Professor Umberto Solimene of the Sanpellegrino Observatory offers some tips to face the heat of the summer season, this year characterized by frequent temperature fluctuations.
That of 2018 is a capricious summer, with continuous climatic changes that bring up and down the mercury column of the thermometer: sun, heat, humidity and mugginess give way to sudden and intense downpours causing a temporary lowering of temperatures before cyclically returning to the more classic seasonal climate. Changes in temperature that are not good for our body, put to the test not only by unstable climatic conditions but also by the continuous transitions from warm environments to places made cooler by air conditioning, often regenerating on the hottest days, but at the same time a trap for our health and - in particular - for the respiratory system.
In this scenario, a valid help to help maintain the well-being of our body can come from water. On the one hand, a good hydration contributes to keeping our respiratory tract healthy, protecting its epithelium and promoting the activation of natural defense mechanisms (mucociliary activity), on the other hand, to replenish lost fluids by increasing sweating due to high temperature. Just think that the lost liquids are recovered for about 80% through the water we drink. However, a decrease corresponding to 2% of the weight is sufficient to begin to feel the negative effects due to having drunk too little: exhaustion, headaches, cramps, tachycardia, and in more extreme cases loss of knowledge and circulatory collapse, are some of disturbances that may occur.
“Most of the water present in the body is of exogenous origin, ie it is introduced with drinks and food. Drinking more, avoiding too cold water and alcohol, and trying to limit coffee and sugary drinks are some useful tips to better face this period, with the aim of hydrating properly and replenishing the liquids and minerals lost to cause of increased sweating. It is important to drink frequently, throughout the day, without getting thirsty which is actually the first symptom of water stress. Together with an adequate diet, water also contributes to the elimination of the toxin load and to improve and strengthen our health. ", Explains Professor Umberto Solimene, of the University of Milan, member of the Sanpellegrino Observatory, President of FEMTEC , World Federation of Thermalism.
A good habit is not to wait for the thirst stimulus - which is activated when the loss of water exceeds 0,5% of body weight - but to drink constantly throughout the day. A simple but fundamental gesture, even more so for the elderly and children, particularly "at risk" categories due to a lower efficiency of the stimulus of thirst and the mechanisms of compensation for the water balance. In children, for example, the sense of thirst is less developed than in adults, which is why it is essential to educate them to drink properly from an early age, so that the simple gesture of frequent drinking a glass or bottle of water becomes a normal part of the their daily habits.
Deepening
SAN PELLEGRINO is the leading beverage company in Italy, with mineral waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs, cold drinks and teas. Its products, a synthesis of well-being, health and balance, are present in 150 Countries through branches and distributors spread across the five continents.
Sanpellegrino, as the main producer of mineral water, has always been committed to the enhancement of this primary asset for the planet and works with responsibility and passion to guarantee this resource a quality future. A commitment that also passes through the promotion of the importance of proper hydration: Sanpellegrino in fact supports and spreads the principles of psycho-physical well-being linked to the correct consumption of water, becoming the spokesman of "education to hydration" through a program that promotes the daily consumption of the correct amount of water, according to different needs and lifestyles.