We drink little water

In Spain men only consume 1.7 litres a day and women 1.6 litres, less than in other countries of central and northern Europe

The Royal European Academy of Doctors-Barcelona 1914 and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria celebrated on March 22, International Water Day, the debate “Hidratación y Salud en el Siglo XXI” (Hydration and Health in the 21th Century). The session was organized with the University Institute of Biomedical and Health Research of this university institution in the framework of the International Chair of Advanced Studies in Hydration.

The meeting hosted the presentation of a revealing study on water intake in Spain. The main conclusion is that men only consume 1.7 litres a day and women 1.6 litres a day, less than in other countries of central and northern Europe and much less than what the parameters of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) indicate, which establishes the consumption of 2.5 litres of water per day for the adult male population and of 2 litres per day for the adult female population.

The recommendations of the EFSA coincide with those set by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition, which establishes between 8 and 10 the number of glasses of water that must be consumed per day, since this constitutes about 60% of the organism. These values can be increased depending on the level of physical activity, environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity and physiological conditions. According to EFSA, between 70% and 80% of daily hydration should come from different types of drinks, preferably water, while between 20% and 30% is contributed through the intake of solid foods.

The act was moderated by Maria Àngels Calvo, full academician and president of the Health Sciences section of the RAED, and was also attended by academician Lluís Serra Majem, director of the Chair and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health from the University of Las Palmas, who explained the relationship between hydration and health. The academician raised the current challenges of water management in all sectors, particularly those related to water for agriculture, for sustainable cities, for the reduction of the risk of natural disasters and those of water quality. Coinciding with the publication of the World Report on the Development of Water Resources of the United Nations 2018, the Chair wants to join collective efforts to promote the sustainable use of water.

The academician Javier Aranceta, meanwhile, presented the current healthy hydration recommendations and, specifically, the hydration recommendations for the Spanish population. The session was also attended by Rafael Urrialde, Nutrition and Health Director of Coca-Cola Iberia, who offered the vision of the industry, and Faustino Muñoz, sommelier and director of Colmado Quílez, who addressed the theme “El agua en la cocina y en la restauración” (Water in the kitchen and the catering sector). The International Chair of Advanced Studies in Hydration was born in October 2016 and develops from the legacy of the European Hydration Institute, recently dissolved.