Water at hand: why doctors advise not to be afraid of plastic bottles

Summer is gaining momentum, and doctors are once again reminded of a simple rule: in hot weather, it is important to drink water regularly and avoid dehydration. Along with rising temperatures, concerns about bottled water are traditionally growing, especially when it comes to plastic containers. Experts emphasize that common fears do not have a convincing scientific basis, while the risks of dehydration are well studied and quite real. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

Without waiting for thirst

According to Elena Nuretdinova, a doctor of the first category, a therapist, and a gastroenterologist at the Likon Plus clinic, people often go to two extremes in the summer: some people practically do not replenish their fluid loss, while others start drinking water "in reserve", focusing on universal norms from the Internet.

In hot weather, the body loses more moisture with sweat, so the need for water really increases. However, you need to focus primarily on your own feelings and the conditions in which a person finds himself. Lack of fluid can lead to poor health, decreased performance, headaches, and additional stress on the cardiovascular system. But it's also not worth turning water consumption into a competition for the number of liters, the specialist emphasizes.

The most physiological thing, according to the doctor, is the regular use of water throughout the day in small portions.

Thirst is a natural signal of the body that should not be ignored. — notes Nuretdinova. — It is much more convenient and useful to maintain the water balance gradually than to try to replenish it with large amounts at one time. That's why I always advise patients to have water on hand — on the road, on a walk, at work or during sports. In most cases, regular drinking water without sugar, syrups, or other additives remains the best choice.

It is the availability of water during the day, rather than the strict counting of liters consumed, that helps to maintain a normal state of health in hot weather.

— The most useful water is the one that is available to a person at the very moment when he wants to drink. If a bottle of water is in a bag, car or backpack and helps maintain a normal drinking regime, this is already a contribution to maintaining health," the specialist summarizes.

Myths about plastics

Doctors recommend not to give up bottled water because of the widespread fears around packaging. Rospotrebnadzor and other regulators note that the main safety criteria are product quality, packaging integrity, and compliance with shelf life and storage conditions.

Discussions about the possible migration of individual substances from plastic into water have been going on for many years. A number of studies show that even if such substances are detected, we are talking about extremely low concentrations that cannot have a noticeable effect on health. Regulators emphasize that with proper storage — without prolonged overheating and exposure to direct sunlight — high-quality PET packaging retains its properties and does not pose a danger to consumers. Therefore, we can responsibly state that the concerns of individual citizens about packaging have nothing to do with scientific data. These are pure "urban legends" and "horror stories" distributed on the Internet.

Olga Anishenkova, head of the Food department at the Law and Health Foundation, draws attention to the fact that many overestimate the impact of the bottle itself on water quality. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), from which most bottles are made, is one of the most studied packaging materials in the world.

She explains that bottled water heats up to a maximum of 50-70°C in the sun, which is significantly lower than the temperature of PET destruction (at least 250 °C). Under normal climatic conditions, the material remains stable. It is no coincidence that PET has been used for decades for packaging drinking water and beverages in almost all countries of the world, and such packaging undergoes multi-stage safety checks before being released to the market.

Scientific data

The researchers admit that, despite media reports, there is no convincing evidence yet that concentrations of microplastics found in the environment cause diseases. The results of a recent study by the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University have shown that the content of microplastics in water depends primarily on the characteristics of water treatment and the environment, and not on the packaging material. In individual water samples in glass containers, the concentration of microparticles was even higher than in PET bottles. The study confirmed that microplastics are present in negligible quantities almost everywhere, and attempts to reduce the problem solely to a plastic bottle greatly simplify the real picture. The scientists concluded that the widespread perception of a plastic bottle as one of the main sources of microplastics is not supported by the data obtained. The World Health Organization also pointed out that there is insufficient data to draw conclusions about the health risks of microplastics in drinking water.

MSU scientists analyzed the microplastic content in water from plastic bottles and came to the conclusion that its amount was extremely insignificant. The authors noted that the widespread perception of a plastic bottle as one of the main sources of microplastics is not supported by the data obtained. According to the study, particle concentrations in most samples were at a level that does not allow us to talk about a significant contribution of packaging to the intake of microplastics into the human body.

Anishenkova notes that context is often lost in public discussion.

"When people hear the word 'microparticles,' it feels like it's about something unique specifically to plastic," she explains. — In fact, every day a person comes into contact with a huge number of microparticles of various origins — they are present in the air, water, food, urban dust. The main sources of microplastics in the environment are synthetic fibers that get into the water when washing clothes, as well as particles from car tires. Therefore, today there is no reason to consider a plastic bottle as the main source of such effects.

Recent studies show that microparticles are found in a wide variety of media and materials, and their origin is not always related to packaging. Scientists continue to study the mechanisms of their formation, migration, and possible effects on the body. And the authors of scientific reviews regularly emphasize the need for further research and the lack of definitive conclusions about the real risks to human health.

Common sense

According to experts, consumers should be guided primarily by common sense.

— If a person is outside on a hot day, doing sports, riding in public transport or spending a lot of time driving, the availability of drinking water nearby is a much more significant factor for health than hypothetical concerns that have not yet received convincing scientific confirmation. — says Anishenkova. — It is much more dangerous to ignore the body's fluid needs.

Experts agree that instead of succumbing to disturbing myths, it is important to rely on scientific evidence and doctors' recommendations. But today they remain unchanged — follow the drinking regime, especially in the heat, store water in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and remember that dehydration poses a much more significant risk to the body than speculation around packaging.