Why we're all shelling out £100m a year on coconuts: Celebrity diets and beauty regimes help sales of products soar by 64% in a year

They have become a staple part of celebrity diets and beauty regimes, given their apparent power to combat lank hair, upset stomachs and hangovers.

And coconuts have now proved such a hit with the general public that we now part with more than £100million a year on products ranging from coconut water to oil to desiccated coconut.

They have been hailed by stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Sienna Miller and Rihanna, who are often seen clutching their cartons of coconut water after a visit to the gym.

And the surge in demand from the public has driven UK sales up by 64 per cent from 2015, to £60million this year.

Whilst the use of coconut water to help an upset stomach is an established part of Jamaican culture, the drink, which is full of electrolytes, is also used for dehydration, to replenish the body after exercise and cure hangovers.

With celebrity investors including Madonna, Matthew McConaughey and Demi Moore, Vita Coco is one of the key players in the market, with an annual turnover of £324million.

But in response to growing demand from aspirational women and hungover students alike, Innocent, Rubicon and Naked have all followed suit and launched their own ranges of coconut drinks.

Coconut oil is another popular derivative of the nut, with supposed health benefits including improving ‘good’ cholesterol levels, boosting weight loss and reducing osteoporosis.

Yet it is now as common a sight in the beauty aisles as it is the food aisles, with many celebrities extol-ling its virtues for hair and skin.

Angelina Jolie-Pitt is thought to enjoy a spoonful of it with her breakfast, while Miranda Kerr uses it to make her hair shiny and supermodel Gisele Bundchen applies it to her body after sunbathing.

And figures show that the British public now spends £14million every year on coconut oil.

Market-research firm IRI said: ‘Not only are shoppers influenced by the popularity of Thai food, but by celebrities praising coconut oil for everything from weight loss and hair conditioning to better brain function.’

Food bloggers have also endorsed the health benefits of the oil, with Lean In 15 guru Joe Wicks pro-moting it in his recipes and Deliciously Ella referring to it as an ‘all-round wonder product’.

Sales of coconut milk, which is used in many Asian recipes, jumped 67 per cent to £16.4million this year.

Coconuts also play a part in our love of baking, with sales for desiccated coconut on the rise as Brits turn their hand to making macaroons.

And more unusual coconut-related products are starting to hit the shelves, with Smirnoff launching a coconut-flavoured vodka and coconut jams and mustards also being sold.

However, experts have previously said that claims over the health benefits of coconut water are ‘non-sense’.

Mike Lean, professor of nutrition at Glasgow University, said such claims are ‘all nonsense and should be challenged legally’. Elaine Allerton, of the British Dietetic Association, said there was no evidence the drinks can ‘detoxify’ the body.

British Heart Foundation dietitian Victoria Taylor said: ‘Coconut oil is about 86 per cent saturated fat, about one-third more saturated fat than butter (at 52 per cent). We know that diets high in saturated fat are associated with increased bad (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, and high cholesterol is a risk factor forcoronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.

‘There has been speculation that some of the saturated fat present in coconut oil may be better for us than other saturated fats, but so far there is not enough good-quality research to provide us with a definitive answer.’