Drinks6

On this page

• Water
• Coffee
• Alcohol

Water

Did you know that water is the largest single component of the human body? It compromises about 60% of body weight in young adults. That’s one of the reasons why it’s important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. For healthy adults with a sedentary lifestyle in a temperate climate, the average daily water balance is estimated to be approximately 2500 ml. But the food we eat every day contain on average 1000 to 1500 ml water per day, so we don’t need to drink 2500 ml water per day.

We should drink about 6 to 8 glasses (1000-1200 ml) of water, or fluids, every day to stop us getting dehydrated. Mild dehydration defined as a 1% to 2% loss of body weight caused by fluid losses result in headache, fatigue, loss of appetite and vertigo. If you do any exercise and you dehydrate with 1% to 2% your performance will go down with approximately 20%.

Coffee

Studies show that coffee is reported to increase the amount of urine excretion in habitual coffee drinkers, even when drinking the same amount of liquid. Also strong tea seems to have a light diuretic effect7. So remember to drink more pure water, if your having coffee and strong tea.

Also coffee and tea contain tannins that may reduce the absorption of non-haeme iron. Therefore, people with iron deficiency may benefit from avoiding drinking coffee and tea with your main meals.

If you drink coffee go for boiled coffee that has been filtered. Boiled, unfiltered coffee raises total and LDL (the bad cholesterol) because coffee beans contain a terpenoid lipid called cafestol. The amount of cafestol in the cup depends on the brewing method. There is nothing in paper-filtered drip coffee, but it’s high in the unfiltered coffee8.

So just enjoy a good mug of coffee, but if you want to think about you health, choose the boiled filtered coffee, or why not give the herbal tea a try- you might be surprised.

Alcohol

There is nothing wrong with the occasional drink! Actually, modest alcohol intakes may be beneficial e.g. a glass of red wine, because it contains antioxidants and other good stuff. There is convincing evidence that low to moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of CHD (heart disease).

However, other cardiovascular and health risks associated with alcohol do not favour a general recommendation for its use as a preventive measure9. Another good reason why your alcohol consumption should be low is the damage alcohol can do to you liver and all the other organs of the body. Your liver uses a lot of energy to detoxify alcohol, instead that energy should be used on its other very important functions.

Alcohol is also rich in calories as 1 gram alcohol contains 30 KJ or 7 kcal. For example, one pint of beer provides 1045 kJ (250 kcal), so the heavy drinker will be unable to lose weight if he or she continues to drink 3 or 4 pints a night or 10 pints at the weekend10.

To burn off one pint you need to go cycling for around 30 minutes. Surprised?
The daily alcohol maximum for women is 2 to 3 units a day and for men the maximum is 3 to 4 units a day11.
How much is 1 unit? 1 unit of alcohol (8g) is equivalent to half a pint, or 1 single measure (25 ml spirit), or 1 glass of wine, or 1 glass of sherry.

References

6, 7: Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2004 - Integrating Nutrition and Phyiscal Activity, 4th Edition. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen 2004. ISBN: 9289310626
8, 9: Human Nutrition 2005, Eleventh Edition by Cather Geisller and Hilary Powers. Churchill Livingstone. ISBNL 0443073562
10, 11: Clinical Medicine 2005, Sixth Edition by Parveen Kumar and Michael Clark. Elservier Saunders. ISBN: 0702027634