Why do people like to drink less water as they get older? How should the elderly drink water correctly?

Author: Xiangdong Jian, Chief Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University

Reviewer: Guo Shubin, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

The metabolism of the human body cannot be separated from water. Sometimes when we feel a little uncomfortable, others will suggest "drink more water". However, many elderly people do not like to drink water and think "I am not thirsty, so there is no need to drink so much water". In fact, this perception is wrong.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

1. Why do elderly people not like to drink water?

The amount of water that the elderly need every day is related to age, climate, activity intensity and drinking habits, and of course, it is also related to the physiological characteristics of the elderly. Excluding disease factors, there may be several reasons why the elderly do not like to drink water.

1. When the human body is dehydrated, the signal will be quickly transmitted to the brain, resulting in a feeling of thirst. However, the nerve reflexes of the elderly are not so sensitive, and the transmission of thirst signals is relatively slow. Therefore, even if the elderly's body is already in a "hunger and thirst" state, they may still not feel thirsty and thus do not want to drink water.

2. As they age, the body fluid balance of the elderly recovers relatively slowly. At the same time, their bladder function declines and their urine storage capacity decreases, which leads to frequent urination. Some elderly people with limited mobility will deliberately reduce their water intake in order to reduce the frequency of going to the toilet.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

2. What are the dangers of drinking less water for the elderly?

The various functions of the elderly's bodies are gradually weakening. If they do not drink enough water for a long time, they will become dehydrated and cause the following harms.

1. The blood circulation power is weakened, the blood flow rate is slowed down, and the blood viscosity is increased, which can easily cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as thrombosis and myocardial infarction.

2. If the body is dehydrated, the large intestine will absorb too much water from the feces, causing the feces of the elderly to become dry, which in turn leads to constipation.

3. Human eyes and lungs contain relatively more water, and are usually more sensitive to water shortage. Long-term water shortage may cause dry eyes and some lung diseases, and in severe cases may cause cataracts and emphysema in the elderly.

4. Lack of water will weaken the body's circulation and metabolic functions. If the lack of water is not corrected for a long time, it is easy to cause gallstones, arthritis and other diseases.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

3. Misconceptions about drinking water for the elderly and how to drink water healthily

For their own health, the elderly must learn to drink water scientifically, but also avoid misunderstandings about drinking water. Healthy drinking can start from the following aspects.

1. Be careful to drink water in the morning

More and more people are beginning to pay attention to their health problems and join the ranks of health care. However, many people have only a superficial understanding of certain knowledge. Take the first glass of water in the morning as an example. Most people drink a glass of boiled water after getting up in the morning, but in fact, drinking water in the morning also varies from person to person. For some people with cold constitutions, especially the elderly, it is not suitable to drink boiled water or cold milk, juice, etc. in the morning. For people with average constitutions, it is not recommended to drink light salt water, too thick broth or too salty wonton soup in the morning. You can replace it with warm boiled water or warm clear soup, white porridge and millet porridge.

2. Drink soup before meals to nourish the stomach

Drinking soup is also a way to replenish water. Use soup before meals to stimulate appetite, lubricate the stomach and intestines, and prepare for meals. For the elderly, eating an appropriate amount of soup before or after meals can help replenish water.

3. Replenish water from fruits and vegetables

Nutritional guidelines recommend that we eat 300 to 500 grams of fresh vegetables every day. The elderly should consider increasing their intake of dark vegetables to improve constipation and boost immunity.

4. Drink water proactively

The elderly should drink water regularly and in fixed amounts. They should not wait until they are thirsty to drink water, nor should they drink a lot of water at one time. The amount of water they drink every day should be based on their age, activity intensity, and the climate of the day. The daily water intake should be kept between 1500 and 2000 ml. However, elderly patients with heart disease or kidney disease need to follow the doctor's advice, because drinking too much water will increase the burden on the heart and kidneys, and may cause recurrence and aggravation of the underlying disease.

Drinking water may seem like a trivial matter, but it is closely related to our health, especially for the elderly whose physical functions are gradually weakening. Therefore, it is very necessary for the elderly to learn how to drink water scientifically. Timely and correct water replenishment can not only improve blood circulation, but also help the body to excrete waste in time and improve the body's immunity.