Why is Hydration Important?

Why is Hydration Important?

For our bodies to have adequate levels of fluid, we need to hydrate our bodies at regular intervals throughout the day and we also need to monitor and vary our hydration levels depending on our age group, gender, physical activity and the climatic conditions we live in¹.

Drinking fluids regularly during our working hours can maintain our productivity levels and even reduce work related accidents².  Despite these observations, studies have shown that up to 35 percent of Europeans are not consuming enough water, especially elderly people².

So how much water should we be drinking a day?

As a general recommendation put forward by the scientific community in Europe, women should consume 2 litres of water a day, while men should aim for 2.5 litres in order to stay hydrated and fully enjoy the health benefits* of water¹.

The scientific recommendation is that 70-80% of fluid intake should come from water itself while the remaining (20-30%) should come from food¹. Good food sources for hydration include milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, provided they do not have a high calorie and sugar content. Even teas and coffees can be a useful source of hydration. A review of published studies shows that caffeine consumption below 250 mg/day (roughly 2 cups of coffee a day) will not contribute to dehydrating the body, especially in people who consume caffeine regularly³. Herbal teas provide a good lower-level caffeine alternative if required.

Herbalife offers a variety of drinks which can assist with maintaining hydration. For example, the Herbal Aloe Concentrate Drink can either be consumed with water or combined with any other fruit juice or even with a Formula 1 healthy meal replacement shake.

The Herbal Aloe Concentrate Drink contains 40% aloe vera juice which is derived from the aloe vera leaf and it contributes to the daily, recommended fluid intake. Aloe mango flavour is a low calorie and sugar free option. The aloe drink with the traditional flavour contains 22 kcal per serving.

Instant Herbal Beverage is a herbal tea with extracts from a combination of green tea, orange pekoe tea, malva, hibiscus and cardamom. Instant Herbal Beverage also contributes to your daily water intake. They provide between 51 and 85 mg of caffeine per serving, with the exact quantity varying from country to country.

*Water contributes to the maintenance of normal physical and cognitive functions and normal regulation of the body’s temperature.

 

References

1. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition and Allergies. Draft Dietary reference values for water.The EFSA Journal. 2008:2–49.
2. Nissensohn et al. Beverage and water intake of healthy adults in some European countries. 2013. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 64(7); 800-5.
3. Maughan, RJ. Griffin, J. (2003). Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. J Hum Nutr Dietet. 16; 411- 420.