Meet the Body's Liquid Needs with Fresh Water, Not Taste

Experts recommend to meet the needs of liquids with fresh drinking water, not colored or flavored water. Healthy hydration is the adequacy of the volume of water in the body that is adjusted between the needs and characteristics of the fluid (chemical / physical / biological) so that it does not cause health problems.

The publication of Liq.in 7 (European Journal of Nutrition) 2018 shows 78 percent of children, 79 percent of adolescents, 72 percent of adults from a total of 3,644 participants have fulfilled their fluid needs. In fulfilling the liquid, fresh water is a contributor to total fluid intake for all ages (76 to 81 percent).

However, Indonesian people are still high in consuming sugary drinks which are shown by 24 percent of children, 41 percent of adolescents, and 33 percent of adults consume 1 portion (250 ml) of sugary drinks per day. Professor in the field of Nutrition from Arizona State University, USA, Prof. Stavros A Kavouras said the results of the Liq.in 7 study showed that Indonesian people already had an awareness of fulfilling healthy hydration.

"The total fluid intake of the Indonesian people has increased, but this has been accompanied by an increase in sugary drink intake. Excessive intake of sugary drinks can significantly increase the risk of obesity, diabetes mellitus and can cause other diseases, such as the kidneys, "he said after a press conference of The 2nd Indonesian Hydration and Health Conference (IH2C), in Jakarta, Wednesday (7/11).

The Chairman of the Indonesia Hydration Working Group (IHWG) Prof. Budi Wiweko said that the awareness of the people in Indonesia about the importance of drinking water is strongly influenced by geographical location and socioeconomic status, and also the availability of safe drinking water access. To meet fluid needs, he recommends consuming two liters or eight glasses for adults, 2.5 liters for pregnant women, 2.7 to 2.8 liters for nursing mothers, and six glasses for children.

"Drinking can be divided from morning, afternoon and evening. The best drink does not drink within four hours because urine production is four hours should have been urinating, four to five hours not urinating means we are not drinking enough, "he said.

He said the total water intake of two liters was only calculated as fresh water, not including tea and coffee or other playing drinks, except coffee and the tea was very runny. In tea or strong coffee, the water component is very little, especially if added with sugar.

"So it is recommended that tea without sugar, coffee without sugar, milk without sugar," he said.