Abu Dhabi: As temperatures soar, cultivating a healthy habit of drinking water is the key to staying healthy. A range of factors like age, weight and gender determine how much water an individual should consume on a daily basis.
Most residents, however, do not drink water until they are already dehydrated, doctors told Gulf News.
“Water plays such an essential role in maintaining numerous human bodily functions, and a lack of water wreaks havoc on major organs. People, however, have a very bad habit of only drinking water when they are thirsty. But thirst is not a good sign, as it means the body is already dehydrated,” Dr Mohsen Elmakresh, chief of urology and chair of surgery at the Mafraq Hospital in the capital, told Gulf News.
Nearly two litres of water are recommended every day for most adults over the age of 18 years. This water should be consumed throughout the day, Dr Elmakresh said. In addition, higher environmental temperatures, as in the summer months, as well as sports and other vigorous activities, increase the human body’s need for water.
“Unfortunately, I find that nearly 40 per cent of my patients are constantly dehydrated, only drinking water when they feel thirsty,” he added.
Water is known to compose about 90 per cent of the human body mass, and is necessary for regulating body temperature so that organs can function properly. It also aids in the transport of nutrients and oxygen to body cells, as well as the removal of toxic wastes from them.
“Our blood, organs and joints all need water. This is why not drinking enough results in frequent muscle cramps, lower backaches, constipation and headaches. In addition, people can also find it harder to get enough sleep when they are not drinking water,” Dr Elmakresh explained.
Dr Nadia Bouziane, general practitioner at the HealthPlus Family Centre, said most of her patients consumed much of their daily fluids through vegetables and fruits.
This kind of fluid intake, however, only provides 20 per cent of the total fluid people need every day, Dr Elmakresh explained.
“Drinking plain water is still very important. People who do not maintain this habit are likely to develop painful stones in their kidney, or suffer from very uncomfortable urinary tract infections,” he warned.
People who drink more than five glasses of water per day are also 40 per cent less likely to die of heart attacks, a six-year study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology had revealed, Dr Elmakresh added.
Water also has numerous other health benefits, such as aiding weight loss, reducing the effects of aging and reducing the long-term risk of developing colon or bladder cancer.
When asked whether fresh juices could be consumed to replace water, Dr Elmakresh advised against it.
“You may drink a lot of juice, but must still drink water at all times. Some patients even say they drink tea and coffee instead of water. This risk, however, is that these beverages are diuretic (causing the passing of urine) and cause you to lose water quicker,” he explained.
With Ramadan just a few days away, the doctor also advised residents to develop healthy water habits.
— With additional inputs from Maisoon Mubarak, Intern at Gulf News
