Water and Hydration

Water Content of Fruits and Vegetables

Water makes up about 60% of the body’s weight. For the body to function properly, we need to consume about two quarts of water (or liquid) per day. Water needs vary but depend on the food a person eats, environmental temperature and humidity, a person’s activity level and other factors. Fruits and vegetables contain large quantities of water in proportion to their weight. When these foods are eaten, the water can be absorbed by the body. The following table provides the water content of several popular raw fruits and vegetables.*

Per the above chart...**

Fruit/veggieWater Content

Cucumber96%

Watermelon96%

Pineapple95%

Romaine Lettuce95%

Blueberries95%

Broccoli95%

Tomato94%

Cantaloupe92%

Grapefruit90%

Pear89%

Water from fruits and vegetables:

  • Filtered by the earth
  • Filtered by the plant's root system
  • Contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber and anti-oxidants

Water from other common sources:

  • Most tap water even if filtered still has chlorine and fluoride and other toxins.
  • Most bottled water isn't all that much better, especially if it has been stored in plastic.
  • Liquids from soft drinks and other pasteurized drinks are without enzymes and typically with destructive sugar, chemicals and sometimes with toxic sweeteners.

Increased Demand for Water due to Cooking and Dehydrating Food

In addition to wasting energy, cooking food robs food of enzymes and some of the water content and nutrients. John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, claims a third of the energy involved in food production happens at the final stage of cooking. Another drain on the water content is dehydrating food, which many raw foodists practice. While properly dehydrated food does not rob the food of the enzymes, it does waste a lot of energy and it depletes the food of valuable water content.

Fruits*
Item / Food Weight (g) / Water Weight / Percent Water
Apple / 138 / 116 / 84
Apricot / 106 / 92 / 86
Banana / 114 / 85 / 74
Blueberries / 145 / 123 / 85
Cantaloupe / 160 / 144 / 90
Cherries / 68 / 55 / 81
Cranberries / 95 / 82 / 87
Grapes / 92 / 75 / 81
Grapefruit / 123 / 112 / 91
Orange / 140 / 122 / 87
Peach / 87 / 76 / 88
Pear / 166 / 139 / 84
Pineapple / 155 / 135 / 87
Plum / 66 / 56 / 85
Raspberries / 123 / 106 / 87
Strawberries / 149 / 136 / 92
Vegetables*
Item / Food Weight (g) / Water Weight / Percent Water
Broccoli / 44 / 40 / 91
Cabbage (green) / 35 / 32 / 93
Cabbage (red) / 35 / 32 / 92
Carrots / 72 / 63 / 87
Cauliflower / 50 / 46 / 92
Celery / 40 / 38 / 95
Cucumber / 52 / 50 / 96
Eggplant / 41 / 38 / 92
Lettuce (iceberg) / 20 / 19 / 96
Peas (green) / 72 / 57 / 79
Peppers (sweet) / 50 / 46 / 92
Potato (white) / 112 / 88 / 79
Radish / 45 / 43 / 95
Spinach / 28 / 26 / 92
Zucchini / 65 / 62 / 95
Tomato (red) / 123 / 115 / 94

Conclusions:

  • Water from fruit and veggies is more pure than most sources of water available to us
  • Eating raw fruits and veggies without cooking or dehydrating saves energy, preserves vital nutrients and provides us with more water
  • The next time you consider buying water in a plastic bottle, perhaps you could instead get some organic fruit.

Sources:

**HealingPowerHour.com

*University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service

Document compiled by Daryl Elliott

Sections without asterisks are original