Water is crucial to life and to have the right amount of fluid in order to be healthy. The process of causing something to absorb water is called hydration. . However, several mixed messages are available about how much, what to drink and not to drink.
Why do you need water?
The normal body weight is 60% for men and 50 to 55% for women (due to the fact that women have a higher body fat percentage). Water makes up a significant portion of the body. Water has a wide variety of roles in the body, including temperature control, distribution of blood nutrients and chemicals, disposal and shock absorbents and waste materials in the urine. Water is lost in urine and sweat and is also lost during the day while you are sweating and when small amounts of water are evaporated in the skin. This fluid must be frequently supplemented with fluids from food and beverages in order to prevent dehydration. Fluid’ does not require either tap or bottle water
What happens when you get dehydrated?
If you don’t consume enough fluids, over time the body will become dehydrated. Studies have shown that at about 1% dehydration (equivalent of 1% of body weight water loss) there are negative effects on mental and physical function and these become more severe as dehydration gets worse. Symptoms of mild dehydration include a dry mouth, headaches and poor concentration. When the body detects that more water is needed the first thing that happens is that the kidneys reduce the amount of water lost in the urine. This means that the colour of the urine becomes darker and you can use the colour of your urine to tell if you are well hydrated – if you are drinking enough your urine should be a straw or pale yellow colour. If it’s darker then you probably need more fluid. Thirst kicks in when the body is already a little dehydrated, so it is important to drink when you are thirsty.
How much do you need?
The quantity of liquid you need depends on many things including the weather, how much physical activity you are doing and the age. You can have to drink more fluid if the weather is hot or you’re exercising. For all drinks, other than stronger alcoholic beverages such as wine and Spirits, are provided by water.
Can you drink too much?
While extremely uncommon, it is possible to drink as much water as possible for the body to lose the waste easily and the amount of sodium in the blood is relatively low. It may have significant medical implications and is rare in normal circumstances, but occurred during a very severe detox program in individuals.
Do you need sports drinks when exercising?
Physical activity also increases the amount of fluid you need to consume in order to replace the water you lose as sweat and the amount lost depends on how long you are active, how intense the activity is and whether it’s hot and humid . It’s a good idea to start any physical activity well hydrated and to drink at intervals during activity. Water is fine for dehydrating after the kind of moderate exercise that most active people choose, and the majority of active people do not need special sports drinks to stay hydrated. However, for high intensity exercise that lasts more than 1 hour or so, drinks that contain some sugars and sodium (salt), such as sports drinks or homemade versions, may be better at replacing the extra fluid lost as sweat.
Does it matter which drinks you choose?
Each non-alcoholic drink can contribute to hydrate and some contain essential vitamins and minerals as well. However, many beverages, including drinks and fruit juices, contain energy (calories), and are also high in sugars. Such calories add to your daily diet, in line with the foods you consume and increased consumption of sucrose was related to type 2 diabetes risk and weight gain in children.
Affects on teeth
It is also important to look after your teeth, and consuming sugar-containing drinks too often can potentially harm your teeth, especially if you don’t brush teeth regularly with fluoride toothpaste. It is also important to be aware that some drinks are acidic (e.g. fruit juice and carbonated drinks) and that this may cause dental erosion (damage to tooth enamel) if they are consumed frequently.
Sources of hydration
Tea or coffee can also count towards your fluid intake Although the caffeine found in tea and coffee can make you produce more urine, consuming moderate amounts does not appear to affect hydration Pregnant women are advised to consume no more than 200mg or caffeine a day. This is equivalent to about two mugs of instant coffee or about two and a half mugs of tea. Other hot drinks such as herbal teas, hot chocolates and malted drinks can provide water butiIf these drinks are sweetened with sugar it increases their calorie content. Sugar in hot drinks also increases their potential to damage teeth if good dental hygiene is not practiced.
Milk contains lots of essential nutrients such as protein, some B vitamins, iodine and calcium, as well as being a source of water. However, it can also contain saturated fat and so it’s a good idea for adults and older children to choose semi-skimmed (less than 2% fat), 1% or skimmed milks. For children between the ages of one and two years, the recommended milk is whole milk. From two years onwards semi-skimmed milk can be introduced gradually. Skimmed and 1% milks are not suitable for children until they are at least five years old because they have less vitamin A and are lower in calories.
Fruit juices and smoothies give you water plus some vitamins and minerals…. But fruit juices and smoothies contain sugar (and therefore calories) and can be acidic, so they can potentially harm teeth. Fruit juices and smoothies should be kept to a combined total of 150ml per day – this can count as a maximum of one portion of your 5 A DAY but not more than this. This is because they don’t contain the fibre that is found in whole fruits and vegetables.
Sugary drinks, such as fizzy drinks, squashes, juice drinks and flavoured waters can contain a lot of sugar and generally provide few nutrients – this adds to your calorie intake and the sugar can potentially damage teeth if the drinks are consumed frequently. It’s a good idea to limit or avoid consumption of sugary drinks and swap them for diet, sugar free or no added sugar versions.
Sports drinks typically contain some carbohydrate and electrolytes (generally sodium but sometimes others). Adding these elements can help the fluid from the drink be absorbed into the body more quickly, replace some of the sodium that may be lost when sweating and will also provide some energy (calories). However, these are only really necessary when you are training at a high level, e.g. in endurance sports where sweat losses are higher and you may need some extra energy. If training at a lower level then water is likely to be sufficient to replace fluid losses and any sodium lost in sweat will be replaced when foods are eaten. The carbohydrate in the drink will add calories, which may not be needed and will be counterproductive if part of the reason for being active is for weight control. The sugars in sports drinks can also increase the risk of tooth decay.
Energy drinks can be high in sugars and also contain caffeine and other stimulants. They can contain high levels of caffeine and so are not suitable for children.
Alcoholic drinks have a diuretic effect, that is, the cause you to lose more water in urine, so drinking alcohol may lead to dehydration. . It is important to keep alcohol consumption within the recommended limits (no more than 14 units per week for both men and women). Alcoholic drinks contain calories so it’s important to be aware that these will contribute to your calorie intake, for example, a standard (175ml) glass of 12% wine contains about 126kcal and a pint of 5% lager contains about 215kcal.
Food – it may be a surprise to learn that we get on average 20% of our total water intake from food! Some foods have a high water content, especially fruits and vegetables, which are usually more than 80% water. Foods like soups and stews, which have lots of water added during preparation, also are a source of water. So food can provide extra water, on top of the 6-8 glasses of fluid you should drink a day.
