Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Scientific Basics of Water and Hydration
Le Bellego L (1)
(1) European Federation of Bottled Water
Laurent.LE-BELLEGO@danone.com
Over the course of the last few years, food intake has obtained considerable attention
because of the importance of dietary nutrient deficiencies and their consequences
for public health. It is only more recently that our fluid intake and nutrition
have gained attention.
In this context, it is sometimes surprising to discover how the scientific evidence
on the importance of drinking enough water on a daily basis and why this so important
for our health is overlooked. This is the reason why EFBW’s Health Working
Group has undertaken the initiative to compile and summarize the relevant
scientific evidence related to water and healthy hydration into a toolkit.
The scope of this presentation will be to address the key scientific aspects of water
and hydration.
Water is essential for life and is the number one component of our body. Water
is essential to every single reaction and function in our body. Without water we
wouldn’t be able to live. Water intake should at least compensate our body’s water
losses in order to maintain fluid balance on a daily basis. These losses highly depend
on physiological parameters, behaviour, but also climate. Water losses can
vary from about one litre up to several litres per day for people exercising and/or
living under hot conditions. Therefore, water needs should be evaluated on an
individual basis. Low water intake vs. losses will lead to dehydration with its consequences.
The importance of drinking enough water and the associated health
benefits has been recently recognised by the European Food Safety Agency.
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 207
207
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4