IngredientWatch: Coconuts

If you're looking for the next trendy beverage ingredient, gaze up a coconut tree. These fruits are full of vitamins and minerals and are lauded for their antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

One drink to try is Coconut Milk by Turtle Mountain, a Eugene, Ore.-based maker of dairy-free ice creams. A good alternative to dairy and soy milk, Coconut Milk is expected on store shelves this summer. It is made with imported organic coconut milk and fortified with calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, D, and B12 and offered in plain, vanilla and unsweetened flavors. Turtle Mountain also makes coconut milk ice cream and yogurt.

Not to be mistaken with coconut milk, coconut water is the liquid inside the coconut shell not what's squeezed from the fruit's "meat". Coconut Water from O.N.E. is getting rave reviews for its healthful qualities. More like a juice than water, coconut water can improve blood circulation, lower elevated blood pressure, and may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Not only is it refreshing, it's been used by doctors as an intravenous fluid for rehydration, making it ideal for athletes.