The nutritionist Elisabetta Bernardi explains how proper hydration can be an important help for the well-being of women, from pregnancy to menopause, to skin health.
Element as natural as it is essential for our life: water is an ally of women in particular, both from the point of view of health and as a real source of beauty. "Drinking the right amount of water, around 8 glasses, throughout the day has a positive impact on our psycho-physical health - explains Dr. Elisabetta Bernardi, Biologist specializing in Food Science and a member of the Sanpellegrino Observatory - It can help to keep the mind and body in shape, to aid the digestion and hydration of the skin and to play a very important role during certain phases of the life of women, from pregnancy to menopause ".
Water and body: the real secret of beauty
Water as a beauty secret? Our skin is made of 80% and one of the main causes of skin sensitization that leads to loss of elasticity is its dehydration. Proper hydration also has a regenerating function for the skin because it gives it brightness, in addition to removing impurities and delaying aging. "When our body is not properly hydrated, our skin tends to present a dry, opaque and taut state, contributing to the appearance of the first wrinkles" - underlines Dr. Bernardi. Proper hydration is very important, not only for the health and appearance of our skin, but for the impact it has on our body from a psycho-physical point of view: "Already in a condition of moderate dehydration, with a loss of about 2% of body weight - continues Dr. Bernardi - it is possible to incur episodes of fatigue, headaches, loss of visual acuity and concentration. Remembering to drink water throughout the day, without waiting for the stimulation of thirst, helps keep our water balance and consequently remain active during our daily activities ".
Pregnancy and menopause: this is how the woman's water needs change
Pregnancy and menopause are delicate phases in the life of every woman, in which the need to prefer a healthy lifestyle, consisting of a healthy diet and proper hydration, increases. During these phases it is necessary to introduce waters rich in calcium, but low in sodium1. "During the pregnancy and lactation period, for example - underlines Dr. Bernardi - the need for proper hydration inevitably increases. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends increasing the intake of water to 300ml / day for pregnant women and 700ml / day during breastfeeding. "
During the period of menopause it is possible that in some women problems related to insomnia arise: "Although apparently there seems to be no connection between the quality of our sleep and the proper hydration, in reality, according to a recent study, the short duration of our sleep is often associated with poor hydration. Another demonstration of how water is an important ally for our health at three hundred and sixty degrees ", concludes Dr. Bernardi.