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The best hydrating foods are primarily raw fruits and vegetables. Most produce naturally contains high levels of water, as well as enzymes, essential vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
The general rule of thumb is that we can get about 20% of our daily intake of fluids from food. However, this is only true if we are consuming several servings of raw fruits and vegetables daily.
If our diet consists primarily of high protein, high fiber, processed foods, we will be getting little hydration from our food.
No matter how you eat, it is still important to be drinking enough water on a daily to stay hydrated.
The foods that have the highest water content are naturally going to be more hydrating. However, the mineral content of the food is also a key factor in how hydrating the food will be.
The most essential minerals for hydration are sodium and potassium. Thus, the foods with the highest water content which also have a fair amount of these minerals will usually be the most hydrating.
Why is this? Even though water itself regulates the water content inside our cells, once the water gets into the cells, what holds it there is potassium.
Sodium’s role, then, is to keep some water outside the cells. According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, this happens because of salt’s natural osmotic retention of water.
We have chosen the following 10 as the best hydrating foods, not only for their water content but also the their content of hydrating minerals and other nutrients.
For example, even though iceberg lettuce has 96% water content, it has low nutrient value and thus it did not make it on our list.
Unfortunately, half of the most hydrating foods listed above are also part of the Environmental Group’s 2017 list of the “Dirty Dozen.” These are the most pesticide-laden produce.
The 2017 Dirty Dozen includes:
Thus, we highly recommend choosing organic (if possible) when buying these super hydrating fruits and vegetables.
In most cases, even a produce wash will not remove the pesticides because they are oil-based. The produce wash would have to contain an emulsifier to remove the oil-based chemicals—and I have yet to find one.
References
Saga.co.uk: 10 of the Most Hydrating Foods; 2016.
Health.com: 15 Foods that Help You Stay Hydrated; 2017.
Further reading . . .
Water and Salt – Balanced Intake Is Essential for Health and Hydration
Return from Best Hydrating Foods to Water Nutrition – The Foundation of Good Health
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