The ideal is to drink at least a liter and a half / two liters of water during the day and not only when you are thirsty. People who do sports, who sweat a lot, or who work in the heat should drink larger amounts of water. When we are hot you should never drink cold water to avoid the risk of congestion, the refreshing feeling of the fresh water is apparent, shortly after, for sweating reappears thirst should never drink too much water all at once, you have to drink in small sips several times and it is preferable to drink water at room temperature. It 'a good habit to drink one or two glasses of water after an overnight fast, and one or two in the evening before going to bed. Drink before meals, if you are on a diet, helps to fill the stomach and decrease appetite. It can also drink water during meals, provided in a non-excessive (up to half a liter), so as not to slow digestion.
When we drink water we bring to our body trace elements such as calcium, sodium, iron, magnesium, sulfur, bicarbonate, fluoride mineral waters that are on the market are not all equal. Their characteristics depend on the minerals that are dissolved in it, it is important to choose one that best suits our needs as well as to our tastes.
The waters that originate from an underground aquifer can be defined as "minerals" when they are recognized as such by the Ministry of Health, through chemical and physical analysis and microbiological (depending on the composition, purity and quality) that determine the main characteristics of 'water. Any chemical treatment that alters the composition of the water is prohibited: mineral waters must be bacteriologically pure and free of contaminants; must then be bottled as their source. The only possible treatment is the addition of carbon dioxide to make carbonated. They differ from drinking water tap, which can be taken from lakes, rivers or superficial layers and can be subjected to treatment (for example the addition of chlorine) to make it drinkable.
What makes a mineral water different from another is its source of origin and minerals that it drags in its underground path between the rocks, before gushing from a spring. The amount of mineral salts present in the water is detected by a parameter that takes the name of "Residue", which is the amount of mineral salts that remain deposited, after which one liter of water is evaporated at 180 ° C. Depending on the content of minerals, mineral waters are classified as:
Slightly mineralized with a fixed residue of less than 50 mg / l are very light, promote diuresis and elimination of small kidney stones
- MICROINGREDIENTS with a fixed residue of less than 500 mg / l. Their reduced mineral salt content makes them suitable for everyday use, also promote diuresis and contain little sodium
- MINERALS with a fixed residue between 500 and 1000 mg / l. In these waters, the mineral salt content is rather high, for this reason it is not advisable to drink more than one liter per day, is appropriate in fact alternate day in their consumption with that of mineral waters.
- RICH IN MINERALS with a fixed residue of more than 1500 mg / l.Dato that have a high salt content, should be drunk for healing purposes and on the advice of the doctor
For people who play sports, you may want to drink mineral water, which allows it to replenish fluids in addition to even the minerals lost during exercise. The amount varies according to the sport practiced, its duration and the climatic conditions (if it's hot, you need to drink more!), Roughly ranging from 1.5 to 3 liters per day. For the sportsman is important calcium intake for the solidity of the bone, for muscle contraction, for the transmission of the nervous impulse, the intake of magnesium and potassium for muscle contraction, sodium and chlorine for the budget water, the iron to avoid a sense of fatigue due to its deficiency.
If high blood pressure should choose mineral water, low in sodium, which promotes diuresis. For people who suffer from kidney stones are shown minimally mineralized water or unoligomineral, which favors the elimination of waste.
To aid digestion are a valuable aid mineral waters of bicarbonate-sulfate, because these two minerals favor the action of digestive enzymes and lower the acidity of the intestine.
For women at risk for osteoporosis, and in any case in all situations that require an increased intake of calcium (pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, elderly, intolerance to milk and dairy products in general) may be appropriate to take a water rich in calcium, preferably alternating with mineralized water.
We define a water "natural" when it is not carbonated, actually all mineral waters are natural in the sense that their source as they are, the water "smooth" is that no bubbles, the "soda" is added with dioxide carbon, water "naturally sparkling" is already slightly sparkling to the source. The carbonated water can aid digestion and promote a sense of fullness, due to expansion of the stomach, is to be avoided in case of problems with bloating or abdominal swelling
Let's look to the label in order to choose the most suitable mineral water to our needs; we must take into account the various parameters that are shown on the label of the bottles on the market:
- Fixed residue (mineral salt content after the evaporation of 1 liter of water at 180 °), the more this value is low, the more the water is light
- pH indicates the degree of acidity of the water, a pH below 7 indicates acidic water, a pH of 7 indicates water neutral, a pH above 7 indicates alkaline water, acidic water aids digestion, alkaline waters help to re-balance the acidity of the stomach
- Temperature (in degrees C) water bottling
- Dissolved substances are minerals present in a liter of water
- Bottled water has to have a low value of nitrates and the absence of nitrite
- Bottled water should be bacteriologically pure
- The expiration date indicates the date by which it is advisable to consume water Bottled water should be stored in a cool place, away from light and heat of the sun, which can alter the characteristics of the water.