A new study had found that some fruit and vegetables may hydrate the body twice as effectively as a glass of water – making them a refreshing snack option during the hot summer months.
Containing hydrating salts, minerals and sugars, they work in a similar way to the isotonic drinks favoured by athletes.
Water-rich fruit and vegetables act like a two-in-one meal and drink, providing the mineral salts, natural sugars, amino acids and vitamins that are lost in exercise. The research, carried out at the University of Aberdeen Medical School, found this combination helped hydrate people more effectively than water or even sports drinks.
And a University of Naples study found that plant chemicals lutein and zeaxanthin – found in fruit such as watermelon and papaya – help boost hydration even further.
Top of the list are watermelons, which are 92 per cent water, eight per cent sugar and contain essential rehydration salts calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
Watermelon is also rich in Vitamin C , as well as beta carotene and lycopene which will give the body protection from UV light.
Due to its 96 per cent water content and mineral balance, a cucumber can produce similar hydration levels to twice the volume of water. It also contains almost ideal levels of calcium and magnesium, along with potassium, sodium and other minerals.
Two or three mineral-rich celery sticks replenish levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. These salts help carry the 96 per cent water in which they are dissolved around the body.
‘To be properly hydrated, you need to replace fluid lost from the body with one that’s similar to the body’s natural composition,’ says Dr Susan Shirreffs, exercise physiologist and hydration expert at Loughborough University.
‘Watery fruit and vegetables often contain levels of minerals and sugar that mirror this, so they can hydrate you more effectively than water alone.’
