Shocking statement from an expert: Don't do this!

Prof. Dr. Sedat Üstündağ, Dean of the Trakya University Faculty of Health Sciences and Director of the Organ Transplantation Research and Application Center, touched upon the importance of drinking water and emphasized that the body's water needs change between summer and winter.

Stating that temperature, sweating, and evaporation are the factors that determine water needs, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ reminded that when making an assessment, they ask patients to come for an examination after collecting their urine for one day to reach a total of 2 liters.

''MEN SHOULD CONSUME 2 AND A HALF LITERS, WOMEN 2 LITERS OF WATER A DAY''

Stating that men taking in 2 and a half liters and women taking in around 2 liters of water a day would mean they have received sufficient fluid, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ said, "This is not an assessment that only covers water. It is an assessment that covers all beverages. However, an important point here is the amount of solute within the beverages. A fluid we get from liquids other than water, for example from fruit juice, is not as valuable a fluid as water. As the additional substances in water increase, its ability to eliminate fluid deficiency decreases accordingly."

''RELIEVING FLUID DEFICIENCY WITH COFFEE...''

Stating that coffee is a beverage that can increase fluid and free water loss from the body through the kidneys and therefore lead to fluid deficiency, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ said, "Therefore, consuming fluid before and after coffee can reduce this effect of coffee. It can prevent the body from becoming dehydrated. Again, due to the caffeine it contains, when certain amounts are exceeded, it can lead to dangerous spikes in blood pressure, especially in elderly individuals and individuals with hypertension. We recommend that even in healthy individuals, 300 milligrams should not be exceeded in a day. In other words, trying to relieve fluid deficiency with coffee would not be a very correct path."

Pointing out that caffeinated beverages are not very suitable for meeting fluid needs as a drink, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ said, "We said we allow up to 300 milligrams in healthy individuals, but for example, when we drink a glass of tea, we have taken in about 60 milligrams of caffeine. The amount of caffeine in a cup of Turkish coffee is much higher. We recommend that this amount not be exceeded."

''THE SUBSTANCE IN TEA...''

Touching upon the fact that drinking tea also has some drawbacks, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ stated, "The substance in tea is a substance that has the quality of dilating the bronchi and increasing urine flow. It also has two drawbacks. One is that the hotter tea is drunk, the more esophageal lesions and stomach-related ailments occur. Stirring tea with a metal spoon reduced its temperature, thus reducing the formation of esophageal lesions. In this sense, one should not drink tea too hot. Dark tea can bind to iron due to its tannin content. Especially when tea is drunk at breakfast or with meals, it can prevent the absorption of iron. This can facilitate the formation of iron deficiency anemia. Light, lemony, and best of all, unsweetened tea can be preferred over coffee as a beverage."

Stating that first, the physician must determine which group the patient belongs to and a water program must be created by taking this into account, Prof. Dr. Üstündağ expressed that a water program should be created on an individual basis, and otherwise, especially in the advanced stages of kidney disease, lack of water or excess water can endanger human life.