How many liters of water should you drink per day and how to calculate your rate?
“UP. Life” found out whether the belief that you should drink water every day is true, how to actually calculate your rate, whether there is a difference between filtered water from the tap and mineral water from the store.
Do you really need to drink water every day?
Almost 80% of the human body consists of water, so it affects everything – from cells to organ systems. So the ability to digest food, remove toxins, ensure metabolism and have healthy skin directly depends on the amount of fluid a person consumes.
Doctor and nutritionist Iryna Teglivets notes that there are five main functions for which water is vital:
Temperature regulation.
Water helps maintain a stable body temperature, in particular through sweating.
Transportation of substances.
Water is the main component of blood and lymph; transports nutrients to cells and helps eliminate waste through urine.
Participation in biochemical reactions.
Ensuring normal cell function.
Water maintains osmotic balance within cells and the intercellular space, which is important for maintaining cellular integrity and function.
Maintenance of acid-alkaline balance.
Water helps maintain the correct pH balance in the body, which is important for the normal functioning of enzymes and other biological processes.
“The water we get from food and drink also counts towards our total fluid intake. However, it’s important to understand that some drinks, such as coffee and alcohol, can have a diuretic effect and reduce overall hydration levels.”– notes Iryna Teglivets.
She adds that plain water is the best fluid because it doesn’t contain any extra calories, sugar or caffeine.
“This is why it is important to consume a sufficient amount of plain water to achieve a balanced level of hydration”– emphasizes the nutritionist.
The need for water varies depending on age. For example, children often drink more water, because they move a lot, and many metabolic processes take place in their bodies.
Adults mostly have a stable need for water, it depends on physical activity, climatic conditions and general state of health.
Elderly people usually move less, and metabolic processes in their bodies slow down.
Lack of fluid in the body can cause exacerbation of chronic diseases, increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as deterioration of cognitive functions.”
– explains the specialist.The “Morshinska” brand launched an educational campaign about the necessity of daily water consumption back in 2013. In a well-known advertisement for spring mineral water, it is recommended to use one and a half liters of “Morshinska” per day for health and effective support of the body’s water balance.
The need for such a campaign is obvious, because Ukraine, unfortunately, lags behind even neighboring Poland in water consumption per capita.
Consumption of bottled water per year per capita
Ukraine
52.5 liters
poland
128.2 liters
Germany
129.4 liters
USA
138 liters
However, this primarily testifies to the high potential for the development of the culture of consumption of quality water in Ukraine, and therefore the popularity of bottled water is increasing every year.
Thirst is not the only indicator. How to calculate your water rate
In addition to thirst, signs of dehydration are:
feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat
dark urine (normal urine should be light yellow)
decreased frequency of urination or small volumes of urine may indicate dehydration
dry skin
fatigue and weakness
headache and dizziness
In severe cases of dehydration, changes in heart rate and breathing, dizziness, disorientation, and confusion may occur, requiring medical attention.
Chronic dehydration can contribute to the formation of kidney stones and lead to acute kidney failure.
Nutritionist Iryna Teglivets notes that the norm is calculated individually taking into account a number of factors (age, gender, weight, level of physical activity, climatic conditions and individual characteristics of the body).
By the way, the Ministry of Health notes that it is possible to drink food. After all, drinking water during meals helps digestion and prevents dehydration and constipation.
Filtered from the tap or natural mineral from the store: which one to choose
The choice of drinking water today is impressive. There are many different filters that can qualitatively purify tap water – from small ones in the form of jugs to full-fledged complex systems that not only purify, but also saturate the water with minerals.
Despite this, many people prefer natural mineral water, ordering regular delivery or buying bottled water at the store.
Calcium, magnesium, and sodium in water help maintain electrolyte balance and provide additional minerals that are good for bones, heart, and overall health.”
– explains nutritionist Iryna Teglivets.Specialists of the largest producer of bottled waters and drinks in Ukraine, IDS Ukraine (TM “Morshinska”, “Myrhorodska”, “Alyaska”, “Limonada”, “Volya”) note that the producer has no right to change the basic chemical composition of natural mineral water.
“Morshinska” can be drunk even at the point of exit from the ground, because the water is clean, there are no microbiological and chemical pollutions.
– explained in IDS Ukraine.Not everything is so simple: how does spring water differ from artesian water
Artesian waters are pumped to the surface through holes drilled in the ground, so they usually have a higher content of dissolved salts contained in the rocks through which they seeped.
Water extracted from a well may be clean in terms of microbiological contamination, but its mineral composition is specific and characteristic of a certain water horizon.
“Morshinska” is extracted from springs, it is gravity-released water that constantly comes to the surface as a natural phenomenon. Seeping through the layers of the earth, the water dissolves a minimal amount of salts, in contrast to waters from deep extraction. The combination of a small content of soluble salts and natural purity are the unique ones factors that distinguish “Morshinska” from any waters extracted from wells”– told IDS Ukraine.
Formed by nature, “Morshinska” has an almost unlimited resource, which does not decrease when using industrial water, and its composition does not change for many years. In addition, the method of water selection from natural sources is the most ecological.
“The scale and capabilities of nature to give the same composition, purity and formed under the same conditions as the spring “Morshinska” and water extracted from a well are incomparable. Of course, artesian water from one well or several located nearby or from the same aquifer is the same, but its the total volume cannot even theoretically be compared with the quantity and quality of “Morshinska”, which the Carpathians can provide”– explained the specialists of IDS Ukraine.
Plastic or glass – which is better to store water
Controversies about how to store drinking water have not subsided until now. Undisputed leaders are plastic and glass containers.
About 10 years ago, scientists decided to investigate whether there is a possibility of plastic getting into the water and what its effects are on health. This was done by scientists from Europe. They found out that you need to drink 120 liters of water a day for these substances to have any effect on a person.
In both plastic and glass containers, mineral water has a shelf life of 12 months, although in reality water can be stored longer.
Water in plastic bottles should be stored correctly – in a dark place, protected from ultraviolet light, and the temperature should be kept up to 30°C. The sun’s rays can disrupt the chemical composition of the liquid and affect its properties.
IDS Ukraine specialists note that both glass and plastic are quite inert, that is, they do not enter into chemical reactions.
And according to the overall impact on the environment (CO2 emissions during production, logistics, disposal, etc.), PET packaging is considered more environmentally friendly than glass. Therefore, today it is recognized at the global level that plastic is the best container for packaging drinks, considering the long-term storage of the product, the convenience of transportation and consumption, as well as the further disposal of the bottle.”
– explained IDS Ukraine specialists.Therefore, water is a necessary substance for the full functioning of the body. It is necessary to consume the daily norm of liquid every day.
The choice of water is the prerogative of the consumer. Although for most people water with natural mineral content will be the best option.
