27.06.2010
The Importance of Water Intake - Part 1
by Professor Xue Zhao, MD. PhD. Professor, Medicine/Cardiology/Electrophysiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital
.jpg)
There are a variety of reasons to drink plenty of water each day. Adequate water intake provides your body with enough moisture, clears the gut and stomach as well as speeds up blood circulation, especially in the dry winter weather. People are prone to suffering from dehydration, heart attack, asthma, urinary infection and so on if intake of water is insufficient. Those who work under a high temperature, athletes, soldiers, construction workers, or firemen who do more activities should drink more water. Patients with kidney disease should follow their doctor's advice about water intake. Substituting water for beverages high in calories can also help control weight.
The heavier the body weight, the more the need of water. Body weight (in kilograms) devided by 30 is suggested to be the usual amount of water you need per day (ex. somebody weighing 70 kg is going to need 2.3 liters). It is also recommended that 1.2 liters of mineral water is enough per day for a Chinese people and 1.8 liters for a western people, who engage in light physical work and at the moderate climate. But those who worked under a high temperature, or do intensive physical work and sport, should increase the quantity appropriately. Man needs more water than woman because man is usually active than woman. During sex activity, sufficient water supplement is always necessary for a man. Cool water may make the man’ activity stronger and long lasting.
Drinking more water than you need doesn't mean that you'll become healthier. Balanced intake of water is more scientific. Actually, people's water intake comes from three sources: 50 percent from drinking water, 40 percent from meals, and 10 percent from metabolism. If less sources from meals, more sources should be from drinking.
Mineral water is better than distilled water. Flowing tap water is better than the water kept in a container for more than 24 hours. Fluoride in water can be particularly damaging to the elderly and has been linked to cases of Alzheimer's disease. Tap water with chlorine fumes is prone to induce asthma. Distilled water is lacking ions, and it aggressively attaches to calcium and other minerals in the body, and flushes them out. For a short time intake, distilled water can work well. But for an everyday beverage, distilled water is actually unhealthy over time, and can negatively affect teeth, bones and other bodily processes. Fruit juices are favorite substitute of tap water sometime. Keep water cold, it tastes better.
Long life,
Xue