Water!

Water is the most abundant substance on the Earth, and it is the nickname of ‘the blue planet’ is no coincidence, as 70% of its surface is covered with the liquid element. Most of the planet’s water is stored in the seas and oceans. Water is also the element with the most significant presence in the composition of living things: from 70% to 80% of our body weight.

We humans are not oblivious to this universal addiction to water. We need to ingest around two litres a day, and cannot survive more than one week without drinking. Of course most of the water we consume is through foodstuffs, some of which have a high content of liquid, like tomatoes for example, which are 95% water.

Water is fundamental for producing nearly any foodstuff. To generate one kilo of beef, 15,000 litres are required, which becomes 9,000 in the case of lamb and goat’s meat, 6,000 for pork, 4,500 litres for chicken, 4,000 for pulses, 1,500 litres for cereals, 100 for fruit and 300 for vegetables.

But anything can be poisonous at the right dose, including water. If you drink more than one and a half litres per hour you may become hyperhydrated, a type of intoxication that would put your life at threat, as the kidneys are not capable of working fast enough to eliminate the excess liquid in the body.