| Why
don’t we drink more water?
 The answer is probably that it lacks appeal. There is too much
competition from other more interesting liquids. Coffee is a diuretic, so it actually
increases dehydration. Tea, especially green tea, is now recognised as a valuable
antioxidant but many people, and children in particular, still prefer sweet drinks. Fruit
juices, although valuable as a source of vitamin C, are effectively a food and
consequently fairly high in calories. Colas and concentrated syrups are bad for teeth and
carbonated mineral water is often high in sodium.
A new way
of taking the water
Give it flavour and
boost its health-giving properties is one answer. The
National Osteoporosis Society is endorsing a new product by Danone, which it says will
contribute to bone health. Danone Activ is a
bottled still water with added calcium. One litre contains 300 mg of calcium, the
equivalent of a 250g glass of milk. It will shortly be available in orange, apple and
blackcurrant flavours. These contain 49.5mg of sugar per litre, which is about half the
average content of most fruit drinks.
 The National Osteoporosis Society is keen to encourage us to
take in more calcium to build strong teeth and bones. With
age our bones start to thin - one in three women and one in twelve men over the age of 50
will suffer from osteoporosis. If untreated this
can cause painful and disabling fractures. As people lead less active and longer lives,
increasing numbers are developing osteoporosis.
So, if Danone’s
flavoured water encourages people to drink more, it may help lower the incidence of
osteoporosis, and possibly help protect us from the common cold too.
To view previous articles - see the laterlife-interest index page
|
Olive Braman
