Water is the most important component of existence. And the basis of human life. Its importance for the human body cannot be overestimated. It plays a vital role in metabolism and thermoregulation of the body; more than 2/3 of our body consists of water. Loss of water by the body in the amount of only 8-10% of body weight leads to severe changes in health status and even death. That is why it is so important to drink enough fluid and replenish its loss in the body in a timely manner. In medicine, it is not for nothing that there is such a thing as the daily norm of water consumption - this is the amount of liquid that is necessary for the normal functioning of our body. So how much water should you drink per day?

The daily water intake is individual for each person. In fact, a single standard of water for everyone has not been determined and cannot be, since each person’s body is unique and everyone’s need for a certain amount of water may be different. It depends on a person’s lifestyle, diet, work schedule, climate, health status and many other factors.

The average daily water consumption is 1.5-3 liters. At the same time, a person receives almost half of this norm from the liquid components of his diet (tea, soup, compote, borscht, etc., ordinary drinking water). He must “get” the rest with water itself. But you shouldn’t go to extremes and forget that excess water is also harmful. Excess fluid is constantly eliminated by the body, which means that if you drink too much, you create a high load on your kidneys, useful minerals are washed out of the body along with water, and your blood becomes too thin.

If an insufficient amount of water enters the body, this can lead to the deposition of salts, metabolic disorders and complicate the removal of salts and metabolic products from the body, and they can accumulate as toxins.

However, there are pathological conditions of the body when you need to drink more water:

• infectious diseases (germs and viruses are excreted from the body in urine)
• severe vomiting and diarrhea (they lead to pathological dehydration and loss of salts)
• toxicosis in pregnant women
• kidney and bladder stones
• liver disease

Nature has designed the human body in such a way that when there is a lack of water, we feel discomfort, thirst, and want to drink. This is how the body regulates the need for water and reminds us of the need to replenish the fluid supply in the body.

What is the best way to quench your thirst?

First of all, water, of course. Regular drinking water, purified with a filter, bottled, artesian, spring, mineral, simply carbonated.

Water with lemon quenches thirst very well in hot weather. You can also drink fruit drinks and compotes. It is worth remembering that the benefits of water will be maximum if you adhere to the norm of its use.

How to drink water correctly

Every person on Earth, in order to maintain their health, beauty and youth, must adhere to physiological requirements for water consumption. Otherwise, there will be chronic dehydration and many health problems. Remember that lack of water is the cause of the vast majority of diseases.

The daily rate of water consumption for an adult healthy person of average build is 2.5-3 l/day. It is necessary to ensure the healthy functioning of the body. The concept of this norm includes ordinary water (preferably filtered), natural mineral drinking water, water with lemon, green tea (1 liter).

Liquids and drinks that contribute to dehydration: black tea, coffee, alcohol, beer, sweet soda.

Make it a rule to take “water breaks” during the day - mandatory water intakes of 250 - 500 ml of water, which you need to drink slowly, in small sips. One of these appointments should be in the morning.

• Water should be drunk in the morning immediately after waking up to eliminate dehydration caused by long sleep.
• Water should be drunk before meals (the optimal time is 30 minutes before meals). This will prepare the digestive tract, especially for those who suffer from gastritis, heartburn, ulcers, colitis or other digestive disorders.
• You should drink water whenever you feel thirsty or hungry - even while eating.
• Water should be drunk 2.5 hours after eating to complete the digestion process and eliminate dehydration caused by the breakdown of food.
• You need to drink water before training to create a supply of free water for sweating.

All this is included in the hygienic volume of water. The liquid taken during the day should be at room temperature, so it is better absorbed.

A slightly different drinking regime is provided for athletes: during training, every 10-15 minutes you need to drink 200 ml of water, maybe slightly salted or acidified with lemon. You should get at least 1 liter of water per hour, in addition to the standard daily intake.

Rational nutrition means nutrition that is sufficient in quantity and complete in quality. The basis of rational nutrition is the balance (optimal ratio) of all food components. At least 60 substances that make up human food require such a balance (essential and non-essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phosphatides, lecithin and sterols, including cholesterol, β-sitosterol, fats, sugars, starch and pectins, vitamins, minerals elements, organic acids, etc.). Modern nutritional hygiene studies not only the usefulness of vital substances exogenously entering the body, but also the issues of optimal synthesis of these substances in the body itself.

Rational nutrition is an important factor in improving the level of public health. Rational nutrition should take into account age, nature of work, gender, climatic, national and individual characteristics. The monotony of food interferes with nutritional balance and inhibits internal synthesis of substances. Shutting off certain groups of food products for a long time and sharply narrowing their range limit the body’s ability to select vital substances, balance them and maintain a normal level of internal synthesis. The problem of making the most complete use of the synergistic properties of nutrients, which makes it possible to ensure balanced and complete nutrition with its minimum energy value, is an important task of food hygiene.

The daily calorie requirements for people of active age in settlements with good or satisfactory public services have been developed (Table 1), as well as the norms for daily protein and fat requirements (Table 2). The following principles of nutritional balance have been established and tested in practice: 1) the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates - 1:1:4; 2) the amount of proteins (see Proteins in nutrition) - 14-15% of daily calories; 3) the amount of animal proteins - at least half of the daily protein requirement; 4) amount of fat (see Fats in nutrition) - 30% of daily calories; 5) the specific gravity of animal fat - 75-80% and vegetable oil - 20-25% of the daily norm; 6) the amount of carbohydrates - 55-56% of the daily calorie intake.

Table 1. Daily nutritional intake for an adult in calories

Note. Professional groups: I - professions not related to physical labor; II - professions of mechanized labor; III - professions of non-mechanized or partially mechanized labor; IV - professions of heavy, non-mechanized labor.

Table 2. Daily intake of proteins and fats

Table 3. Daily nutritional norms for children


* The need for nutrients and anergy is given without taking into account the nutritional value of mother's milk.

Children need relatively more plastic substances. Taking into account this requirement, special physiological nutritional standards have been developed for children (Table 3).

Differentiation of the energy value of food depending on climatic conditions is carried out by reducing fat consumption in the southern zone and increasing it in the northern. The specific gravity of protein remains constant in all climatic zones. The rationing of carbohydrates is changing significantly, the proportion of which is increased in the diet of people living in the southern zone, and slightly reduced in the northern regions.

Energy indicators of nutrition are not the same in different climatic zones. In the northern zone they are increased and in the southern zone they are decreased. Caloric content and the ratio of basic nutrients in different climatic zones for the male population engaged in mental work and other activities not related to physical labor are shown in Table 4.

The nutrition of older people is built taking into account the characteristics of the aging body: a decrease in the intensity of oxidative processes, a decrease in cell activity, a slow course of metabolic processes, a decrease in the functionality of the digestive glands, etc., a reduction in the functions of all body systems and the development of atrophic processes. Hence the need to limit nutrition in old age. This restriction is made in accordance with the amount of physical activity and the general level of mobility of the older person. For elderly and senile people, the following physiological nutritional standards have been developed (Table 5).

Table 5. Daily nutritional intake for older people

For people over 70 years old, see table 6 for energy and nutrient requirements.

The diet of older people contains less carbohydrates and partly fats (daily intake no more than 80 g, including 70% animal and 30% vegetable). Refined products are especially limited: sugar, confectionery, as well as premium bakery products, polished rice, semolina, etc. The share of sugar should be no more than 15%, and the share of carbohydrates in potatoes, vegetables and fruits should be no less than 25% of the total amount carbohydrates of the daily diet. It is desirable to increase the specific gravity of whole grain products (bread made from wallpaper flour, etc.). The rational norm of proteins in old age is considered to be 1 8 per 1 kg of body weight. In old age, the quality of protein in the daily diet is important.

Of particular value are milk proteins - the most beneficial sources of essential amino acids (see). Animal products should provide about 60% of the total protein in the diet, half of which should be milk proteins.

Nutrition should be based on the digestibility of food products. Digestibility coefficients of basic food products are given in Table 7.

Table 7

Product Name	Digestibility coefficient (in%)
	proteins	fat	carbohydrates
Meat and fish products	95	90	-
Milk, dairy products, eggs	96	95	98
Flour of the highest, I, II grades, bread made from it, pasta, semolina, rice, oatmeal, oatmeal	85	93	96
Wallpaper flour and bread made from it, legumes and cereals (except semolina, rice, rolled oats and oatmeal)	70	92	94
Confectionery, honey, jam	85	93	95
Sugar	-	-	99
Fruits, berries, nuts	85	95	90
Vegetables	80	-	85
Potato	70	-	95

* For other vitamins, the requirements have not yet been clarified and are under development.

In a balanced diet, important importance is attached to vitamin content. Vitamins (see) are vital in all age groups. The norms for vitamin requirements (mg/day) are given in Tables 8 and 9.

* For other vitamins, the requirements have not yet been clarified and are under development.

It is not always possible (for example, in the winter months) to satisfy the body’s need for all vitamins due to their natural content in food products. Hence the need to fortify the population with synthetic vitamins. In the USSR, flour, sugar, milk, and edible fats were fortified with vitamins (C, B1, B2, PP and A) (Table 10).

Fortification can also be carried out by directly introducing vitamins into food before consumption (in children's institutions, hospitals, sanatoriums, factory and other public canteens). Children in children's institutions (35 mg/day per child) and patients in medical institutions (100 mg/day per patient) are subject to priority fortification with ascorbic acid. Minerals play an important role in nutrition (see).

Minerals are rightfully classified as biologically essential substances. To ensure their digestibility, minerals must be balanced.

The physiological human need for some mineral elements is shown in Table 11.

Diet is important. For an adult, the most justified is four meals a day with intervals between meals of 4-5 hours (Table 12).

Note. Option I - 3 meals a day; Option II - 4 meals a day.

For people with mental work and the elderly, the diet can be more uniform without a sharp emphasis on breakfast and lunch.

Alcoholic drinks affect people differently. The rate of alcohol consumption depends on body weight, general health, gender and age. With a slow metabolism, hormonal disorders, concomitant diseases, chronic alcohol poisoning, ethanol has a stronger effect on a person and stays in the blood longer.

What determines the permissible limit for drinking alcohol?

The permissible dose of alcohol depends on the individual characteristics of the body, therefore, when drinking the same amount of ethanol, some people get drunk faster, others slower.

Factors influencing alcohol consumption:

• body weight;
• genetic predisposition to alcoholism;
• taking medications;
• rate of alcohol consumption;
• smoking;
• chronic diseases of the endocrine system;
• race;
• type of alcoholic drink;
• gender, age.

Overweight people may drink more alcohol than thin people, since ethanol breakdown products can accumulate in fatty tissues. Young people have a higher metabolic rate than older people, so the body processes .

The level of alcohol intake is influenced by the level of the liver’s digestive enzyme, acetaldehydrogenase, which decomposes acetaldehyde. It has been proven that northern nationalities produce this substance in small quantities, and they easily get drunk even from a small amount of alcohol.

The degree of alcohol intoxication also depends on the food consumed during the feast. Fatty, meat dishes slow down the breakdown of alcohol and its penetration into the blood, creating a film on the inner surface of the stomach. Hot spices not only prevent the body from quickly processing ethanol, but also increase intoxication and hangover syndrome.

According to WHO, the maximum permissible alcohol limit for a man of average build is 30–40 g of pure alcohol per day. This figure is equivalent to two bottles of light beer, three glasses of dry wine or 100 g of 40% vodka.

The harmless amount of ethanol for the brain is 19 g, and for normal liver function the dosage should not exceed 90 ml. The safe dose can be calculated using the formula:

• 1.5 ml of pure alcohol × 1 kg of body weight.

When calculating the result, it should be taken into account that the content of the substance varies greatly in different drinks. For example, 100 ml of dark beer contains 50 ml of alcohol, and the same volume of semi-sweet wine contains 12.5.

The permissible alcohol intake for an adult male with an average weight of 70 kg, who does not suffer from chronic diseases, is (ml):

• beer – 250;
• dry wine, champagne – 100;
• fortified wine – 75;
• vodka – 30.

The given data is relevant if a person does not abuse alcoholic beverages and does not drink the next day after a heavy libation. The safe weekly norm is 210 ml of pure alcohol for men and 135 for the fairer sex.

Alcohol limits for women

The female body reacts more strongly to the intake of alcohol than the male body. This is due to lower body weight, lower levels of acetaldehydrogenase, and frequent changes in hormone concentrations. The safe daily dose of pure ethanol for women is 30 ml.

Ladies can consume up to 140 g per week without fear for their health. A volume of alcohol of 140–280 ml is considered to have an average risk of developing alcoholism, and 280–350 g of ethanol can cause severe intoxication of the body and the appearance of a pathological craving for strong drinks.

To break down ethanol, water molecules are incorporated into alcohol molecules, turning them into acetaldehyde, a very toxic substance. The female body contains 10% less water than the male body, so even with the same dosage of alcohol, body weight and height, the concentration of ethanol in the blood of the fairer sex will be higher.

Sex hormones play an important role; they lower the level of acetaldehydrogenase and accelerate the processing of alcohol in the liver. As a result, alcohol is absorbed slowly and liver cells are destroyed faster. A particularly dangerous period is the second phase of the menstrual cycle. Drinking during pregnancy is strictly prohibited, and other medications are also prohibited.

The rate of alcohol consumption depends on gender, age category and many other factors. You can calculate your own safe dose by knowing your body weight and the amount of pure alcohol in the alcohol consumed. It is important to consider that each person’s body is individual and may react differently to ethanol breakdown products.

Recommendations on proper nutrition are often vague: the call to eat “more vegetables” and “less sugar” causes confusion for many, because if for one person “a lot of sugar” means two teaspoons, then for another the syrup is “sourish.” When planning your diet, you should proceed from your needs and preferences, and as a more specific guideline, you can rely on objective daily and weekly food allowances calculated for an average-weight adult.

Meat: 170 g per day

The daily norm for an adult of average weight and age - 170 g of meat per day - includes both poultry and meat. It is highly desirable that half of this norm be poultry, in which case the intake of cholesterol into the body will be optimal. The fact that this norm is daily does not mean that you should definitely eat this amount of meat every day: you can eat it, for example, 4 times a week - 250 g.

Fish: 300 g per week

Optimal – 3 times a week, 100 g or 2 times a week, 150 g. Since fatty fish (salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel, herring, etc.) contain very healthy omega-3 fatty acids, nutritionists It is recommended to include the consumption of these types of fish in the specified norm. Also included in the norm are all seafood - shrimp, mussels, squid, etc. Try to eat a varied diet!

Vegetables: 300-400 g per day

This norm is a minimum per day; if you eat more, it will only be for the better. The principle of diversity in relation to vegetables is realized in the fact that it is very desirable to include both cooked (stewed, boiled, fried, in soups) vegetables and fresh, raw (in salads) in the daily diet. Make sure that this norm is not completely covered by starchy, hearty vegetables (potatoes, beans, beans, peas).

Fruits: 200-300 g per day

As with vegetables, this is the minimum; It's good if you eat even more fruit. Besides, 200-300g is just a large apple, a couple of peaches or a full cup of berries, which is not that much. When we talk about fruits, we mean fresh fruits, since fruits made from jam or compotes no longer have an impressive range of beneficial properties. But fresh and recently prepared fruits also count (peaches in pies, scalded pears in fruit salad, or oven-baked apples).

Cereals: 6-8 servings per day

Grain products include all cereals, as well as bread and pasta. It is highly advisable to consume as much as possible (from unprocessed grains). To get an idea of ​​the portions, it is worth considering that one serving of grains is half a cup of ready-made porridge or pasta, a slice of bread 50-75 g. That is, the daily norm of 8 servings is a large plate of porridge, pasta (up to 4 cups of ready-made food) or 350-450 g of bread. It will be healthier for the body if you eat all types of grains - but little by little: for example, 200 g of bread + a small bowl of porridge.

Bread: 200-250 g per day

Despite the fact that bread belongs to grain products, it should be placed in a separate group, since this is exactly how people themselves perceive it - separately, as an independent product - when they consume it. The norm of 200-250 g should include both white and black, and it is highly desirable that there is a place in this list for whole grain bread (with bran). With a balanced diet, the daily norm will look something like this: one small white bun (80-100 g) and 100 g of black grain bread.

Fats: 1-1.3 g/kg per day

The daily fat intake is 1-1.3 g per kg of your weight per day. That is, if you weigh 80 kg, your norm is 80-90 g of fat. Important: this norm includes all fat consumed per day, including from ready-made meals. Therefore, when calculating the amount of fat consumed in its pure form (vegetable oil, butter), you must keep in mind that this is not the only fat you consumed. You also need to ensure that the daily diet contains both animal and vegetable fat, and the share of unsaturated fats (vegetable) is at least 50% of the total.

Sugar: 9 (6) teaspoons per day

The consumption rate is 9 teaspoons (for men) and 6 teaspoons (for women) per day. The norm includes not only visible sugar (what you, for example, put in tea, added when baking a pie, or consumed as candy), but also hidden sugar - sugar from dishes. Sugar is present in an overwhelming number of dishes (yogurt, baked goods, bread, cereals, cottage cheese products, sweets, dried fruits, etc.), so if you are not going to count every grain of sugar in your diet, try to cut your sugar intake by 2- 3 times. Having consumed 2-3 spoons of sugar, you will know that you got the rest with ready-made dishes.

Salt: 5 g per day

The daily dose is 1 teaspoon (5 g). The norm includes both “live” salt in your soup or salad, and hidden salt in marinades, herring, chips, bread, sausage, etc.

Coffee: 300 mg caffeine per day

The appropriate amount depends on the powder used, the concentration, strength and type of coffee, but on average 300 mg of caffeine is contained in 300-400 ml of ready-made moderate-strength coffee brewed from natural powder, or in 500-600 ml of a drink made from instant coffee .

Alcohol: 30 (20 for women) ml ethanol per day

When we talk about alcohol, we do not mean the “norm”, but the permissible dose of alcohol - the amount that does not cause serious harm to the body. The permissible dose is 20 ml of ethanol per day for women, 30 ml of ethanol per day for men. To calculate the volume of an alcoholic drink, it is enough to know the ethanol concentration and the strength of the drink. So, if you drink 10% wine, then the permissible dose will be 200 ml (average glass) of wine for a woman and 300 ml for a man.

When looking for accurate information about the daily caloric intake and the BJU numbers that men and women need to lose weight or gain muscle mass, it is easy to encounter a lot of differing opinions. Many sites offer their own recommendations or even ready-made calculators for calculating daily allowances, without going into detail at all and without explaining where the numbers come from.

The situation is complicated by the fact that there are simply no universal nutritional standards - it all depends on the individual, his goals and level of physical activity. In this material, we summarized the latest scientific information and presented not just general data, but detailed tables on the norms for the consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, taking into account a person’s gender and body weight.

Daily carbohydrate intake

Protein intake per day:

	Normal weight 50 kg	Normal weight 60 kg	Normal for a weight of 70 kg	Normal weight 80 kg
Men
For weight loss	165 g	170 g	175 g	185 g
To maintain weight	145 g	155 g	165 g	175 g
For muscle gain	180 g	190 g	200 g	210 g
Women
For weight loss	140 g	150 g	165 g	175 g
To maintain weight	115 g	125 g	135 g	145 g
For muscle gain	155 g	165 g	175 g	185 g

Daily fat intake

It must be remembered that fats are an essential element of healthy human nutrition, without which normal metabolism and metabolism are impossible. A role is also played by the fact that both an excess of fats in the diet, which leads to excess weight gain, and their lack, which reduces not only the production of hormones, but also immunity, are harmful. In this case, they are of particular importance.

It is also interesting that the most beneficial diets for health and weight maintenance are traditional ones and involve a fairly significant proportion of fat in the diet (about 35-50% of all daily calories). However, we must remember that the source of these fats should be primarily vegetable oils, not animal fat.

Daily fat intake:

	Normal weight 50 kg	Normal weight 60 kg	Normal for a weight of 70 kg	Normal weight 80 kg
Men
For weight loss	40 g	40 g	40 g	40 g
To maintain weight	55 g	60 g	60 g	65 g
For muscle gain	70 g	70 g	75 g	80 g
Women
For weight loss	30 g	35 g	35 g	40 g
To maintain weight	45 g	50 g	50 g	55 g
For muscle gain	60 g	60 g	65 g	70 g

Determination of calorie norm

On the one hand, definition is the basis for creating a diet for losing weight or gaining muscle mass. On the other hand, the figure calculated even using the most accurate formula will be very approximate, since any method of mathematically determining the daily calorie intake includes a significant error of 300-500 kcal.

It also plays a role that a real person’s daily calorie needs always vary from day to day, since the body always adapts to various external factors, slowing down or speeding up metabolism. In fact, in most cases, to determine the approximate calorie intake, it is enough to multiply your body weight in kilograms by a factor of 35 (i.e. 2625 kcal for 75 kg).

Are you thinking not about how to pump up your six-pack, but about how to get rid of your belly? The easy way.

BZHU table: Norms for weight loss

Let us remember that for effective weight loss it is necessary to reduce the daily calorie intake by about 15-20%. In the calculations, it is important to take into account that the daily calorie intake is calculated only by dry body weight, that is. The share of fats in the diet is 20-40% of all calories; preference should be given to vegetable rather than animal fats.

It is also important that the daily intake of carbohydrates recommended by nutritionists for weight loss largely depends on a person’s body type and gender. Men with large bones need a minimum of low-glycemic carbohydrates to lose weight, while women with fast metabolisms can eat more carbohydrates, expending energy on.

BZHU table: Norms for weight gain

In fact, nutrition plays a more significant role in gaining muscle mass than strength training itself. To grow, the number of daily calories should be increased by about 15-20%. Carbohydrates should be consumed at the maximum limit of normal, but proteins and fats should be consumed in moderation (otherwise the body may).

We also note that the timing of nutrient consumption is important - for example, a significant portion of carbohydrates should be eaten during the “carbohydrate window” period, lasting 2-3 hours after strength training). In this case, the body will store carbohydrates in the form (literally increasing their visual volume), and not at all in fat reserves.

***

When determining your daily needs for proteins, fats and carbohydrates, you need to take into account not only the main goal (weight maintenance, weight loss or muscle gain), but also adjust for age and overall activity level. In this case, the role is played not just by the number itself, but by what is hidden behind it, since both fats and carbohydrates are not at all the same - some of them are useful, while others are harmful.

Scientific sources:

1. Calculate Your Recommended Carbohydrate Intake,
2. Calculate Your Recommended Protein Intake,
3. Calculate Your Recommended Fat Intake,