Photo: Gabriele Diwald
The majority of people in the UK (59.4%) drink just one glass of water or less a day, and more than 80% of the population (81.8%) drink no more than two glasses a day.
This is according to new findings revealed at the UK Bottled Water Conference hosted by Zenith International in collaboration with the Natural Hydration Council.
The findings, produced by Kantar Worldpanel, also revealed that fewer than 1 in 250 people in the UK meet their total daily fluid needs with water.
Official NHS guidance suggests adults should drink 8-10 200ml glasses of fluid a day. While all fluid counts towards this target, water is one of the healthiest ways to hydrate as it contains no calories or sugar.
Professor Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics, King’s College London and advisor to the Natural Hydration Council, said: “We’ve got out of the habit of drinking water. If people swapped drinks containing sugar and alcohol with water, it would have a positive impact on the nation’s health.”
Dr Emma Derbyshire, founder of Nutritional Insight and adviser to the Natural Hydration Council, said: “It’s surprising that more people aren’t opting 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.”
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