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 touted as “the good peel drink” that offers “lots of nutrients.” And it's attracting attention on social media.
“Boyfriend says it has slightly overripe banana aromas,” commented Reddit user leemoongrass, adding, “Honestly, it's not that bad.”
“Smells like baby food,” lsp2c said on Instagram.
Not to be confused with banana water for plants, a homemade fertilizer made by soaking banana peels in water to extract nutrients, such as potassium and vitamin C, for flora. Or homemade banana drinks, such as hot water soaked with banana peels and strained or blended banana smoothies.
The new drink, sold in supermarkets, is marketed as an alternative to sports drinks, a kind of coconut water 2.0.
But some have taken to social media with questions: “How do you think banana juice is made?!” asked tybottofficial on TikTok, while unpacking a case of Woodstock Organic Banana Water. “I wonder if they're just in a factory, you know, really milking these bananas, I guess.” (He gave the drink a 7.5 out of 10).
Both Woodstock and Banagua, leading banana water manufacturers, make their banana water in Thailand from organic “Thai golden” and “Thai-grown” bananas, which are shorter and plumper-looking than the standard yellow bananas sold in most American supermarkets and have a slight pink tinge. The fruit becomes pinker during processing and the drink has a pink hue.
If you're a label watcher, the ingredients list will put your mind at ease. Banana water contains only one ingredient: bananas. No significant amount of water has been added. A banana is made up of 80% water, says Banagua co-founder Rob Smithson, and the processing of 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 like blended 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 especially healthy, packed with electrolytes like potassium, B6 and magnesium, as well as minerals and antioxidants like vitamin A and C. The drink has no added sugar and zero fat, sodium and cholesterol, although a 330ml can has about 13 grams of carbohydrates, slightly less than the 14 grams of naked coconut water in a container of the same size.
So how healthy is Banana water, what does it taste like? Is it worth all the publicity? Here's the deal.
Manufacturer's claims: “Our banana water has 205 mg of magnesium, 50% of the daily value,” Smithson says of Banagua's Original Banana, which came out in July 2025. “And it's especially hydrating: probably 2 or 3 bananas per can, which you can take anywhere and 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, which went on the market in March 2024, has only 80 calories. “Our Woodstock Organic Banana Water stands out for its great taste and natural hydration,” says Bruemmer, “providing 765 mg of electrolytes, similar to many sports drinks, without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.”
Opinion of nutritionists: “It's probably a sequelae 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 dairy drinks or who are concerned about too much sugar, so it fits the bill. But I doubt its effectiveness: these types of drinks offer such trivial amounts of electrolytes compared to those already found in our foods. And it's expensive.
Sherman says that in the end, it all comes down to the consumer's intentions when choosing banana water.
“If you buy it for its flavor and want to support a plant-based drink, and [because] It's pretty low in sugar, so it's fine,” he says. “But if you buy it because you're interested in getting more potassium, magnesium and calcium with low sodium, then it's silly because it's just eat plants, eat foodthat will provide hundreds of times more potassium, calcium and magnesium.”
Categorizing 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 while bananas are high in potassium, the electrolyte predominantly lost when you exercise is sodium, and it doesn't provide sodium. I wouldn't choose it over a sports drink.”
King notes that “banana juice,” as she calls it, suffers from the same problems as other juices: “It's more concentrated sugar without the fiber you get from the fruit version.”
But any amount of potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and C (all key nutrients in banana water) is helpful, says King. “These are all nutrients that Americans generally don't get enough of. But bananas have those nutrients too!”
The taste: We found it sweet and tropical in flavor, slightly viscous but surprisingly refreshing. We didn't go crazy about it, though.
Cost: Banagua Original Banana (330ml): $3.49; Woodstock Organic Banana Water (500ml): $2.99.
