Humans try to take care of ourselves as well as possible and try to keep our body functioning by providing it with certain needs. We speak, for example, of the consumption of food and liquids with a certain periodicity, of the hours of sleep to revitalize ourselves, etc.
The task, in principle, does not seem arduous, because it is the organism itself that gives us the keys to carry out these needs. For example, when we get very sleepy and the eyelids close, when the throat dries out and tells us that we need water or when the belly “growls” asking for food. But how long does a person endure without eating or drink.
How long a person endures without eating or drinking – response
The answer will vary greatly depending on factors such as whether the person in question is subjected to physical exertion or not. Generally speaking, an individual can endure 40 days without eating (although there have been cases of people who have endured 60) and 3-5 days without drinking.
However, and as we have said, the physical state of the person in question influences a lot, since you have to maintain a balance of fluids and you have to compensate for those that come out either in the form of sweat or urine. This loss can be accelerated with heat or physical exercise, and if the level of fluids that our body has is not compensated, we can reach two situations:
- Overheating the body (sweating stops).
- Decreased blood pressure.
When these two factors come together, the consequences are very serious and can even lead to the death of the person. On the other hand, it should be noted that any drink can compensate for these levels of liquids except alcohol, as it is a product that dehydrates even more.
On the other hand, a person who ingests liquids but is deprived of food will last (in case of being a healthy individual) about 40 days approximately.
How much an older person endures without eating
To answer faithfully, more than in age we must look at the constitution of each person, since the healthier the individual is, the longer it will last. That obese people can weather famines better is no joke, because the truth is that the more body fat we have, the greater the resistance to lack of food.
In general terms, as we mentioned in the previous section, we can endure about 40 days without eating, but it will vary according to our physical condition and the factors we face. For example, if such fasting begins when we already lack many nutrients or if we lack water or other fluids, our endurance will decrease. On the contrary, there have been people who have managed to resist famine for up to 73 days with constant hydration. Recall the case of Gandhi, who reached 21 days giving small sips of water every day. Thus, there are three fundamental pillars to fight hunger:
- Water consumed daily
- The weight of each individual
- The health of each person
How much a child endures without eating or drinking
For the little ones, the information given above about how long you can be without drinking or eating is also adapted; it will be necessary to see the health of the child, the daily hydration he obtains and if he is exposed to factors of physical wear. Remember that energy reserves are stored in our body in the form of fat, which is why we must also take into account the weight of the child.
Within two days of not consuming nutrients, the child may begin to present symptoms such as extreme fatigue, belly pain, dizziness, etc. Therefore, from, we advise you to immediately call a pediatrician if the little one has not eaten for days. Your doctor will explain what foods you can gradually introduce into your diet so you don't have trouble digesting them. This article about Home Remedies for Tummy Pain in Children may provide you with useful information.
On the other hand, it should be remembered that to enjoy good health it is recommended to drink 4 to 6 glasses of water a day (from the year to 10 years) or 8 glasses a day (from 11 to 18 years). In this other article on How to drink two liters of water a day we talk about the benefits of good hydration and how to reach the minimum recommended daily water intake.
We have talked about how long a person can last without eating just drinking water and how long you can be without drinking or eating, but if out of curiosity you wonder how much a person can endure without sleep, from we inform you that you can reach 11 days without sleep (in very extreme cases).
