BENEFITS
PREGNANCY AND
BREASTFEEDING
Hydration needs increase due to the physiological changes that occur.
Good hydration during pregnancy helps prevent common complications: urinary infections, kidney stone formation, dehydration caused by vomiting, etc.
And, water is part of the composition of breast milk (90%) and contributes to the quality and quantity of the milk.
PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
It’s good to drink water and milk as essential beverages in childhood and adolescence. The main benefits are that it is calorie-free, helps maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity, and favours proper kidney function. Children are more susceptible to and more severely affected by dehydration than adults, because children are less able to express the sensation of thirst.
THE ELDERLY
The total amount of water in the body decreases with age. That’s why hydration for the elderly is so important.
FOOD
It’s very important to stay hydrated and to include water in our daily diet. We must always remember that water intake from drinking is not always sufficient, so we also have to obtain it through food to stay well hydrated.
INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Sweat is made up of water and a variety of electrolytes that must be replaced after exercise. If this process is insufficient, the result is a water deficit in the body. Under these circumstances, drinking water plays a key role in fluid replacement.
HYDRATION AND THE KIDNEYS
The function of the kidneys is to eliminate toxins and waste products through urine, and to maintain the electrolyte balance between ingested and excreted water. Furthermore, urine requires a particular osmolarity (particles that exert osmotic pressure, such as electrolytes, glucose, and urea) in proportion to the amount ingested and for which there are also established minimum and maximum concentration limits (50-140 mosm/L).