MILAN – Water has always been a basic element for health, together with correct eating habits. One of world’s most pressing problems at this time is the high rate of obesity, which increases every year: for example, in Italy it affects 10% of the population. According to the study conducted by Nicola Sorrentino, a lecturer in Nutritional Hygiene from the University of Pavia, drinking water before meals helps us lose weight and maintain that loss over time, triggering specific metabolic processes.
National Day of Hydration
The experts in the sector, on the occasion of Expo 2015, put forward the request to institute a National Day of Hydration to the Ministry of Health; a proposal also supported by Nicola Sorrentino, lecturer and expert from the San Pellegrino Research Unit:” Water – states Sorrentino – is a basic element of life. The correct intake will help you lead a healthy and longer life, facilitating the prevention and elimination of many illnesses. Therefore, it is only right to institute a National Day of Hydration”.
The problem of obesity
Obesity concerns over 600 million people in the world: “Correct nutrition – adds the expert – plays a very important role in combatting excess weight and adequate hydration also makes a difference. Water is at the base of the food pyramid and according to the guidelines, we must consume 1 ml of water for every kilocalorie consumed. New discoveries underline its basic role in the metabolism of food and how useful the elements contained in this water of life are”.
The advantages of proper hydration
Recently, our country has left millions of Italians gasping for breath, keeling over in the intense heat, with water playing an important role in hydrating the body: “Water is important for the respiration, digestion, circulation, for transporting nutrients, for eliminating waste and for the thermoregulation of the body. It serves to maintain the elasticity of the tissues, lubricate the joints and cushion against any impact to the brain and spinal cord. You only have to lose 1% of your weight in water in order to suddenly feel more tired, less responsive, and less able to work or study. If the loss rises to 5%, you can experience muscle cramps and weakness; if this reaches 10%, it will put your life at risk".
