By now everyone knows it: as much as 70% of our body consists of water. Our body needs it to survive and to enable the organs to perform all their physiological processes. Water also helps the cells to eliminate waste, contributes to the regulation of body temperature and has an essential role in the transport and use of all nutritious substances.
It is therefore fundamentally important to drink correctly and in the right quantities. During the day we lose enormous amounts of fluids (through perspiration, breathing – in the form of water vapour urine, faeces…) and therefore need to replenish them to keep the body constantly healthy and hydrated.
Deciding the right quantity of fluid to ingest every day is not easy, and there are no precise rules: the “right amount” is based on subjective factors such as weight, age, the amount of physical exercise taken during the day and several other factors. The expert consensus, however, is that the average individual requirement is around 2 litres a day, in normal climatic conditions and at normal rates of physical activity.
It is also important to know that drinking too much can also be harmful: the most common risk is hyperidrosis, in other words excessive perspiration. More generally, too much water upsets the balance of mineral salts in the body, and excessive water consumption in the two hours before going to bed at night can contribute to insomnia.
To ensure constant correct hydration, however, there are a few simple rules to follow:
- don’t wait to be thirsty before drinking;
- don’t drink only at mealtimes;
- supplement fluid intake with infusions, shakes and teas that help to hydrate and cleanse the body correctly.
The way you drink is also important: do so in small sips at a rate of about one glass per hour, taking care not to drink the water too quickly or excessively chilled. And be careful not to glug! Drink and swallow slowly, thus preparing the body to correctly assimilate and retain the water in the tissues