It’s hot. Humans sweat, bodies wander and our minds take us straight to the terraces. A reflex for many people in our country. On the tables, glasses of beer, cocktails and other alcoholic beverages. To quench their thirst, Belgians like to consume alcohol.
“There is still water in it”, “It quenches my thirst and it takes my spirit to the heights”, “Water is for boats”, retort some customers in the streets of Liège. Problem: with temperatures like those we encounter today, this can turn out to be a bad reflex.
Indeed, alcohol dehydrates, it is better to reduce consumption during periods of high heat. A dehydration that is quite difficult to see. “Alcohol dehydrates. We realize this when we start to have a little headache, that we are a little drowsy”explains Lucien Bodson, former emergency physician at the Liège CHU.
However, to withstand the heat well, it is better to do everything to stay hydrated. “We will pee more often, we sweat more. When we drink alcohol, we should always add a bottle of water during the meal”, advises Lucien Bodson, who obviously understands that the temptation is there. This should still be the case for the weekend of August 15, where vigilance is essential, with water consumption strongly recommended.
During a heat wave, we can consume between 1.5 and 3 liters of water to stay in good shape.
