Healthy drinking in old ageIt jumps out at you everywhere:
Water is healthy! But why actually? What does water do in our body and why is it especially important in the Age so important to drink enough and healthy? We explain the medical background and reveal tips and tricks on how to drink more deliciously and more frequently to do your body good. "Drinking enough every day" sounds so simple, but it is often quite difficult to carry out.
What does the human body need water for??
Due to metabolism and evaporation through the skin go in an adult person lose about 2.5 liters per day – a quantity of water that must also be returned to the body. We consume just under half of it automatically about the solid food again to us, for example 1.5 liters are allotted to drinks.
The human organism consists of About 60 percent water, our brain even about 80. Inside the body it fulfills vital functions. Water is a component of all cells and bodily fluids and acts, among other things, as a transport medium Transport and solvent. With the help of water, urinary substances and toxins are eliminated and the body is cleansed.
Water is also a reaction partner in biochemical processes, necessary for the Regulation of body temperature as well as for Swelling of the porridge in the intestine. Some organs constantly excrete fluid that must be returned to the body. If this does not happen in sufficient form, one feels Thirst. Unfortunately, however, the sense of thirst in particular diminishes with age.
Over time, the body also loses its ability to store water. In this way, the body of seniors only exists to 40 to 50 % from water. This is normal as far as it goes, but since the body has less water storage must pay particular attention to hydration in old age sufficient water supply be respected.
The lack of fluids in seniors, which one hears about so often and which is also often called dehydration or exsiccosis is called has two causes. On the one hand, too little is drunk, on the other hand, the body loses more fluid during metabolism.
How much fluid should one consume per day?
As rough rule of thumb healthy people can count on 30 – 40 ml of water per kilogram of body weight. Thus, a lady weighing 60 kg should drink about 2 liters per day, a gentleman weighing 80 kg about 3 liters of liquid in the form of beverages. For seniors, the guideline is at least 1.3 liters, but better 1.5 liters of fluid per day. This corresponds to about 6 glasses or large cups.
External factors also play a major role in the amount of water needed. The warmer it is, the more we sweat and the more fluid we lose through the skin. to make up for the water deficit. To keep our body functioning properly.
In the case of illness special attention must be paid to fluid intake. Diarrhea or Vomiting deprive the body of water, which normally cannot be reabsorbed as quickly due to discomfort. Here one should pay attention in the follow-up increasingly to sufficient and healthy drinking. The need for water can also be increased in the case of strong mobility, for example in the case of dementia or restlessness (also in the case of bedridden people) as well as by taking medication.
However, those who suffer chronically from Kidney or heart diseases may need to reduce the amount they drink. Please always talk to your Doctor About that for you correct measure.
How do I notice that I am not drinking enough??
The first symptoms include Dry mouth and thick memory, Constipation, Loss of appetite and Fatigue. If the water deficit becomes even greater, the head begins to ache, the body temperature increases and there is a threat of Headache and confusion.
Before it comes so far, however, there is a simple self-test, which is very revealing. Because at the latest on the toilet one can quite simply at the Color of the urine check if you have drunk enough. If this is dark yellow, the body lacks water, is the urine champagne, the water balance is right. However, should you discover irregularities here and excrete significantly smaller or much larger quantities than usual over a longer period of time, please be sure to consult your doctor.
Drinking enough is especially important in old age! The body changes over time. This is especially noticeable in the performance of the kidneys. The aging kidney needs more water than before to be able to cleanse the blood, which must be urine concentration capacity is reduced. Thus, in order to excrete toxins properly, the kidney consumes proportionately more water. Water often not added to the body.
In old age the feeling of thirst decreases. There are several reasons for this: On the one hand, the Fear of going to the toilet, incontinence or prostate problems prevent sufficient and healthy drinking. On the other hand, the communication between the receptors in the stomach wall and the brain changes. New studies show that although the sensation of thirst is the same in young and old, the receptors in the older subjects are a feeling of satiety much faster report to the brain, which prevents water intake and continued drinking. The consequence: If you are not thirsty, you often do not drink and thus do not drink enough.
Tips for tasty drinking
Let's face it, plain water is sometimes a bit boring and depending on what region you live in, tap water doesn't taste very tasty either. Good that there are a few Tips and tricks that make drinking a little more exciting and entice us to, more liquid To take to us than originally thought. It is true that the more varied the offer, the more we drink.
Taste homemade: Spice up your water. You like mint. Raspberries? Great! Just fill up a small glass carafe with fresh water and add
sliced herbs or fruit There are no limits to your taste and ideas here: Lemon, orange, apple and also strawberries with kitchen herbs such as basil, rosemaryand mint are well suited. The water will be naturally flavored and the healthy water-soluble Vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals go into the water. Store the drink in the refrigerator for a day or two, or simply take the homemade vitamin water with you in a drinking bottle for on the go. Taste through juice: You don't feel like doing it yourself? Of course, ready-made juices from the supermarket are also suitable for mixing with water. Make sure here, however, that it is
one hundred percent fruit juices without added sugar. Ideal is a Mixing ratio of 1 to 4. So for every quarter of juice, there are three quarters of water (tap or mineral water). This drink is at the same time isotonic and can be absorbed by the body very quickly. Fluid through food. Include more juice in your diet delicious soups or stews In addition to healthy vegetables, you automatically consume a lot of fluid, which has a positive effect on your water balance. Non-alcoholic beer instead of water: Do you like non-alcoholic beer? This is also suitable to improve the water balance of the body. However, the sodium content here is lower than in a juice spritzer and also the
Calories should not be underestimated. Before you drink nothing at all, however, a non-alcoholic beer is still better than nothing.
Little tricks for drinking enough in everyday life
You like to drink healthy, but something always gets in the way? Habits can sometimes be difficult to change, but maybe you can trick yourself – For the good. Small reminders around the home or one of the following tips can already help you increase the amount of drinks you drink each day.
With food also comes a drink! It facilitates digestion. Gives your organs working material. Even if you're in a restaurant or cafe: Always order something to drink with it. Just because you paid for it, you don't like to leave your drink undrunk… Better to have it all at once than not at all: For some, it's easier to drink glass of waterat once Drink more than sipping it over and over again, which is when you tend to forget to do so. So whenever you think of it, fill yourself with a 0.2-liter glass and drink it down in just a few puffs. But it should not be more, because the stomach can not process more water at once. Technology helps! If you keep forgetting to drink enough, you may have a Alarm clock, A Cell phone reminder or a App (z. B. "Water drinking alarm clock""Water drinking alarm clock" help remind you! You like it more classic? As a first step, simply note down each day your amount of water drunk, then you may already see if you are drinking enough or if it hangs at certain times of the day. If you then know your habits, you can then take a Drinking schedule put up and hang on the refrigerator. Then your daily target keeps jumping out at you. Colored cup or favorite cupPerhaps it will help you to buy yourself a particularly beautiful cup or glass, which you will then gladly and frequently use to drink from. Colored cups can be straight Dementia sufferers help to remind them to drink again and again.
Do alcohol and coffee also contribute to a healthy water balance??
Several studies now show that Coffee is not a liquid thief and positively supports your fluid balance. Coffee does have a slight diuretic effect, but this is due to the amount of water taken in and less to the caffeine. According to the German Heart Foundation, blood prere rises by about 10 to 20 mmHG in the next 30 minutes after coffee consumption, but coffee in turn lowers the risk of diabetes. A moderate consumption of coffee and black tea is therefore healthy!
The situation is different with alcohol. Since Alcohol If alcohol is primarily a poison for the body, it needs a lot of water in order to flush out the toxin as quickly as possible via the kidneys. Thus the body deprived of much fluid, what you have to make up for through increased healthy drinking. Alcohol therefore has a negative effect on your fluid balance.
How do you manage, drink enough and healthy? You may also have some tips of your own that you would like to share? We are excited. Glad to hear your comment.