By Nina C. Zimmermann Jul 14, 2008, 3:08 GMT
Bonn, Germany - Summer heat brings thirst. Water quenches it best and does not have any calories.
To soothe a parched throat, there is much more to choose from in the way of water nowadays than just tap water and carbonated bottled water.
Alternatives include natural artesian water from the Fiji Islands, spring water from Norway, water that is flavoured or has added minerals, ready-to-drink fruit spritzers and wellness drinks.
But whatever your thirst quencher of choice may be, rule number one in summer is: Drink plenty of water! After all, water is not only a trendy lifestyle product. It is also, and most importantly, the main ingredient of life.
Every day we ingest a litre or more liquid via food, for example, by eating watery fruits and vegetables such as melons and tomatoes. The German Nutrition Society (DGE), based in Bonn, recommends at least an additional 1.5 litres in the form of drinks.
'When temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius, you would also do well to drink double that amount,' remarked DGE spokeswoman Antje Gahl.
Older people in particular should not wait until they are thirsty before drinking. With advancing age, the sensation of thirst diminishes, noted Wolfgang Wesiack, president of the Wiesbaden-based Association of German Internists (BDI).
The risk of dehydration is especially high in summer because perspiration causes the body to lose more liquid. If the lost liquid is not replenished, the blood can thicken. This reduces the body's ability to function and can lead to confusion and even loss of consciousness or kidney failure.
'The best time to drink water is between meals' - ideally about 15 minutes before a meal or an hour or two afterwards - advised Barbara Hendel of Munich, a holistic medical doctor and author of the book 'Wasser und Salz, Urquell des Lebens' ('Water and Salt, Wellspring of Life').
'You can also drink water during meals, of course, but too much dilutes the digestive juices and delays or hampers digestion,' she said.
Athletes should also increase their water intake in summer. A glass of water or apple spritzer a half or quarter-hour before the athletic activity is generally sufficient, Gahl said.
But during activities that last longer than an hour such as running, she recommends drinking a half-glass or glass 'in small swallows' every 15 minutes, even when temperatures are normal.
The kind of liquid you drink is also important. Although coffee and alcohol consist largely of water, Hendel said, 'They also contain other substances, so the water has fewer free docking places to bind toxic substances and excrete them.' High-proof spirits even take water from the body.
Wesiack recommends natural mineral water. It contains salts that the body loses through perspiration, he said.
But the most popular mineral water is still the carbonated kind, with medium-fizzy varieties not far behind. Non-carbonated and slightly flavoured waters are also enjoying increasing popularity. Wesiack sees no physical benefits in the latter, however.
He said that lifestyle products with, say, strawberry-pepper flavour were 'not medically indicated' in other words, unnecessary.
Soft drinks are unsuitable thirst quenchers because of their high sugar content, which makes you thirstier, the DGE noted. It said that herbal or fruit teas, fruit spritzers and low-calorie refreshing drinks were better. The DGE's Gahl suggested a simpler and cheaper alternative: tap water.
INFO BOX: Varieties of water
Natural mineral water comes from underground water deposits and must be bottled at the source. It is the only food in Germany requiring government certification, and contains many minerals and trace elements.
Natural curative water contains an elevated level of minerals and has a scientifically proven therapeutic effect. Curative water in Germany is approved in line with drug-related legislation but is sold without a prescription.
Spring water is also bottled directly at its source. It is subject to the rules governing drinking water.
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