Why is it important for children to learn to drink water? here the answers

We are 70% water. Our body needs this liquid element to be able to live. And today on World Water Day, we explain the reasons why as children we should create the habit of staying hydrated.

“Water is part of us in our composition. We need it for different processes. For example, so that the blood has a good composition”, comments nutritionist Sylvia Rodriguez. In addition, she indicates that drinking it is not something that can be negotiated, we simply need it to live.

For her, it is very important to take care of water because it is part of us and because thanks to it we can have food that will help us meet nutritional requirements. “Clean water is needed for plants to grow. In addition, being a basic element for us, without it, our food could not develop. Nor could there be forests that help us to have oxygen. In fact, without this, we could not coexist with other species“, Explain.

Create habit from childhood

The nutrition specialist indicates that it is important for children to stay hydrated because they are in constant physical activity and that makes them lose body fluids. “By not drinking water, they will not be able to replenish the fluids that are lost through sweat and urine. In addition, it could cause them to suffer from constipation.he adds.

Rodriguez comments that if the habit of drinking pure water is not instilled, it could lead to children not recognizing their sensations of thirst or hunger. “They would drink water only when the degree of thirst was very strong and that would mean that they are already dehydrated. You are not working on the sensations of real hunger or thirst, but when you are already at the extreme”, he argues.

Sylvia Rodriguez adds that children should not be given soft drinks, but rather get them used to staying hydrated with pure water. “Soft drinks contain many sugars that the child does not need. The ingredients they have are not going to nourish them“, Add.

To create the habit of hydration, you can resort to other drinks free of added sugar, such as fruity waters, cold or warm infusions, vegetable drinks, among others. But it will always be better to drink pure water to keep us hydrated.

How to take care of the water

Nutritionist Sylvia Rodriguez, who also leads a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle, explains that we can take care of her in different ways. From taking short showers, not wasting food, not consuming fast fashion, to reducing the consumption of animals.

“Livestock need a lot of water. For a kilo of beef, about 15,000 liters of water are needed. For a kilo of pork, around 6000 liters of water; for a kilo of chicken meat you need 4300 liters of water, for a kilo of lentils you need 25 liters of water; and a kilo of wheat 500 liters of water”, he highlights. As evidenced, much less water is needed for vegetable proteins.