If a can of coconut water and a banana smoothie had a child, it is likely to be banana water. The most recent plant-based hydration beverage in the marketplace is being touted as “the peel good beverage” that provides “a bunch of vitamins.” And it’s drumming up consideration on social media.
“Boyfriend says it has aromatics of barely overripe banana,” one Reddit person, leemoongrass, commented, including, “It truthfully isn’t that dangerous.”
“It smells like child meals,” lsp2c mentioned on Instagram.
To not be confused with banana water for vegetation, a DIY fertilizer made by soaking banana peels in water to extract vitamins, reminiscent of potassium and vitamin C, in your flora. Or selfmade banana drinks, reminiscent of sizzling water steeped with banana peels and strained, or blended banana smoothies.
The brand new drink, bought in supermarkets, is being marketed as a substitute for sports activities drinks, a type of coconut water 2.0.
However some have taken to social media with questions: “How do you assume you juice a banana?!” tybottofficial requested on TikTok, whereas unpacking a field of natural banana water from Woodstock. “I ponder in the event that they’re simply in a manufacturing facility, like, you already know, actually milking these bananas, I suppose?” (He gave the drink a 7.5 out of 10.)
Each Woodstock and Banagua, main producers of banana water, make their banana water in Thailand from natural “Thai golden” and “Thai cultivated” bananas, that are shorter and stubbier-looking than the usual yellow bananas bought in most American supermarkets and which have a slight pinkish tint. The fruit will get pinker within the processing and the drink has a pinkish hue.
In case you’re a label ogler, the ingredient record will put you comfortable. Banana water incorporates only one ingredient: bananas. There’s no important water added to it. A banana is 80% water, Banagua co-founder Rob Smithson says, and the processing of the drink (an “enzymatic course of”) separates the water from the pulp — the drink is barely viscous however not pulpy.
Woodstock’s bananas are steamed and mashed with “proprietary enzymes” to launch vitamins. “Consider it as liquefied bananas,” says Bruce Bruemmer, vp of name administration at UNFI Manufacturers+, Woodstock’s father or mother firm.
The upshot? Each corporations say their banana water is particularly wholesome, brimming with electrolytes like potassium, B6 and magnesium, in addition to minerals and antioxidants reminiscent of vitamin A and C. The drink has no added sugar, and 0 fats, sodium and ldl cholesterol, although a 330ml can does have about 13 grams of carbohydrates, barely lower than Bare coconut water’s 14 grams in a container of the identical measurement.
So how wholesome is banana water, what does it style like, and is it definitely worth the hype? Right here’s the deal.
Producer’s claims: “Our banana water has 205 mg of magnesium — 50% of the every day worth,” Smithson says of Banagua’s Unique Banana, which went in the marketplace in July 2025. “And it’s particularly hydrating — in all probability 2-3 bananas per can, which you’ll be able to deliver wherever and also you don’t have to fret about moldy bananas. And simply 50 energy — Bare’s coconut water has 60.”
Woodstock’s 500ml can of banana water, which went in the marketplace in March 2024, has simply 80 energy. “Our Woodstock Natural Banana Water stands out for its nice style and pure hydration,” Bruemmer says, “delivering 765mg of electrolytes — just like many sports activities drinks — with none synthetic colours, flavors or preservatives.”
Nutritionists’ take: “It’s in all probability a sequel to coconut water,” says Dr. Thomas Sherman, a professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown College Medical Heart. “It could enchantment to people who find themselves apprehensive about animal wellness and saturated fats of their milk drinks or who’re apprehensive about too excessive sugar — so this suits the invoice. However I query its effectiveness — most of these drinks provide such trivial quantities of electrolytes in comparison with what’s already in our meals. And it’s costly.
Sherman says that, ultimately, it comes right down to the patron’s intentions for selecting banana water.
“In case you’re shopping for it due to the style, and also you need to help a plant-based beverage, and [because] it’s pretty low sugar, then fantastic,” he says. “However for those who’re shopping for it since you’re serious about getting extra potassium and magnesium and calcium with low sodium, then it’s foolish as a result of simply eat vegetation, eat meals, that’s going to provide a whole lot of instances extra potassium and calcium and magnesium.”
Categorizing banana water as a sports activities drink is problematic, provides Vanessa King, a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in dietary supplements.
“Sports activities drinks substitute electrolytes,” King says. “The issue with banana water is that whereas bananas are very excessive in potassium, the electrolyte that you simply predominantly lose whenever you train is sodium — and it doesn’t present sodium. I might not select it over a sports activities drink.”
King factors out that “banana juice,” as she calls it, suffers from the identical considerations as different juices: “It’s extra concentrated sugar with out the fiber you’d get from the fruit model.”
However any quantity of potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and C — all key vitamins in banana water — is useful, King says. “They’re all vitamins which might be usually under-consumed by People. However bananas even have these vitamins!”
The style: We discovered it candy and tropical-tasting, barely viscous however surprisingly refreshing. Nonetheless, we didn’t go bananas for it.
Value: Banagua’s Unique Banana (330ml): $3.49; Woodstock’s Natural Banana Water (500ml): $2.99.
