Eliza Savage - registered dietician, author of Healing Through Nutrition.But the claim that fruits contain more water than a glass of water, and that it stays in the body longer than normal drinking water, is FALSE. “I think that some writers stretch the truth or misinterpret studies to create catchy headlines.” Our ruling: Falseįruits and vegetables definitely help hydrate the body, and with its electrolytes can hydrate the body more quickly, which can help athletes or those working in the sun.
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“Studies with specific keywords will usually show up easily on PubMed, and I couldn’t find anything, unfortunately,” Savage said in an email. USA TODAY could not find the original study nor any other news outlet that reported that study. So this is definitely a big myth,” he said. So the answer is no, it is practically impossible to stay hydrated if you just wait to get your water from solid foods. “Even if your diet is extremely high in fruits and vegetables and soups, you will rarely exceed probably 30% to 40% of your total water intake. Stravos Kavouras, a hydration expert at Arizona State University, said in a video from Hydration for Health that the water people get from food rarely exceeds 20% of people’s total water intake. “When in doubt, drink water, and aim for two to three servings of fruit per day." “Fruit is an incredibly healthy food, but as with any food, be mindful of portion sizes due to sugar content,” Savage said.
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But for the average person, it is not a huge necessity, she said. More: Fact check: A mix of honey and cinnamon may have some health benefits, more studies neededĪn athlete or someone working outside might need to absorb water through his or her system very quickly to avoid dehydrating, Reinagel said, so getting water with electrolytes can help the water absorb more quickly. Especially for athletes, fruit can help to rehydrate and replete electrolytes.” “That said, fruit can contribute to overall body hydration, and is a sweet, nutritious way to increase overall water intake. “If we dive deeper, there are many different types of fruit with different water contents, and a ‘glass’ can be many different sizes,” Savage said. That is a good way to hydrate your body, but it is not twice as much water as an 8 ounce glass of water as the post claimed. If one were to eat a medium-sized wedge or slice of watermelon - a fruit with a high water content - let’s say about 286 grams, the person would consume 262 grams of water. To do some quick math, one fluid ounce of water has 29.57 grams of water, so an 8 ounce glass of water has about 236.56 grams of water. However, someone would have to eat a pound of fruit to get as much water as one would get from a 16 ounce bottle of water, she said. She pointed out that the water in a piece of fruit might be absorbed into the body more quickly because of the electrolytes, which are minerals that help regulate the balance of fluids in the body. Water that one drinks from a glass versus water that one gets from fruits and vegetables go through the same process, licensed nutritionist and author Monica Reinagel said. The idea that eating fruit hydrates your body more because it stays in your system longer, as opposed to drinking a glass of water that “passes through” is incorrect, Savage added.
![foods that absorb water foods that absorb water](https://www.cowbridgefoodcollective.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/25-Absorb-Health-IG.jpg)
More: Fact check: Limes spiked with cloves are not effective in repelling mosquitoes “However, some fruits contain electrolytes like potassium and nutrients like natural sugars that may attract water and nutrients into cells.”
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“Water that you drink is just as good at hydrating as water in food,” wrote Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN and author of “Healing through Nutrition,” in an email.