Research has revealed that nearly three quarters of Welsh residents (74%) drink less than half of the recommended daily fluid intake.
The survey, commissioned by Wales’ leading bottled water brand Brecon Carreg, polled 1,000 people in Wales on their daily water drinking habits.
Only 7% of people in Wales drink the recommended daily water intake which is 2 litres for women and 2.5 litres for men via food and drink consumption, according to the European Food Safety Authority*.
Data also revealed that nearly 63% of Welsh residents are totally unaware of the amount of water the average person should consume each day.
People are also unclear as to exactly what is classified as water consumption, with nearly half unsure as to whether tea and coffee counts as part of daily water intake and with only 30% of people correctly answering that food can contribute to a person’s water intake.
Ian Beattie, marketing manager at Brecon Carreg, said:
“As the survey shows, Welsh residents are clearly unsure as to the amount of water they should consume each day as part of a healthy lifestyle.
“Alongside this, there is certainly work to be done to educate them as to what actually counts as water consumption, as it’s not just about drinking glass after glass of the stuff each day – food can count too.
“Having said this, while all fluid consumed counts towards this two litre target, water is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate as it contains no calories or sugar.”
Dr Emma Derbyshire, adviser to the Natural Hydration Council, said:
“It is surprising that more people don’t opt for water to keep them well hydrated. Water is extremely beneficial for the human body – it carries nutrients to cells, helps to remove waste products from our major organs and helps to regulate our body’s temperature. As well as being important for health, water is also calorie-free.
“To find out more about how much water you should consume, some top tips to help get you there and for more water facts, please call 08452 100 222 or visit http://www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk/.”
The research was conducted in December 2014 by Brecon Carreg and surveyed 1,000 respondents who currently live in Wales.
*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. Of this, they suggest that 70-80% of the daily water intake should come from drinks, and the remaining 20-30% should come from food. This is supported by the NHS** who recommends that women should drink eight 200ml glasses and men should drink 10 200ml glasses of fluid per day.
* http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1459.htm
** http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/water-drinks.aspx
