Water as the basis of life

Water is essential for humans and animals. Without it, life on earth would not be possible. For humans, it is used to maintain life, for personal hygiene, but also for washing clothes and dishes. But the most important aspect of this list is life support. It is a vital foodstuff for humans. Water can be used both in its pure form and as an ingredient or preparation option for dishes.

The importance of water for health

If you look at the components of the human body, it becomes clear that water is the most present at 50-70%, depending on the age of the person. This quantity should be kept as constant as possible. If, for whatever reason, the body loses too much fluid, doctors speak of dehydration    med.: Volumenmangel der extrazellulären Flüssigkeit, u.a. des Blutplasmas – dem Körper wird weniger Flüssigkeit zugef..., which can be harmful and even fatal. Accordingly, the intake of fluids is an important step in maintaining physical health. This often raises the question:

How much fluid is actually healthy for the body?

The body can survive for several days without a solid food supply. However, the lack of fluid intake becomes noticeable more quickly and yet there is no 100% answer regarding the amount of water required. The daily intake depends on:

• the individual physical activity
• the climatic conditions in which you live
• and the general supply of energy, in the form of food and the like

As a guideline, doctors speak of 2 to 3 liters that the human body should consume daily. However, as part of this is already absorbed through food, the approximate amount to drink is 1 – 1.5 liters per day. For a large number of people, this is an unimaginable amount. They prefer to drink flavored drinks, in the form of juices, soft drinks, coffee or tea. But you can also learn to drink water. The following facts should be motivating:

• a glass of lukewarm water in the morning stimulates digestion
• the skin is plumped up and appears firmer
• it cleanses the body from the inside

The more, the better?

Care should be taken to avoid false ambition, as too high an intake has a counterproductive effect on the body and can therefore be harmful to health. This leads to overhydration of the body. In older people in particular there is a risk that the weakened body, especially the kidneys, will not be able to excrete the amount ingested.

If your physical well-being is important to you and you want to make sure you drink enough fluids, you should adopt the following rule of thumb: about 35 ml of fluid per kg of body weight per day. However, this also includes other drinks such as coffee, tea and the like.