Drinking mineral or spring water is an important part of a healthy diet. Meanwhile, the average Pole drinks less than a glass of such water a day. Fruits and vegetables are still an underestimated source of fluids – experts said on Tuesday at a conference in Warsaw.
According to Dr. Agnieszka Jarosz from the Institute of Food and Nutrition, the importance of water in healthy eating can be demonstrated by the fact that the institute placed it in a special position in the new, modified in 2009, version of the healthy eating pyramid.
Nobody doubts that we need water for life. As a component of tissues and body fluids, it accounts for 50-80 percent. our body weight. It is necessary for the course of chemical processes, transport of molecules, regulates body temperature, processes of cleansing the body of metabolic products, toxins, it is a protective environment for the brain and spinal cord, eyeball and fetus – mentioned Dr. Jarosz.
Our body constantly loses water – mostly through urine, but also through the digestive tract, through the skin and lungs. Therefore, it is necessary to fill these cavities on a regular basis. Dr. Jarosz reminded that a healthy adult needs 2-2,5 liters a day to function properly, but the need for water varies depending on age, sex, physical activity, environmental temperature, and physiological state – for example, it is much higher in pregnancy and during breastfeeding and in some diseases, such as kidney stones, colds or diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration and death, especially for the elderly and children.
Systemic water loss in the amount of approx. 20%. leads to death – emphasized the specialist. As she added, when we start to feel thirsty, it is a sign that the body is already dehydrated. It is best to replenish the body’s water systematically throughout the day.
Of course, while drinks are the main source of water in our diet, they are not the only ones. Water is also present in fresh fruit and vegetables, although meat is still a more important source for Poles, said Dr. Jarosz.
According to the specialist, water is a very important element of the diet, among others because it is calorie-free and provides us with valuable mineral elements in an easily digestible form. Therefore – as part of shaping healthy eating habits – water should be introduced into the diet of children from an early age, replacing juices and sweetened teas with it – said Dr. Jarosz. It is very important in the era of the epidemic of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents.
According to Dr. Teresa Latour from the National Institute of Health, the healthiest waters are those that we draw from underground resources – preferably from deep aquifers. Contrary to the water supplied to us by waterworks, which comes mostly from inland waters (i.e. rivers and lakes), they do not require treatment – chlorination, ozonation, filtration and ion exchange.
The deep waters are primarily clean – because they have no contact with external pollutants, they have a stable mineral composition that meets the most important needs of the human body for elements and chemical compounds necessary for life. They are mainly sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron compounds in the form of chlorides, sulfates, bicarbonates, fluorides and iodides. As a result, they are easily absorbed by the body, explained Dr. Latour.
As the specialist emphasized, in the process of water intake it is necessary to strictly adhere to sanitary rigors. Not only water intakes, but also protection zones around it and water quality are under constant control of sanitary stations. Particular attention is paid to the content of radioactive elements, such as: barium, arsenic or radium. The type classification of waters in Poland is carried out in accordance with the regulations of the European Union, therefore the waters admitted for consumption in Poland may be sold throughout the EU.
In Poland, natural mineral waters and spring waters are for sale. The former usually come from deeper aquifers and have a very diversified mineral composition and a stable chemical composition. There are low-mineralized waters (the content of minerals below 500 mg / l), medium-mineralized waters (500-1500 mg / l) and highly-mineralized waters (1500-3000 mg / l), recommended for special use or very highly mineralized (over 4500 mg / l), which are used for medicinal purposes.
Spring waters, on the other hand, are those with a very balanced mineral composition, and they do not stand out in terms of the composition of any element. They contain up to 500 mg of ingredients and do not require any treatment.
According to Dr. Jarosz, spring or low-mineralized waters are good for everyone, including children and pregnant women. However, people suffering from various diseases should choose mineral waters due to their special composition – for example, patients with osteoporosis should choose water with a high content of calcium, and patients with kidney stones should avoid such waters, in the case of neuroses it is worth using water with a high content magnesium, and in high blood pressure avoid waters with a high content of sodium, while patients with esophageal reflex should choose waters rich in bicarbonate, because they neutralize the food content.
As Dr. Latour emphasized, it is best to drink bottled water, especially the one in plastic packaging, within a day (at most two) after opening, and avoid keeping it in the sun, because under the influence of temperature, compounds present in plastic can easily get into the water.
The Tuesday conference was organized by the Polish Chamber of Commerce, Bottling Industry as part of the socio-educational campaign Water – Naturally From a Source (PAP)