The European Union have banned claims that “water can prevent dehydration!”
Last week the EU ban manufacturers of bottled water from claiming that it can prevent dehydration. According to an article written in the Daily Telegraph on 18th November, EU officials, after a three-year investigation, found no evidence that water can prevent dehydration. We have to question this evidence and other evidence as well if these are their results.
This seems crazy to me – where is the commonsense in this? Most of us can testify that drinking water improves our general sense of wellbeing and our energy levels. Many of us know that a lack of water can exasperate headaches, a dry mouth, constipation and tiredness.
Between 60-70% of our bodies are thought to be made up of water. It is found in muscles, lungs, the brain and of course the blood. It is needed to regulate our body temperature, protect joints and organs, and transport oxygen around the body.
The best way of knowing whether you are drinking enough is to look at the colour of your urine. It should be straw colour (light yellow) and have no odour. If you are taking B-vitamins when your urine maybe bright yellow and if you have eaten asparagus, it may have an odour.
Top tips
- If you have difficulty remembering to drink, carry a bottle around with you and set goals for yourself. Most people should be aiming to drink between 1 ½ to 2 litres of water per day.
- Include herbal teas, diluted fruit juices and roobios in your intake
- Increase fruit and vegetables in your diet as many of these contain lots of water, fibre and nutrients.
