Kuii is a popular brand known for its delicious coconut milk drinks.
These drinks are made from a blend of coconut milk and water with tiny cubes of coconut jelly, resulting in a smooth, creamy texture.
Plus, these coconut milk drinks come in multiple flavors such as original, strawberry, banana, mango, pineapple, etc.
However, are Kuii coconut milk drinks healthy?
Short answer: Kuii coconut milk drinks are not healthy as they are high in added sugar, low in nutrients and contain artificial flavors and colors.
Read on to find out more about Kuii coconut drinks, including their ingredients, sugar, protein, sodium content, and more.
Read also: The Truth About Izze Drinks: Are They Healthy?
What are Kuii coconut milk drinks made up of?
Kuii coconut milk drinks come in multiple flavors (more than 8).
Therefore, the exact ingredients can vary depending on the flavor.
In general, Kuii coconut milk drinks are made from water, coconut milk, and sugar as the first three ingredients. Some flavors also include coconut water, among these initial ingredients.
Other common ingredients that you would find across different flavors include:
- Nata de coco (a chewy, jelly-like food produced by the fermentation of coconut water)
- Sucrose ester of Fatty acid (E473) (a type of emulsifier)
- Sodium caseinate
- Sodium metabisulphite (E223) (used as a preservative)
- Artificial fruit flavor
- Artificial colors
The ingredients in Kuii coconut milk drinks are not easy to pronounce, and to know them, one will need to google.
What’s worse? Kuii is marketed as ” hydrate naturally,” but it contains lab-made ingredients such as emulsifier, artificial flavors, and colors.
Therefore, ingredients-wise, I won’t consider Kuii coconut milk drinks a healthy choice.
Let’s move on to the nutrition part.
Are Kuii coconut milk drinks high in sugar?
Kuii coconut milk drinks are high in sugar, containing anywhere from 16 to 25g per bottle. Most of the sugar is added sugar, about 15 to 20g.
To put into perspective, a single bottle of Kuii provides 41 to 55% of the daily added sugar limit for men and 60 to 80% for women.
The high added sugar in Kuii coconut milk drinks can put people off, especially those limiting added sugar (like me).
In this case, you can opt for the sugar-free original flavor. This flavor contains no sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavors or colors.
Instead of sugar, this flavor is sweetened with natural monk fruit flavor and steviol glycosides.
Here’s the table showing the sugar content of all flavors.
| Flavors | Added sugar(g) | Total sugar(g) |
|---|---|---|
| Original | 15 | 16 |
| Strawberry | 15 | 16 |
| Mango | 15 | 16 |
| Pineapple | 15 | 16 |
| Melon | 15 | 16 |
| Soursop | 17 | 19 |
| Banana | 15 | 16 |
| Coffee | 20 | 25 |
How much protein is in Kuii coconut milk drinks?
Kuii coconut milk drinks are low in protein, containing less than 1g per bottle.
Also, they lack fiber and only have 2% of the Daily Value of iron and 4% of potassium.
If you’re seeking a nutritional drink, Kuii won’t fulfill your needs.
How much sodium is in Kuii coconut milk drinks?
Kuii coconut milk drinks are low in sodium, containing 55 to 100mg per bottle.
That’s just 3 to 6% of the daily ideal sodium limit (1500mg) set by the American Heart Association.
Sodium is an essential part of the diet, but too much can result in heart-related issues.
Fortunately, with Kuii coconut milk drinks, you don’t have to worry about excess sodium intake (even if you are following a low-sodium diet).
Are Kuii coconut milk drinks high in saturated fat?
Kuii coconut milk drinks are high in saturated fat, containing 7 to 8g per bottle.
That’s about 53% of the daily saturated fat limit (13g) set by the American Heart Association.
Studies have long shown that saturated fats are bad for the heart, and yes, they are.
However, that’s not the case with saturated fat in Coconut milk.
If consumed in moderation, saturated fat in coconut milk can be helpful in many ways, such as providing energy, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, and even acting as an antibacterial in the body[1].
Do Kuii coconut milk drinks contain artificial colors?
On one side, Kuii coconut milk drinks are marketed as “Hydrate Naturally.”
But on the other side, they are packed with multiple artificial colors such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, or Blue 1.
While these colors make Kuii drinks vibrant and eye catchy, they are not good for health.
For example, colors like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are contaminated with carcinogens like benzidine and p-Cresidine.
While colors like Blue 1 have been found to cause hypersensitivity reactions(especially in children)[1].
Not only that, but these artificial colors have also been linked to allergic reactions such as hives, rashes, swelling, and skin reactions[2].
Furthermore, despite their fruity-sounding names, Kuii drinks do not contain real fruits.
Instead, they rely on artificial flavors to provide their fruit-like taste.
Note: only the original flavor of the Kuii coconut milk drinks is free from artificial flavors or colors.
Are Kuii coconut milk drinks good for weight loss?
Even though Kuii coconut milk drinks aren’t high in calories(80-160), they are not good for weight loss.
Reason?
They contain a significant amount of sugar that will not favor your waistline.
An occasional small glass (100ml) of Kuii might be fine, but drinking a whole bottle will likely slow down your weight loss progress.
Note that weight loss depends not only on one food but overall diet and lifestyle.
Are Kuii coconut milk drinks gluten-free?
Kuii coconut milk drinks are gluten-free as they don’t contain any gluten-based ingredients.
Are Kuii coconut milk drinks vegan?
Kuii coconut milk drinks are not vegan as they contain sodium caseinate derived from milk.
Final words
After looking at Kuii coconut milk drinks ingredients and nutrition, can these be called a healthy choice?
The answer is No.
Here’s why.
- They are high in added sugar.
- They are low in nutrients.
- They are packed with artificial flavors and colors.
For natural hydration, unsweetened coconut water or milk is a better bet nutrition-wise.
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