Drinking ample amount of water is vital to good health, yet needs differ from person to person. This post can help ensure you drink enough fluids.
How much water should you drink each day? It’s a simple elementary level question with no easy answer. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years. However, your individual water needs depend on many factors, comprising of your health, how active as a person you are and where you live.
No single formula fits everyone. However, by getting to know more about your body’s need for fluids will help you to know approximate how much water to drink every day.
Health benefits of water
Water is your body’s principal component which constitutes about 60 percent of your body weight. Your body relies on water to survive. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work correctly. Water provides various health benefits some of them are :
● Gets away from the waste of your body through urination, perspiration and bowel movements
● Keeps your temperature normal
● Lubricates and cushions joints
● Protects sensitive tissues
Deficiency of water can cause dehydration — a condition that arises when you don’t have sufficient water in your body to perform out normal activities. Even moderate dehydration can deprive your strength and energy and make you tired.
How much water do you need?
Every day you lose water through your breath, sweat, urine and bowel movements. For your body to run correctly, you must refill its water supply by consuming liquids and foods that contain water. So what quantity of fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The sufficient daily fluid intake as described by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is
● About 3.7 liters of fluids for men
● About 2.7 liters of fluids a day for women.
These guidelines comprise fluids not only from water but other beverages and food. Approximately 20 percent of our daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.
What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?
Every one, of us, have heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s easy to remember, and it’s a reasonable goal. Most fit people can stay hydrated by drinking water and other fluids whenever they feel thirsty. For some people, less than eight glasses a day might be enough, but for some, the need will be more.
Elements that influence water needs:
You may need to alter your total fluid intake based on several factors:
● Exercise. If you are doing any activity that is making you sweat, you are required to drink extra water to cover the fluid loss. It’s important to drink water before, during and after a workout. If your workout is intense and lasts more than an hour, a sports drink can compensate for minerals lost in your blood through sweat.
● Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional fluid intake. Dehydration also can occur at high altitudes.
● Overall health. Your body gets the deficit of fluids when you suffer from fever, vomiting or diarrhea. Consume more water or follow a doctor’s recommendation to drink oral rehydration solutions. Other conditions that might require increased fluid intake include bladder infections and urinary tract stones.
● Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Office on Women’s Health suggests that pregnant women should drink about 2.4 liters of fluids daily and women who breastfeed should mainly consume roughly 3.1 liters of fluids a day.
Beyond the tap: Other sources of water
You don’t require to depend only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion. For instance, various fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and spinach, are almost 100 percent water by weight. With beverages such as milk, juice and herbal teas are composed mostly of water. Even drinks which contain caffeine — such as coffee and soda — can add on to your daily water intake.
Nonetheless, water is your first choice because it’s calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available. Sports drinks should only be consumed when you’re exercising vigorously for more than an hour. These drinks help restore the electrolytes lost through sweating. Energy drinks are not similar to sports drinks. Energy drinks generally aren’t drawn up to replace electrolytes. Energy drinks also usually contain notable amounts of caffeine or another energizer, sugar, and other supplements.
Staying safely hydrated.
Your fluid consumption is probably sufficient if:
● You rarely feel thirsty.
● You have colorless urine. A doctor can help you calculate the amount of water that’s right for you every day. To stop dehydration and to be confident that your body has the fluids it needs, you need to drink water as a beverage.
● Consume a glass of water or other calorie-free or low-calorie beverage with each meal and after 1 hour of consuming the meal.
● Drink water before, during and after exercise.
● Drink water if you’re feeling hungry, thirst is often confused with hunger.