It is difficult to overestimate the importance of adequate water consumption for health, said the participants of the press conference From a drop to a bottle. Why should you drink bottled water ?.
According to the March survey by TNS OBOP, 79 percent. Poles realize that it is worth drinking natural bottled water. But the consumption per person is only 70 liters per year, which is below the EU average (100 liters). We are lagging behind the Italians in particular (200 liters per year). However, you can see the progress – under Gierek, consumption increased from 2 liters in 1970 to 6,1 liters per year in 1980, in 1990 we drank 10 liters of bottled water, in 2000 – 35 liters, now – 70.
Less than half of Poles drink clean water every day, 61 percent. he only reaches for it when he feels thirsty. Meanwhile, for the body to work properly, it needs to be supplied with as much fluid as it loses every day – about 2 liters or 8 glasses. Dehydration can be especially dangerous for children and the elderly. Our body constantly loses water – through sweating, breathing, urine and faeces. Feeling thirsty shows that we are already dehydrated – it is better not to let that happen – said Iza Czajka, nutrition physiologist.
A newborn baby is 75% water. Its percentage share decreases with age, but in the body of a man weighing 70 kilograms there is 42 in water. Blood contains 83 percent. water, brain – about 75 percent Dehydration can cause kidney stones, kidney dysfunction, poisoning with metabolic products or joint degeneration.
Even a slight water shortage manifests itself in chronic fatigue, insomnia, deterioration of concentration, headaches, dry skin, and digestive problems. Without water, metabolic reactions cannot take place, its evaporation cools us in hot weather, and the flow through the tissues allows them to warm up when it is cool. Thanks to the water, the ponds are slippery, which allows you to move freely.
Our body cannot store more water – it needs to be supplied regularly, preferably in the form of fruit and drinks. Bottled water is of guaranteed quality – in tropical countries you need to drink only bottled or freshly boiled water to avoid diarrhea.
Different people need different types of water depending on their state of health. High levels of calcium must be avoided in kidney stones, and calcium is recommended in the case of osteoporosis. Hypertension and a tendency to edema require low-sodium water (less than 20 mg / liter), but when working at high temperatures, we need more sodium and potassium. In peptic ulcer disease, it is better to avoid carbonated water – alkaline water with sodium bicarbonate is recommended.
Dr. Maria Kotowska, a gastroenterologist from the Medical University of Warsaw, pointed out that in children, due to their fast metabolism, it is easy to dehydrate. Even a few percent gives clear symptoms, and dehydration of 10 percent. can be dangerous.
How to encourage drinking of water from an early age, explained Małgorzata Steinborn, a clinical psychologist. Preschool children will be helped by stories and riddles about water (what dishes does mum use water for?). But just as important is the example of the environment, especially parents who themselves drink water with clear pleasure, praise and reward imitating their child. In the older preschool age, children can be allowed to participate in the purchase of water. The example of celebrities with water in their hands works well for teasing teens (PAP)