Healthy living
Healthy eating
How much water do you need?
Feeling sluggish? It could be because you are not getting enough water, according to a new study
Drinking too little water can leave you tired and lethargic and severe dehydration can put your health at risk.
'Many people forget the importance of drinking enough water,' says Jacqui Lowdon, registered dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, 'Severe dehydration, especially in the elderly, can have serious consequences. Water is essential for every metabolic function and not getting enough can lead to dizziness, confusion, urinary tract infections and a greater risk of falls.'
Now health campaigners are calling for action to make sure that elderly people in UK care homes get enough water to drink.
The campaign, 'Health on Tap' has been launched as a result of an 18-month study by Anglian Water. Staff at The Martins care home in Bury St Edmunds started a water club and found that drinking eight to ten cups of water a day significantly improved the health of residents. The study revealed that sufficient water intake led to a 50 per cent reduction in the number of falls, fewer urinary infections and fewer GP call outs.
'There is nothing as important as water,' says Wendy Tomlinson, former nurse and manager of The Martins care home. 'Since we started the scheme the whole place has been buzzing. The improvement in our residents has been incredible – they have set up a poetry and scrabble club and they want to participate in life - everyone has lots of fun.'
The results match with scientific research, too. According to Australian researchers, the elderly may also be at greater risk of dehydration because their brains underestimate how much they need to drink to rehydrate. Scientists looked at the brain scans of young and old people and found that the region of the brain that regulates how much water the body needs often malfunctioned in older people.
Baroness Greengross, founder of the charity Action on Elder Abuse, said that investigations into care of the elderly often focus on problems of malnutrition, ignoring the impact of dehydration. Greengross called for measures to be put in place to ensure that residents in UK care homes have enough to drink.
So how much should we drink a day?
'The recommended intake of water is roughly between 1.5 and 2.5 litres a day or about 6 to 8 cups,' says Jacqui Lowdon. 'But this doesn't just have to only be from fluids. There is lots of water in many foods such as fruit and soups, too.'
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
