Not only by drinking water, the body's fluid intake can also be fulfilled by eating food to overcome dehydration. Various types of food, ranging from watermelon, melon, to cucumber, can be consumed to restore body fluids lost when dehydrated.
Some people may still think of dehydration as feeling thirsty or just plain tired. In fact, dehydration is a condition when the body loses or lacks fluids, so it cannot function normally.
If left unchecked, dehydration is at risk of causing severe symptoms, such as increased heart rate, fever, and decreased consciousness.
To prevent and treat dehydration, you need to replace lost body fluids by drinking lots of water or doing water therapy and eating foods with high water content, such as fruits and vegetables.
Several Food Options to Treat Dehydration
Apart from having a high water content, fruits and vegetables are also rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates, amino acids, and vitamins and minerals. Not only can prevent and overcome dehydration, fruit and vegetables can also complement the body's nutritional intake.
The following are some types of fruits and vegetables that are good for consumption as food to treat dehydration:
1. Watermelon
Besides having a sweet and refreshing taste, watermelon is known as a low-calorie fruit that contains about 92% water. Not only that, watermelon also has a variety of nutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidants, which are good for the body.
Besides being good for consumption to overcome dehydration, the antioxidant content of lycopene in watermelon is also useful for counteracting the effects of free radicals, improving heart health, and preventing cancer.
2. Starfruit
Starfruit contains about 91% water, vitamin C, and various antioxidants that are beneficial for the health of the body. Eating this fruit can not only overcome dehydration, but also maintain heart health.
However, star fruit should not be consumed by people who suffer from kidney disease, because this fruit has a fairly high content of oxalic acid.
In people with kidney disease, the buildup of oxalic acid in the body can worsen kidney damage, putting it at risk for kidney failure.
3. Grapefruit
grapefruit or red grapefruit is a type of citrus fruit that is rich in water, fiber, folate, vitamin C, antioxidants, and potassium. This fruit is similar to grapefruit which is commonly found in Indonesia.
This variety of nutrients makes grapefruit Not only can it be consumed to treat dehydration, but it is also good for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, maintaining heart health, and preventing cancer.
4. Strawberries
Basically, all fruits in the berry group, such as strawberries and blueberries, have a high water content. However, strawberries are the type of berry that contains the most water. Therefore, this fruit is good for consumption to meet the body's fluid needs and prevent dehydration.
5. Melon
Melon contains a lot of water, fiber, and various nutrients such as vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and protein. This fruit also contains a lot of antioxidants.
Thanks to these abundant nutrients, melon is useful for meeting the body's fluid needs, improving vision, and maintaining healthy bones and skin.
6. Cucumber
Cucumber, which is often consumed as fresh vegetables, rujak, or salad, is one of the foods with the highest water content, which is 97%. This high water content can help you replace the body fluids you lose when you are dehydrated.
7. Lettuce
Lettuce is also a type of vegetable with a very high water content. The water content in lettuce even reaches 96%, so it is good for consumption to overcome dehydration.
8. Tomato
Tomatoes have abundant water content and are very delicious when used as tomato juice to ward off thirst during hot weather. Not only that, this fruit is also rich in antioxidants, such as lycopene, flavonoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are good for keeping the body healthy.
Not only the fruits and vegetables above, several other types of food, such as porridge, soup, and yogurt, are also good for consumption as food to treat dehydration.
Although the intake of body fluids can be obtained by eating foods that have a high water content, you still need to drink enough water to meet the body's fluid needs and prevent dehydration.
If you experience symptoms of dry lips, weakness, dizziness, dark or dark yellow urine, and infrequent urination, especially if these symptoms do not improve despite drinking enough water and eating food to treat dehydration, immediately consult a doctor for get treatment.