As well as getting a fantastic amount of nutrition from most fruits, it’s easy to forget that you are also taking in a good quantity of the most basic substance our bodies need: water. In fact, most fruits contain over 75 percent water. Take a look at the following examples (approximate percentages):
> 95% water: cucumbers, iceberg lettuce
90-95%: tomatoes, watermelons, strawberries, zucchini, melons, carrots, eggplant
85-90%: apples, oranges, blackberries, pears, pineapples
80-85%: grapes, mangos, blueberries, kiwi
75-80%: pomegranates, figs
70-75%: bananas
Surprised with some of these? The next time you eat a good portion of cucumber or lettuce, you are basically sipping water too! But also remember that the human body is up to 70 percent water anyway, so the same goes for plants too–it’s just the amount in certain fruits that is exceedingly high.
This has led a few health organizations to propose that fruits such as watermelons could even be a weapon against thirst in drought-stricken, underdeveloped parts of the world. And even in America, many health authorities believe that mild dehydration is a common problem among the general population.
It’s yet another great reason to eat more fruits.