Are you drinking enough water?

Posted at 10:30 in : Customer News

It's very important to make sure we are drinking enough. Our bodies need water or other fluids to work properly.

In the UK, you should drink about 1.2 litres (six to eight glasses) of fluid every day to prevent dehydration. You need more in hotter climates.

Water makes up over two-thirds of the healthy human body. It's important for this to be maintained because most of the chemical reactions that happen in our cells need water. We also need water for our blood to be able to carry nutrients around the body. It is essential for lubricating the joints and eyes, aiding digestion, flushing out waste and toxins and keeping skin healthy.

As your body works it produces waste products and some of these waste products are toxic. The body gets rid of these toxins through the kidneys in urine, and urine is mainly made up of water.We also lose water through evaporation when we breathe and sweat. As the temperature rises and as we do more activity, this increases the amount of water the body loses.To stay healthy, you need to replace the fluids you lose. And don't forget, if the weather is hot or you are exercising, you will be losing even more water.

If you are working hard in hot conditions, you need to drink more fluid than you normally would. The Health and Safety Executive recommends that you drink about 250ml (half a pint) of water every 15 minutes or 500ml (a pint) every 30 minutes.

Dehydration occurs when the normal water content of your body is reduced, upsetting the delicate balance of minerals (salts and sugar) in your body fluid. Many of your body's cells depend on these minerals being maintained at the correct levels to function properly. One of the early warning signs that you are dehydrated is feeling thirsty and light-headed. The body works less efficiently, even with a relatively low level of fluid loss.

It is fine to have drinks that contain caffeine, such as tea, coffee and cola, they are mild diuretics - which means they make you urinate more. So drink these alongside non-caffeine drinks, and increase your intake of water if you start experience any signs of dehydration.

For more information about dehydration and the symptoms, visit:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dehydration/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/nutritionessentials/drinks/drinkingenough/

Sources: www.NHS.uk, www.eatwell.gov.uk