8 key facts

  1. water is an essential nutrient for life and health

    and a basic requirement for all living things

  2. 60% of the average human adult body is water

    water is key to all our organs and our bones as it makes up;

    90% of our blood plasma, 83% of our lungs, 79% of our kidneys, 79% of our muscles,

    73% of our brains, 73% of our hearts, 71% of our livers, 64% of our skin and 31% of our bones

  3. we can survive 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water

  4. a 2% loss of water causes us to feel thirsty

  5. even a 1% drop in hydration causes reduced cognitive performance and negatively affects our mood

  6. the signs of dehydration include: feeling thirsty, headaches, fatigue, lightheadedness, confusion, increased heart rate, overheating, muscle cramp, constipation, dry eyes, dry mouth, swollen tongue

  7. 8 glasses of water a day is a myth, age, gender, body mass, physical activity and climate, all need to be factored in

  8. the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends

    • an intake of 2.5 litres of water for men
    • and 2.0 litres of water for women per day,
    • via food and drink consumption

70-80% of the daily water intake should come from drinks

20-30% should come from food