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Everyone has their own preferences in life. Different people like different clothes, different ways leisure, different types activities, different foods and different drinks, after all. And in this article we will talk specifically about drinks, or rather not about drinks, but about water.
But it is no coincidence that we mentioned drinks (namely drinks) at the beginning, because in their lives most people drink them, but not water. And this is even despite the fact that a lot is known about the usefulness and positive effects of water on the human body. However, most often we hear simply something ephemeral: “Drinking water is good for you,” “Drink water,” “Water cleanses the body,” etc.
In order for the positive properties of water to move from the category of “something ephemeral” to the category of specifics, we will present real facts– reasons why you should drink water.
Let's start with the fact that water is water. Funny? Do you know that, for example, coffee, tea, juices, fruit drinks and other drinks are food? It sounds a little unusual, but it's true. Based on this, we can say that water has properties that no other drink on the planet has.
The first reason is that water promotes weight loss.
Water is one of the most effective ways fight against excess weight. And this is due to several reasons. First of all, water contains a minimum of calories, unlike the substitutes we love, such as the juices mentioned above, coffee, teas, etc. Secondly, water is considered a means that suppresses the desire to eat food. By the way, pay attention to the fact that when you feel hungry, most likely you are just thirsty. Thirdly, thanks to its medicinal properties, water can relieve swelling, both hidden and obvious.
Reason two - water has a beneficial effect on heart health
Drinking enough water for the body greatly reduces the likelihood that a person will have a heart attack. The results of research by scientists in this area indicate that people who drink at least 6 glasses of water per day are 40% less likely to have a heart attack than people who drink less of the life-giving moisture.
Reason three - water supplies the body with energy
Even slight dehydration human body(meaning dehydration of 1-2% of the total weight) contributes to the occurrence of fatigue. Whenever a person feels the urge to drink, this is an indicator of dehydration, which, in fact, leads to fatigue and weakness.
Reason four – water relieves headaches
A headache is another sign of dehydration. Here, as they say, it’s a double-edged sword: if you have a headache, drink water, and to prevent a headache, drink water.
Reason five - water has a positive effect on the condition of the skin
Water can be considered a skin cleanser. Naturally, it takes time for the skin to clear. However, systematic use of water will serve you well, and after a while you will get truly amazing results. Always remember that most of even the most expensive cosmetics act by moisturizing the skin from the outside, so you should pay special attention to moisturizing it from the inside.
Reason six – water normalizes digestion
The human digestive system consumes a huge amount of liquid. This is required for food to be properly digested. In addition to this, water normalizes acidity.
Reason seven – water cleanses the body
Everyone has probably heard about this, but it wouldn’t hurt to repeat it. Drinking water helps remove harmful substances and toxins from the body. The lion's share of waste accumulates between the cells - in the intercellular fluid. Water cleanses both the intercellular fluid and the cells themselves.
Reason eight: drinking water prevents the occurrence of cancer
People who drink enough water for their body have a 45% lower risk of developing organ cancer. digestive system than people who do not drink water or drink little water. Along with drinking water, the risk of bladder and breast cancer also decreases.
Reason nine - water is required for sports
If a person, he simply cannot afford to allow himself to become dehydrated. Weakness and fatigue caused by dehydration become an obstacle when it comes to coping with stress, which in turn can lead to injury. So, when getting ready for a workout, drink two glasses of water an hour before it, thereby providing yourself with energy.
Reason ten - water serves as a temperature regulator
Water is a regulator of the body’s “cooling system.” You probably know that from 55% to 70% of the average person’s total body weight is water, which takes part in the process of thermoregulation. Drink water and your body temperature will always be normal.
In addition to all of the above, we also want to give some valuable recommendations on the topic of drinking water.
We have already said more than once that you should drink as much water as possible. But even in this situation, you must certainly trust your own instincts, i.e. drink as much water as your body requires.
Current fluid intake standards are relative and also vary depending on how old a person is, whether he is a man or a woman, how he feels, how physically active he is, whether he has any diseases and in what area he lives .
With this in mind, consider the following:
- It is recommended to drink spring water. If this is not available and you have to make do with tap water, then it needs to be boiled, settled and purified using filters available today.
- Children under one year old who are on breastfeeding and drink only mother's milk, in the summer it is advised to give a small amount of water (20 to 30 ml) between feedings.
- For children aged 3 to 5 years, 300 to 400 ml of water per day will be enough. But an adult should drink approximately 1.5-2 liters of water per day, however, upon reaching the age of 50, this norm can be slightly reduced in order to reduce the likelihood of edema.
- Men should drink more water than women because... per day they spend about a liter more.
- It is best to drink water between meals.
- You should not drink food with water to prevent putrefaction in the stomach.
- It is always good to drink a glass of water on an empty stomach.
- At least 40 minutes should pass before the first meal and drinking water.
- If you drink water before bed, you will not be bothered by insomnia and will also calm your nervous system.
- Alcohol also contributes to dehydration, so if you intend to drink a cup of coffee or want to drink wine, drink a glass of water first.
- Cold air also causes dehydration, which means drink a glass of water before heading out into the cold.
- People with diarrhea should drink more water than everyone else to prevent dehydration.
- According to many nutritionists, water dulls the feeling of hunger. But you should not drink water in excessive quantities, so as not to eat, so as not to cause.
- People predisposed to the formation of kidney stones should, according to doctors, drink at least 2.5 liters of water per day. This will also help prevent relapses.
- If your body weight is about 56 kg, your water intake will be 2 liters. If you weigh more, then for every 20 kg add another glass of water
- Each person should drink 30 to 40 ml of water per 1 kg of body weight
- For every thousand calories you get from food, you need to drink a liter of water.
We sincerely believe that the facts, tips and recommendations we present will encourage you to reconsider your attitude towards what you like to drink. By replacing unnecessary and often harmful drinks and food with water, you will do good, first of all, to yourself, and your body will thank you by giving it. We will also be glad if you tell your family and friends about what you have learned about water.
Good health and long life to you!
Both Western and domestic nutritionists unanimously say: a person, regardless of the load and time of year, needs to drink a lot of water. This helps improve the water-salt balance in the body. But is this statement true? It turns out that excess fluid can cause serious harm. internal organs.
How does thirst arise?
According to biologists, the main reason why a person wants to drink is a change in the water-salt balance in the blood. On average, one liter of blood contains 9.45 grams of salt. Minor fluctuations in the content of this substance are possible, but only in hundredths of a gram. However, if the concentration of salt, for example, increases, then the activity of all cells of the body is disrupted, because they are supplied with blood. At such a moment, its water component decreases, and the blood thickens. And this, according to phlebologists, threatens the formation of blood clots, which means that the nutrition of a specific area of tissue or organ will be blocked. But this is in critical cases.
As a rule, already in the first moments of a slight increase in salt concentration, a person feels dry mouth. This is the first signal calling for an increase in fluid levels in the body. This happens, for example, in the heat, when a person sweats and the liquid evaporates.
Drinking too much water is harmful
It turns out that it is better for the body to drink more fluid? Not at all. It is known that the more you drink in the heat, the more you want. At this moment, the body sweats more profusely, and along with the increased amount of evaporated moisture, more salt leaves the body. And in this case, the skin of the face and hands, as well as the hair, are the first to suffer.
If a person deliberately accustoms himself to increased water consumption, then in normal cool weather this causes harm to many internal organs. Domestic gastroenterologists warn: drinking too much can dilute gastric juice, it ceases to be concentrated and is harmful to microbes that enter the stomach with food. Water allows them to survive, which means the risk of developing infections increases. However, many scientists are still arguing about exactly how much liquid is excessive.
Some people believe that drinking plenty of fluids helps improve kidney function. French nephrologist Pierre Ronso explains in his scientific work how they actually function. To maintain the required level of fluids in the body, the kidneys reabsorb some of the water that has already been filtered. This provides a standard urine concentration. But the more a person drinks, the less the kidneys have to save water, and the tubules created specifically for reabsorption work less and less over time. If the body is without the usual access to water in hot weather, then the kidneys will not be able to saturate it with the saved fluid, and dehydration will begin rapidly.
Excessive fluid consumption soon fills the tissues of the liver and kidneys, they swell, and their functional properties weaken. Meanwhile, these organs play an important role in the excretory system, and when it fails, the body does not completely remove water. Fluid is retained in tissue cells, swelling occurs, which provokes an increase in pressure in the walls of blood vessels. Then the headaches begin. The lymph nodes, swollen due to increased moisture, also do not cope with their task - immunity decreases, and only a few hours remain before the development of gastrointestinal infections.
Does water help you lose weight?
However, many ladies, having increased the amount of fluid consumed, despite side effects in the form of slight swelling, report real weight loss. So for effective weight loss Is a lot of water still needed?
At first, drinking plenty of water actually improves intestinal function, peristalsis increases, food passes through the sections faster, which means digestive products are eliminated more efficiently, and weight decreases. But after three months the situation changes. Pancreas and gallbladder becomes saturated with water, and problems arise in their operation. Food is not completely processed because the level of secreted bile and other secretions is reduced. Gradually, the intestinal mucosa also swells - constipation occurs more and more often. This leads to general slagging in the body and weight gain.
In addition, endocrinologists warn: the cells of the hormonal glands, overflowing with moisture, cannot fully participate in metabolic processes due to lack of energy.
Therefore, the burning of fat and carbohydrates slows down, and this does not contribute to weight loss.
Do athletes need a lot of water?
It turns out that ordinary people should not force themselves to drink a lot of liquid - it is harmful. Perhaps increased water consumption is necessary for athletes. But this is not true either. Dr. Timothy Noakes, professor of sports medicine at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), in his book “Dehydration during Exercise: Myths and Facts,” argues that over-hydration does not improve athletic performance, but rather worsens it and puts the body at risk. hyponatremia (violation of water and electrolyte balance).
The professor claims that you simply cannot drink before you become thirsty. This reduces concentration and physical muscle activity in both athletes and ordinary people. And if we want to be vigorous and healthy, we need to drink as much fluid as the body physically requires.
Are there standards that determine the amount of liquid consumed throughout the day? Is it harmful to drink a lot of water a day, and how much should you drink to keep your body beautiful and healthy? In search of answers to these questions, dozens of programs, popular science films, and articles for medical journals are created. It is well known that a body completely deprived of moisture from the outside dies within a period of several days to two weeks. What can be dangerous about excessive moisture entering fabrics?
How to find out: is it harmful to drink a lot of water a day? To begin with, it is worth understanding that it is necessary to take into account not only the directly impurity-free H2O. If the body receives moisture from other sources - with soups and broths, vegetable broths, tea, vegetables and fruits, its reserves will have to be replenished in a smaller volume. But you shouldn’t get carried away with searching for an answer to the question: is drinking a lot of water harmful or beneficial, testing theories in practice. After all, even just exhaling air from your lungs, you can lose up to 250 ml of fluid in just a day. By replenishing moisture reserves, you can saturate cells with nutrients, improve metabolism, remove toxins, and improve the functioning of internal secretion organs.
Why is moisture deficiency dangerous?
Before you find out why drinking a lot of water is useful, it is worth clarifying how dangerous a lack of moisture is in general. For example, a decrease in fluid content by just 10% can cause loss of consciousness. In fact, the minimum threshold for daily intake should not fall below 1.6 liters per day (taking into account moisture intake from food). This is how much the body loses through sweat, urine, and breathing. By replenishing losses, but not leaving the body a reserve of moisture, a person can deprive it of the most important elements.
When determining whether drinking a lot of water is beneficial, you should remember about a balanced diet in general. The evacuation of fluid from tissues is accelerated by foods containing potassium - seaweed, nuts, raisins. But food with sodium - fish, eggs, seafood, on the contrary, retains moisture and can provoke the formation of edema. A sufficient amount of fluid taken daily helps avoid these problems and maintain health. gastrointestinal tract, improve the course of metabolic processes, prevent the deposition of salts in joints and the formation of stones in the internal secretion organs.
How much water is dangerous?
When and for whom is it harmful to drink a lot of water? Even in extreme heat, a single intake of fluid into the body should not exceed 300 ml - this is a medical fact. But the daily consumption standards look much more reasonable. Every day, even an infant under one year of age needs to consume 165 ml per 1 kg of body weight. The norms for adults are 2-2.5 times higher, depending on the gender of the person. Of course, scientists have studied whether drinking a lot of water is harmful and have concluded that under certain circumstances, drinking too much can even be deadly.
For example, drinking more than 3 liters of liquid in a short time can provoke vomiting, damage the walls of the stomach and even cause internal bleeding due to tissue ruptures. In people who are actively involved in sports, overhydration (exceeding the volume of water consumed for a short period of time) upsets the balance of potassium and sodium in the body, flushing them out at a tremendous speed. The result of such efforts can also be tissue swelling and the subsequent death of a person due to disruption of the lungs and brain.
How to drink correctly?
Finding out the benefits of drinking a lot of water a day is quite simple. It is enough to evaluate the benefits that pure liquid gives to the human body. Being a natural isotonic, water provides opportunities for the most comfortable functioning of all body systems. Saturating tissues with moisture allows you to maintain youth and beauty, makes hair and nails shiny and healthy. In order for fluid intake to fully comply with established standards, you should adhere to the norm of 300 ml of water per 10 kilograms of body weight, increasing it on hot days or when physical activity increases by 10-15%
You should drink at least six glasses of water every day. By the time thirst hits, it's too late, nutrition researchers say. Is this really true? Do we need that much liquid?
Water is considered to be a miraculous elixir. Drinking water is good for health, promotes slimness and awakens a healthy spirit, says dietetics and health magazines. Some mineral water companies even claim that their product helps eliminate harmful substances from the body, provides “pure joy in life” and improves complexion. According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), you should drink 1.5 liters of water (six to eight glasses) every day. You should not drink when you are thirsty. “The feeling of thirst is a consequence of a negative water balance. Only in exceptional cases should it be a stimulus for the consumption of liquids,” notes the nutrition society.
But is this really true? Do you need to drink so much fluid even if you are not thirsty?
No person can live without water - this is beyond doubt. “In quantitative terms, water is the most important element of the human body. An adult is made up of 50-60 percent water,” says nutrition researcher Antje Gahl. Water is part of all biological fluids - tear fluid, without which our eyes would dry out; blood, which circulates in the body and supplies our organs and muscles with oxygen and nutrients only in liquid form. And in urine, which removes from the body all substances that it cannot process.
To ensure the proper functioning of all vital processes, the body must constantly receive fluid. According to the Institute of Nutrition, the body loses 2.65 liters of water daily during breathing, removal of fluids through sweat and intestines. We get part of this deficiency—about 875 milliliters—from food. Mitochondria, the “batteries” of our cells, also release water through certain chemical processes - about 335 milliliters per day. The rest must be replenished through drinking. The required volume for daily consumption is 1.44 liters, preferably in the form of water or unsweetened herbal or fruit teas, these are the recommendations.
Anyone who drinks 1.5 liters of water a day is on the right course. However, some experts believe that drinking more than thirst dictates is pointless. “It is difficult to believe that evolution has provided humans with a chronic water deficiency that we must compensate for by forced fluid intake,” writes physiologist Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth College in an essay in the American Journal of Physiology. In some people, thirst occurs when blood concentration increases by two percent, but dehydration we're talking about at a rate of five percent. That is, thirst never comes late, it comes right on time, notes Faltin.
You can also drink coffee
Anyone who drinks more than thirst requires does not become smarter, more beautiful, or healthier because of it. It should be noted that you can drink not only water. Coffee also compensates for the lack of water. Coffee drinks are not suitable for quenching thirst because too much of them can increase blood pressure. But the idea that coffee dehydrates the body is incorrect. In a person, drinking coffee, up to 84% of the fluid consumed during the day is excreted through urine. For someone who drinks clean water, this figure is 81%. The difference lies precisely in these three percent, that is, it is quite insignificant.
This property of water, such as removing toxins, has also not yet been proven, note researchers Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb. “Increasing fluid intake may have an impact on the cleansing processes in the kidneys.” But whether this effect is clinically relevant, that is, whether it has a positive effect on health, has not yet been scientifically proven.
Research also shows that drinking too much water can be harmful to the body. Marathon runners and other athletes can experience “water poisoning” if they drink too much water out of fear of dehydration. If excessive amounts enter the cells large number water, they may be damaged. Consequences: dizziness, nausea, vomiting. In the worst case, organ damage may occur.
Each person has his own preferences in life: clothing, relationships, entertainment, field of activity, food and drinks. In this article we will talk about drinks, more precisely about the most important and often ignored drink called water. Many people will say what kind of drink this is - tasteless. Perhaps, but extremely useful. The word is extremely emphasized!
Everyone has heard more than once sagas on TV and on the Internet about the indispensability of water for healthy image human life. We have heard, but few people have implemented these tips into their daily lives. But in vain. Why, let's find out...
Reasons to drink water:
- Let's start with the fact that coffee, tea, compotes and other drinks are not water, but food. Liquid - yes, but - food. Reading drinking water- this is, as you guessed, water. It sounds funny, but nutritionists are not kidding when they put overweight people on a water diet. Firstly, water contains a minimum of calories, which is different from any liquid food. Secondly, the centers for satisfying hunger and thirst in the human brain are located nearby. 60% of the time you want to eat, your body needs water. What does this give people in the fight against excess weight? They eat 2 times less.
- Heart health. Research by scientists has shown that people who drink 5-6 glasses of regular water a day are less susceptible to heart attacks, and heart attacks occur 40% less often. So drinking water is a natural prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
- Charge of energy. Everything we do in our lives is possible only thanks to our energy. If the “battery” is charged, we can move mountains; if it’s empty, we lie exhausted on the sofa. Surprisingly, in half of the cases of loss of strength, our “habit” of not drinking water is to blame. Water supplies nutrients to cells and oxygen to the brain. This is food for the body. Fed and satisfied cells will thank the “owner” with vital energy.
- No headaches, no migraines. Another sign of dehydration is a headache. What’s interesting here is that if your head hurts, drink a glass of water, and to prevent migraines, drink enough water every day.
- Improvement of the skin. Water is a natural skin cleanser, a rejuvenating cream if you will. Don't believe me? Just look at most cosmetic products - they are all based on pure or mineralized water. Drink water and skin problems will be eliminated from the inside. And this is much more important than external gloss.
- Stable functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. An unhealthy stomach, poor digestion, constipation - all this can seriously ruin a person’s life. A simple way to combat this is to drink more water. Drinking liquid helps break down food and reduces acidity. Try drinking a glass of water in the morning on an empty stomach. Within 2-3 weeks you will feel the difference - your stomach will feel much better.
- Cleansing the body. Water removes waste and toxins from the body. As you know, cells produce not only energy, but also waste products. And they need to be removed from the body, otherwise a landfill will form with all the ensuing health consequences. Water is what removes these blockages from the intercellular space.
- Warning oncological diseases. If you drink water normally, then the likelihood of cancer of the esophagus, bladder, and mammary glands decreases. Scientists have come up with an approximate figure - 47% percent of people drinking water are less likely to get cancer.
- Water is necessary during physical activity and sports. With intense activity, our body releases more fluid through sweat and breathing. To prevent dehydration, relieve fatigue and weakness, drink more water during work and training.
- Temperature regulator. Water is an important component of the body's cooling system. Thermoregulation helps us stay active in hot and cold weather. Drink more water to keep this system running smoothly.
The norms for water intake per day are relative values. Much depends on a person’s age, health status, physical activity, and climate.
Therefore, based on these factors, consider the following:
- Drink natural water. If this is not possible, purify the tap liquid using filters. The best option is to order bottled water from our company “Waters of Health” with delivery throughout Moscow and St. Petersburg.
- The water requirement for an adult should not be less than 1.5 liters per day. For older people, the norm can be slightly reduced, but you should not give up water.
- Men should drink more water than women, as they consume 1 liter more fluid per day.
- Drinking water is most beneficial before meals, 40-60 minutes before meals.
- Drink a glass of water on an empty stomach in the morning. This will prepare the body's systems for work.
- Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate the body, so before or after drinking, drink a glass of water.
- Diarrhea and constipation in 90% of cases are caused by low water consumption. Drink more and you won't have any problems.
- Water dulls the feeling of hunger, which helps you consume less calories and reduce excess weight.
How to calculate the volume of water per day based on body weight? There is a simple formula. For 1 kilogram of weight there are 30-40 ml of water. That is, for a person weighing 60 kg, you need 1.8-2 liters of water per day. Also, do not forget that 1000 calories require a liter of water.
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