How much water you should drink in the summer

founder of the International Institute of Integrative Nutritionology

How much water should I drink a day when it is hot outside?

Drinking regimen in summer is somewhat different from the usual, when the body uses 1.5-2 liters of water per day. At higher ambient temperatures, we need one and a half times more liquid, so replenish the water balance more often.

How to calculate your water requirement in the heat of the day

If the average need for liquid is 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight, then in the heat the norm should be increased to 40 ml per 1 kg. In addition, the hotter the weather, the more a person sweats and loses fluid, which means that it is rational to add an additional 400 to 600 ml of water to your norm to avoid dehydration.

In the heat you should drink at the onset of thirst, and it is better to drink 100 ml every hour – to be sure. Thirst is the main signal of dehydration. You can find out if your body is thirsty by using the “sip test”: take a few sips of water every hour and assess how you feel. Water should always be in plain sight so that you don’t forget to drink.

Sufficient drinking in the heat will help maintain the water balance of the body, protect against fluid retention and edema.

The best option for quenching thirst – clean water with a temperature of 15-20 degrees, most often this is the temperature of room water. For quenching thirst are also suitable not strong green tea, homemade morses and compotes without sugar, plant milk.

But from cold water in hot weather is better to refuse. Why – read in the material.

For optimal water balance is also recommended to compensate for the loss of salts and trace elements that come out with sweat. For this purpose, mineral water is suitable. For the daily quenching of thirst, choose table or therapeutic table mineral water. Mineral waters have a beneficial effect on digestion, are good for the liver, improve metabolism.

What is the danger of dehydration

Dehydration of the body is commonly understood as a condition where the water balance is below normal. If this indicator has fallen by only 2-3%, you can already notice its unpleasant manifestations:

• dizziness and weakness;
• palpitations;
• pale skin;
• difficulty swallowing saliva;
• swollen tongue;
• swelling (the body’s way of trying to retain precious moisture);
• loss of coordination;
• leg cramps, and more.

These symptoms should never be ignored, as a water balance 20% below normal can kill a person.

Nevertheless, it is not worth abusing water during the heat, especially for people with chronic hypertension and renal failure. They need to reduce fluid intake and adhere to the recommendations of the attending physician.

Healthy people also need to remember about moderation and do not drink a liter of water in a volley, otherwise it will be fraught with heaviness and discomfort in the stomach, as well as increased stress on the kidneys.

In the heat I recommend to refuse carbonated, caffeinated and sweet drinks, which provoke insulin spikes and only increase thirst.

And about the drinks that will help quench thirst without harm to health, told in the article.