How much water should we drink?
Have you already had enough to drink today? So, really enough? The water bottle on the table is still half full. What, only one and a half liters until now? Are you tired of life ?! You've probably never read one of the many water guides, "drinking water works wonders" or "you're not sick, you're thirsty". Otherwise the laughter would have passed you already! Water helps against everything. For headache, cough, runny nose, constipation, obesity and wrinkles. And a lot of water helps a lot, you know. Or maybe not?
In fact, new discoveries raise doubts. So let's get to the bottom of the widespread water craze. "The general advice to drink as much as possible is complete mischief," says Dr. Jan Galle, spokesman of the German Society of Nephrology (Nephrology). "It's enough to drink 'enough' - as much as you need to build a balanced fluid balance for your body." In a young, healthy woman, for example, that's about one and a half to two liters. Anything beyond that would bring no medical benefit: "If you drink twice as much as you should, you do not do it a favor," says Galle. "It does not make you healthier, prettier or happier." That's a misconception. "
He confirms the results recently published by his American colleagues Stanley Goldfarb and Dan Negoianu of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The two US researchers have summarized the state of knowledge on the subject and found that: For almost every water the promised effect is missing evidence. It has not been proven that drinking a lot of water helps against migraine headache, that it improves the appearance of the skin or that it even removes toxins from the body. Well-founded studies in this area hardly exist, so the dry conclusion.
One of the few exceptions is a small series of studies at the Berlin Charité, which examines the extent to which drinking water can prevent overweight. Seven women and men were allowed to drink a glass of tap water on an empty stomach in the morning - with measurable effect: the water activated the metabolism and stimulated the energy turnover considerably. "Drinking pure water has biological significance," says Dr. Michael Boschmann, head of the study. Drinking water alone could add up to 100 kilos of extra calories per day - equivalent to five kilograms of fat for one year.
So quickly empty all water supplies and soon be many pounds lighter?
No, one simply can not drink a slim drink, explains dr. Michael Boschmann. Although his data clearly show that our drinking behavior can influence the development of obesity, the examined effect can not be increased arbitrarily. "Drinking a lot does not help much either, no one has to run around with a water bottle from morning to night," says Boschmann. "But if you drink, it's better to use water or herbal teas than sugary, concentrated liquids or energy drinks, which is much cheaper for your metabolism." Normal tap water is actually the best choice, also because it is strictly controlled in Germany.
Moment. Did you just want to put away your water bottle? Banister in the corner? Wait a second.
If you're one of those people who likes to run marathons or ride a bike in hot climes, then you need an extra ration. On a tour in high heat, a racing cyclist may need six liters to bring his fluid balance back into balance. Overall, women lose less fluid than men because they have a smaller skin surface and usually do not sweat as much. If you have problems assessing your personal needs, kidney expert Dr. Bile, a "exercise book" to create in which every morning after emptying the bladder, the body weight is held. This is the best way to get to the bottom of water shortages.
If that's too inaccurate, there's nothing left to do but to collect his urine for a day, as Dr. Claudia Naoum from the Kidney Center in Berlin St. Hedwig Hospital ever recommends her patients. Two liters of urine should be at least in the glass at the end of the day. How much you have to drink for it, is very different individually. "But with three liters you can actually stop, more is almost always unnecessary," she says.
A small consolation is for those who like to drink a lot of water: Drinking a drink while thirsty does not make you healthier, but it does not hurt either. The body of a healthy person excretes possibly more liquid and less salts and regulates itself in this way without any problems.
But now a good sip! Or a very small ...
