If a can of coconut water and a banana smoothie had a baby, it might be banana water. The latest plant-based hydration drink on the market is being billed as “the good-for-skin drink” that offers “loads of nutrients.” And it gets attention on social media.
“Boyfriend says it contains slightly overripe banana flavors,” Reddit user leemoongrass commented, adding, “Honestly, it’s not that bad.”
“It smells like baby food,” lsp2c said on Instagram.
Not to be confused with banana water for plants, a DIY fertilizer made by soaking banana peels in water to extract nutrients, like potassium and vitamin C, for your flora. Or homemade banana drinks, like hot water infused with banana peels and strained or blended banana smoothies.
The new drink, sold in supermarkets, is marketed as an alternative to sports drinks, a sort of coconut water 2.0.
But some took to social media with questions: “How do you think you squeeze a banana?!” » asked tybottofficial on TikTok, while unwrapping a can of organic Woodstock banana water. “I wonder if they’re just in a factory, like, you know, really milking these bananas, I guess?” (He gave the drink a 7.5 out of 10.)
Woodstock and Banagua, leading banana water manufacturers, make their Thai banana water from organic “golden Thai” and “Thai-grown” bananas, which are shorter and stockier than the standard yellow bananas sold in most U.S. supermarkets and have a slight pinkish tint. The fruit becomes pinker during processing and the drink has a pinkish tint.
If you’re a label watcher, the ingredient list will put you at ease. Banana water contains only one ingredient: bananas. There is no significant water added. A banana is 80% water, says Rob Smithson, co-founder of Banagua, and processing the drink (an “enzymatic process”) separates the water from the pulp: the drink is slightly viscous but not pulpy.
Woodstock bananas are steamed and mashed with “proprietary enzymes” to release nutrients. “Think of it as liquefied bananas,” says Bruce Bruemmer, vice president of brand management at UNFI Brands+, Woodstock’s parent company.
The result? Both companies say their banana water is particularly healthy, packed with electrolytes like potassium, B6 and magnesium, as well as minerals and antioxidants such as vitamins A and C. The drink has no added sugar and is free of fat, sodium and cholesterol, although a 330 ml can contains about 13 grams of carbohydrates, a little less than the 14 grams of bare coconut water in a container of the same size.
So how healthy is that? East banana water, what does it taste like and is it worth it? Here’s the deal.
Manufacturer Claims: “Our Banana Water has 205 mg of magnesium, which is 50% of the daily value,” Smithson says of Banagua’s Original Banana, released in July 2025. “And it’s particularly hydrating – probably 2 to 3 bananas per can, which you can take anywhere and you don’t have to worry about moldy bananas. And only 50 calories – Naked’s coconut water has 60.”
The 500 ml can of Woodstock banana water, released on the market in March 2024, contains only 80 calories. “Our Woodstock Organic Banana Water stands out for its great taste and natural hydration,” says Bruemmer, “delivering 765 mg of electrolytes – similar to many sports drinks – without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.”
The nutritionists’ point of view: “It’s probably an aftereffect of coconut water,” says Dr. Thomas Sherman, professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. “It would appeal to people who are concerned about animal welfare and saturated fat in their milk drinks or worried about too much sugar content – so it fits the bill. But I question its effectiveness – these types of drinks offer such insignificant amounts of electrolytes compared to what’s already in our food. And it’s expensive.”
Sherman says that ultimately it all depends on the consumer’s intentions when choosing banana water.
“If you buy it because of its taste and want to support a plant-based drink, and [because] it’s pretty low in sugar, so great,” he says. “But if you’re buying it because you want to get more potassium, magnesium and calcium with low sodium, then that’s silly because just eat plants, eat foodthis will provide hundreds of times more potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Classifying banana water as a sports drink is problematic, adds Vanessa King, a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in supplements.
“Sports drinks replace electrolytes,” says King. “The problem with banana water is that although bananas are very high in potassium, the main electrolyte you lose when you exercise is sodium – and it doesn’t provide sodium. I wouldn’t choose it over a sports drink.”
King points out that “banana juice,” as she calls it, suffers from the same problems as other juices: “It’s a more concentrated sugar, without the fiber you’d get from the fruit version.” »
But any amount of potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C — all key nutrients found in banana water — is helpful, King says. “These are all nutrients that are generally under-consumed by Americans. But bananas also contain these nutrients!”
The taste: We found it sweet and tropical tasting, slightly viscous but surprisingly refreshing. However, we didn’t go bananas.
Cost: Banagua Original Banana (330 ml): $3.49; Woodstock Organic Banana Water (500 ml): $2.99.
