that maintaining good hydration can
prevent or slow down changes in the
body that can lead to heart failure.
The recommended amounts are 1.5
to 2.1 litres a day for women and
between 2 and 3 litres for men, but
many people don’t even reach the
lower end of those ranges.
Sip wine, not spirits,
if you want to drink less
Anxious you might make a fool of
yourself at the Christmas party? A
glass of wine provides more volume
for the alcohol—meaning it lasts
longer and so, you’ll drink less—than
a gin and tonic. Other
tips for holding your
tipple: alternate a glass
of wine with a glass of
water, or opt for spritzers
by mixing white wine
with sparkling water.
Sugar-free
drinks might be
bad for your health
Even when they don’t contain sugar,
they contain artificial sweeteners.
While they contain fewer calories,
some scientists think they might still
make you gain weight, as they may
stimulate sweet-taste receptors and
make you eat more of the wrong kinds
of food. Worse still, a recent study
across ten European countries found
the risk of death from all causes was
higher in people who drank two or
more glasses of artificially sweetened
drinks a day, compared to those who
downed less than one glass a month.Orange juice is packed with sugar,
but could help prevent dementia
A fruit juice may contain “natural”
rather than added sugars, but they’re
still sugars and make it a high-calorie
beverage. In fact, orange juice has
more calories than orange squash.
But juice is also full of vitamin C and
has some other surprising benefits
too—there’s evidence it makes you
less prone to kidney stones and to
dementia. For example, a US study
found that men who glugged orange
juice every day were
47 per cent less likely
to develop poor thinking
skills than those who
drank it less than once
a month.Teabags contain more
caffeine than leaves
Broken tea leaves, found
in teabags, give out more caffeine
than whole leaves when brewed.
You’ll also get more caffeine in your
tea the longer you brew it and the
hotter the water. Bear that in mind
when you’re making a cuppa later
in the day—you don’t want it
interfering with sleep. QFor more weekly health tips and
stories, sign up to our newsletter
at readersdigest.co.ukDECEMBER 2021 • 43ALTERNATE
A GLASS OF
WINE WITH
A GLASS
OF WATER