Hydration patterns among a Latin American sample.

Abstract

Introduction: Water is essential to health, but is often overlooked. This can result in vulnerable individuals missing out on the support they need to help maintain a healthy level of hydration. Objective: To evaluate the liquid intake habits of a Latin American population and if they know and support the current policies and recommendations of hydration. Method: A record of fluid intake was obtained from 342 participants from Mexico and Uruguay and then compared with current consensus about hydration by the EFSA. Results: The average fluid intake ranges from 1,900 mL/day, in females, to 2,600 mL/day in males, both above EFSA’s recommendation. Though water contributes the largest part to total fluid intake (mean of 1,440 mL/day in Mexico and 1530 mL/day in Uruguay), bottled water consumption was much higher (100% of the sample) than tap water, at least in Mexico. Hot beverages (50.5%), milk (36.7%) and carbonated soft drinks (32.4%), in Mexico, and hot beverages (41%), specially mate, in Uruguay, follow water in highest consumption. 8.5% vs. 35.2% of Mexicans and 10.6% vs. 50.8% of Uruguayans knew or not, respectively, the recommendations for hydration. Only 14% followed them. Conclusions: Large differences in consumption habits were reported and were not enough to get the individual fluid intake recommendation. Knowledge of differences in beverage consumption patterns is important for nutrition policymakers. Better understanding of the many factors that influence beverage consumption levels is needed.