The water in our body
When we talk about hydration, we all know that our body needs water to survive. Our body is made up of most of water starting from 80% when we are newborns to drop below 55% when the years have passed and we reach the senile age.
Water is necessary for many physiological functions including aids in the transport of nutrients and waste, it regulates the body temperature, keeps many tissues protected including the brain and is the main constituent of the cells in our body.
The body consumes water during breathing, perspiration and also in gastrointestinal activities coming to use more than one and a half liters of water per day.
This water consumption must be compensated with the reintegration of water or other liquids and therefore here we come to talk aboutimportance of maintaining proper body hydration.
Body hydration
To have good body hydration we must have a correct water balance between the intake and release of water from our body.
The physiological mechanism that regulates the water balance of our body is called homeostatic control and it receives and sends signals to activate or stimulate the sensation of thirst or to regulate the excretion of water through urine or sweating.
The body therefore needs to take in water and fluids to maintain its water balance. We all know that at least 2 liters of low-mineral mineral water are recommended to drink every day to maintain this correct hydration.
Water is certainly the best element to maintain body hydration but other liquids and foods also have this function. Indeed both fruit and vegetables rich in water are elements that serve to increase the hydration of the body.
Drinking herbal teas, teas, fresh fruit juices, extracts and centrifuged help increase the fluids in the body. Among these foods we certainly have a fruit that is in first place for its hydration capacity: watermelon.
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Watermelon: number one for hydration
Watermelon or watermelon is the fruit of the Citrullus lanatus plant belonging to the curcurbitaceae family which also includes cucumbers and melons.
His own story born in the warm lands of Africa to then get to spread up to China and finally return towards the year XNUMX during the Crusades in European lands.
Currently it is cultivated all over the world and also in our peninsula and the country the prevalent production is in the southern lands. There are numerous varieties of watermelon which are different in color, size and sugar content of the fruit.
The composition of watermelon sees water in first place with 93% and more it contains mineral salts and vitamins such as vitamins A, B6 and C.
Calories are very low around 16 per 100g of watermelon. Even if its sweet taste would suggest a conspicuous presence of sugars, instead the portion of carbohydrates is quite scarce and for this reason the watermelon can be used even for those who follow slimming diets.
Furthermore also the presence of fat is minimal therefore watermelon is certainly the ideal fruit to maintain the right hydration while preserving the line.
Among the mineral salts it is rich in magnesium and potassium which are pressure regulators and help fight water retention. These two minerals are therefore essential to help deflate the legs, the ankles and thighs as well as to reduce cellulite.
The association of magnesium, potassium and a rich presence of water makes it watermelon is an extremely effective food for all water retention problems and dehydration.
Properties of watermelon
The main properties of watermelon are, as we have seen, its incredible moisturizing action especially aimed at the skin as well as a strong one diuretic, purifying and thirst-quenching action.
Plus the watermelon helps regulate bad cholesterol circulating, protects the respiratory system, the liver and the cardiovascular system.
Watermelon is an excellent anti-cellulite thanks to its moisturizing and diuretic action that allows you to move fluids in the body and facilitates microcirculation and the elimination of waste substances from the body.
Finally, the pigments inside the watermelon are real active ingredients such as lycopene which is the natural pigment that gives the watermelon its red color. This lycopene is an excellent antioxidant with an anti-free radical action very effective and thus protects cells from aging.
Also another substance present in watermelon is lutein which helps protect against diseases that usually occur with old age such as eye cataracts.
Here too the consumption of watermelon thanks to its lubricating action and moisturizing protects the eye and in general it keeps all the cells of the tissues of our body healthy.
Watermelon and summer: how to use it
Watermelon thus becomes the best ally of our summer thanks to its sweet, fresh and thirst-quenching flavor.
Watermelon when consumed has the ability to satiate the body quickly giving a sense of fullness without affecting our line.
Eating watermelon in summer as a food is an excellent choice to stock up on water but also mineral salts and vitamins to combat dehydration caused by the sun and the summer heat.
Recall that watermelon it should be eaten fresh and possibly without associating it with other foodsthe. This is advice that comes from the correct food combinations they suggest eat watermelon away from meals and alone to respect a correct digestion of this fruit.
Fruit salads mixed with pieces of watermelon should therefore be avoided but it will be much better to choose a nice slice of watermelon by itself.
Also in the summer it will also be recommended drink fresh watermelon juice and extracted at the moment to get the full of all its precious nutrients.
Finally, watermelon can be used for skin hydration for external use through topical application of refreshing and moisturizing watermelon masks that will leave our skin toned, nourished and radiant.
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