Ways to Protect Kidneys from Thirst During Ramadan

Water, which makes up about 60 percent of human body weight and is an indispensable nutritional element for human life, has functions such as removing waste materials from the body by means of urination, defecation, sweating, maintaining body temperature, ensuring lubricity of joints, and preventing drying of the skin.

Anadolu Medical Center Internal Medicine and Nephrology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Enes Murat Atasoyu said, “As the degree of thirst increases, disorders develop in other body functions. In order to spend the month of Ramadan in a healthy way, after fasting at iftar, at least 2 liters of water should be drunk before sahur, especially in order not to damage the kidneys.

Emphasizing that the daily amount of water needed by a healthy person can vary depending on factors such as daily activity, body weight, climatic characteristics, working environment temperature, Anadolu Health Center Internal Diseases and Nephrology Specialist Assoc. Dr. Enes Murat Atasoyu said, “While the daily water requirement of healthy adults living in warm climate regions is around 2,7-3,7 liters, this amount reaches 4-6 liters in hot regions. Therefore, more attention should be paid to water consumption, especially in summer. During Ramadan, care should be taken to consume at least 2 liters of water between iftar and sahur, as there is no water during the day.

So how to deal with thirst, especially during Ramadan? Assoc. Dr. Enes Murat Atasoyu gave the following information on the subject: “Not being able to drink water during the day due to fasting can cause headaches, dizziness or weakness. It is important to conserve energy while fasting in order to cope with thirst, and even not to get too much thirst. Exercises such as light walks, yoga and meditation can be done, but it is important for health not to tire the body unnecessarily, not to exercise heavily, to sweat, that is, to not engage in behavior that may cause the body to lose extra fluid. In addition, consuming excessive amounts of tea and coffee instead of water should be avoided during iftar. These drinks do not replace water, but also cause dehydration in the body. "

4 factors that play a role in water requirement

Stating that people with diseases that require continuous treatment such as kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease should act according to the recommendations of their doctors regarding fluid consumption, Assoc. Dr. Enes Murat Atasoyu listed the factors that play a role in water requirement as follows:

Exercise: Extra sports drinks containing water and minerals should be consumed, especially during intense exercises for more than 1 hour.

Ambient temperature: Increasing water consumption in hot environments that cause excessive sweating prevents the development of thirst.

Health problems: It is very important to increase water consumption in order to replace the water lost from the body in cases such as the development of high fever, nausea-vomiting, and diarrhea due to various reasons.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding period: It is recommended to drink 2.5 liters of water per day during pregnancy and 3 liters during breastfeeding.