Bourne Lesley T, Harmse Berna, Temple Norman
Environmental Health Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
Matern Child Nutr. 2007 Oct;3(4):303-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00114.x.
Water is considered an essential nutrient because the body cannot produce enough water itself, by metabolism of food, to fulfil its need. When the quantity or quality of water is inadequate, health problems result, most notably dehydration and diarrhoea. As a result of contaminated water and poor hygiene, related infections are still a serious problem. Indeed, in the South African setting water availability and sanitation are critical issues because of the prevalence of childhood diarrhoea and also the HIV/AIDS crisis. Though considerable efforts have been made to improve the water and sanitation problems in South Africa - especially with regard to water supply infrastructure - there is still room for much improvement. Water is a healthy alternative to calorie-dense, non-nutritive beverages, such as artificial fruit drinks and soda. The latter should be avoided as they contribute little other than energy and may contribute to overweight and obesity. Also, they displace more nutritious foods from the child's diet. Consumption of fruit juice should also be limited. These issues highlight the need for a specific guideline relating to water intake in the paediatric food-based dietary guidelines.
水被视为一种必需营养素，因为人体自身无法通过食物代谢产生足够的水来满足其需求。当水的数量或质量不足时，就会引发健康问题，最显著的是脱水和腹泻。由于水污染和卫生条件差，相关感染仍然是一个严重问题。事实上，在南非的情况下，由于儿童腹泻的普遍存在以及艾滋病毒/艾滋病危机，水的供应和卫生设施是关键问题。尽管已经做出了相当大的努力来改善南非的水和卫生问题——特别是在供水基础设施方面——但仍有很大的改进空间。水是一种健康的饮品，可替代高热量、无营养的饮料，如人工果汁饮料和汽水。应避免饮用后者，因为它们除了提供能量外几乎没有其他益处，而且可能导致超重和肥胖。此外，它们还会取代儿童饮食中更有营养的食物。果汁的摄入量也应受到限制。这些问题凸显了在基于食物的儿科膳食指南中制定关于水摄入量的具体指南的必要性。
