find it disappointing that coconut water is not a recommended alternative to blood plasma. I’d like to think that in a jam, I could use whatever I found on my deserted island to live a long and healthy life. Since this is now proven not to be the case, it leaves no choice but to seek out other liquids that might be both equally sterile directly out of their “holders” and close at hand in environments where conventional resources are scarce.
As a result of this news, my survival fantasies have now shifted from remote islands with a solitary palm tree to arid desert areas in Australia. I can’t say as I’ve found much in the way of vegetation. Maybe it’s time to investigate species-to-species transfers with dingoes.
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