Natural Hydration Council AGM

A key part of 2012 will be generating awareness amongst media and stakeholders of the NHC Scientific Panel. The panel is one of the most important elements of the NHC; everything communicated by the NHC is based on science, approved by the panel, and the panel is also responsible for identifying new research as well as any gaps, that might require further research.

The NHC Scientific Panel is made up of four leading experts in nutrition and hydration:

• Professor Tom Sanders, Chair of Nutrition and Dietetics at Kings College London. He has published over 250 scientific articles, super-​vised more than 16 PhDs and received over £10 million in research grants, and is a published author.

• Dr Emma Derbyshire, a leading nutritionist and member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists. Emma is an active researcher, specialising in maternal nutrition, and has conducted advisory work with both industrial and pharmaceutical companies. She is also the author of the NHC consumer factsheets.

• Florence Constant Medical Doctor, PhD, responsible for research programme on Hydration within Nestlé Waters. Florence’s scientific and medical qualifications are extensive and she regularly participates in worldwide discussions regarding the latest research available.

• Viviane de la Guéronnière, who is in charge of health affairs at Danone Research. She is a physician and specialist in public health. Previously, she worked in areas such as water health effects: physiology of water, food behaviour and mineral metabolism.

The organisation will also complement their panel with a number of experts, including Professor Paul Gately – to assist in communicating the NHC’s hydration message.

After the meeting an informal reception was held and attended by many people who had worked with the NHC throughout 2011. NHC general manager, Kinvara Carey presented the organisations highlights of 2011 which included a school hydration survey, which showed that drinking water for 14 days could improve children’s concentration and ability to perform and feedback from the ‘Hydration and Health’ leaflets that were distributed to 6,000 GP surgeries and were judged as informative and easy to understand. It was also revealed that this year, the NHC has generated 223 positive articles in the media, with an advertising equivalent of £238,000.

The day ended with an insightful and engaging presentation by Professor Tom Sanders based on his soon-​to-​be-​published ‘Water Review’. He talked about the vital role that water plays in terms of healthy hydration with particular reference to its importance for maintaining optimal cognitive function, and the specific hydration needs of vulnerable groups such as the young and the elderly. He also discussed the scientific evidence of water’s beneficial or preventative role in some specific medical scenarios including lowering the risk of colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Source: Natural Hydration Council

• If you enjoyed this article, you may also like this: Natural Hydration Council and Dr Hilary Jones on hydration

See also

Latest news

• US consumption of bottled water shows significant growth
• Highlights from the 4^th Africa Water Week 2012
• Production starts at Nestlé Waters’ new factory in Buxton
• Nestlé Waters extends relationship with Hipcricket
• Eco-​Safe begins distribution to international markets