Typing the query ‘which fruit contains the most water’ into the omnipresent Googlio, and BAM! this is what came up:
‘Grapefruit.’
Then more about watermelon and strawberries – thing is, watermelon and strawberries seem to contain more water than grapefruit – ninety two percent as opposed to the ninety one percent of water in grapefruit. This leads me to believe that there’s some secret grapefruit marketing organisation that’s fruit bombing Googlio to ensure that the lesser watered grapefruit receives pole position.
Anyhow, I’m all okay with it – I really enjoy grapefruit, not so much watermelon. It may stem from my clever mother who used to prepare our half a grapefruit with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a Maraschino cherry on top every single morning, rain or shine; or because I’ve just always enjoyed the more citrus of fruits.
Grapefruit also contain powerful anti-oxidants. What are anti-oxidants? Well, simply put, they are one of the first lines of defence that the body employs to keep free radicals in check and prevent them from causing a domino effect of damage on other cells. Antioxidant compounds can ‘donate’ electrons to unstable free radicals so they don’t have to snatch electrons from unsuspecting nearby cells.
The rich pink and red colours of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient. A carotenoid gives fruit their red, orange and yellow colour. These compounds are believed to protect against certain cancers, heart disease and even vision loss due to macular degeneration. You won’t find lycopene in white grapefruit. White grapefruit? Didn’t know there was white grapefruit! Continuing, lycopene appears to have anti-tumour activity. Among the common dietary carotenoids, lycopene has the highest capacity to help fight oxygen free radicals, which are compounds that can damage cells.
So, aside from its top ranking despite it having the second highest water content, it would seem that grapefruit is all that.
Something to keep in mind as we head into the colder months and you’re probably more inclined towards comfort food and drinking less water, is to look to the grapefruit with its high water content and it being packed full of all that is good for you.
