Mrs. Lidia, water plays a huge role in the body, in fact, every process taking place in it requires its presence. You may be tempted to say that it is the most important component of our diet. It is necessary to maintain a constant body temperature and the proper course of digestive processes. It accounts for about 60% of body weight, and its content should be kept constant. Every day we lose about 2300 milliliters of water, mainly due to excretion by the kidneys, but also by the lungs and skin. Therefore, these losses should be replenished on a regular basis. They are partially compensated by metabolic changes and water contained in solid food (mainly fruits and vegetables) is used. However, the most important source for the body are fluids, they cover more than half of the daily requirement. The sum of consumed fluids includes mainly water, but also other drinks, e.g. coffee, tea, vegetable and fruit juices, milk drinks.
The effects of water shortage and excess
The demand for water depends on many factors, including age, disease, physical activity and climatic conditions. With intense effort and high temperatures, it is necessary to provide it several times more than the average demand. We can also estimate the amount of water we should drink based on what we eat. It is assumed that for each kilocalorie consumed there should be 1 ml of water. If you do not remember to replenish water losses, it can very easily lead to dehydration. As a consequence, it manifests itself in irritability, lack of concentration, decrease in physical strength or reduced salivation. Long-term water shortages can result in constipation, insomnia and loss of appetite.
Of course, as with any component of our body, we can lead to an excess of it. Hyperhydration occurs very rarely in healthy people. It occurs when the amount of water consumed exceeds the filtration capacity of the kidneys. Excess water can be observed in people with cirrhosis of the liver, kidney diseases, and also with disorders of the hormones responsible for controlling the amount of urine excreted. It manifests itself with swelling and weight gain.
The habit of drinking
It would seem that the body itself can remind us of adequate fluid intake through thirst. Unfortunately, this is not quite the case. A thirst is often a red flag, but it does not fully reflect our need. Also, as people age, the ability to feel thirsty decreases, which does not mean that older people should drink less. The same applies to low temperatures. When we are cold, we feel much less thirsty, but we should still drink enough fluids. So you should get into a drinking habit. It is worth always having a small bottle of water at hand. It would be best if it was always visible at work, and when shopping or walking, it should be in a purse, so that it would be remembered all the time. It is best to drink it regularly, in small portions of 2-3 sips. Such a “reminder” bottle will allow you not only to remember to drink, but also to control the amount of fluids consumed. It should be noted that not all drinks hydrate the body in the same way. In this regard, mineral water is one of the best choices. It is well absorbed by the body, additionally it is caloric-free and provides many minerals. If you do not like its taste, you can spice it up a bit by adding lemon or lime juice. Water with ice cubes and a few mint leaves will be a great refreshing drink for the coming summer. You can also use weak teas, preferably white, green, red and fruit teas. If you have problems with providing the right amount of water, you should avoid: strong infusions of coffee and tea, energy drinks and alcohol. They accelerate the excretion of water from the body and therefore have a dehydrating effect.