SHARES
You’re probably thinking the 8×8 rule – 8 ounces & 8 glasses a day. Although, it may not be the whole truth in getting your required amount of fluids in a day, it is a great place to start for healthy young individuals. But read on and find out how much is truly necessary.
How Important Is Water ?
Our body is a work of art – mechanisms in place to ensure our survival and water plays a vital role in most if not all of it. Water makes up approximately 55-60% of our body, varying individual to individual. Our blood is 83% water and so is 70% of our brain. That’s not all, water aids digestion, clears toxins, lubricates joints, regulates body temperature and blood pressure – just to name a few.
Pretty incredible how something so simple yet is so integral to life.
A person can survive weeks without food yet seldom days without water. For example, mild dehydration within mere hours can cause changes to mood, cognitive function and physical performance. We lose water all the time – not just when we sweat and pee but even when we breathe. Since water loss is highly variable, how then do we know how much water to consume?
So How Much Should I Drink ?
Did you know that people get 20% of their water from their food ? Fruits and vegetables are particularly water-laden. Tomatoes and watermelons are 90% or more water. Also, contrary to popular belief caffeinated beverages do not dehydrate the body. Rather, it contributes to the overall fluid intake. It just contains more calories than water.
The Institute of Medicine(IOM) recommends:
- For Men: A total of 13 cups which amounts up to 3 litres a day.
- For Women: They suggest a total of 9 cups which is a little over 2 litres a day. Pregnant women should drink around 10 cups and those that are breastfeeding 13 cups.
But again, water loss is variable to the climate in which you live in is. If it’s a warm day you’d lose more water and need to drink more to replenish. The same can be said for physical activity. An added help is this hydration calculator.
Are We Drinking Enough ?
That said, health experts stress the value of plain water, the original zero-calorie beverage. Earlier this year, JAMA Pediatrics published research findings that about 20% of children and young adults did not drink plain water on a given day. Furthermore these same people, on average, consumed 93 more calories and 4.5% more calories a day from sweetened drinks. Sweet beverages can contribute to weight gain.
Meanwhile, older people are particularly prone to drinking less than what’s advised.
In 2017, a study published in the journal Nutrition and Healthy Aging found that 56% of seniors drank fewer than six glasses of fluid a day, and 9% drank fewer than three. Research has shown that somewhere between 6% and 30% of people over 65 who are hospitalized are dehydrated.
Finding The Right Balance
Too much is never good and in this case, the saying still stands. Drink too much water and you end up in the toilet way too often. Aside the inconvenience of running to the toilet every couple of minutes, you’re also losing important minerals. In this case, sodium.
Water intoxication, or hyponatremia dilutes the body’s salt level causing an array of symptoms from vomiting and muscle cramps to seizures and coma. While it may be a rare condition, 14 athletes had previously succumbed to it.
The good news is, if you’ve had enough water, your body will tell you. A study conducted by Professor Farell of Monash University, found that when people drink plenty of water and don’t feel thirsty, swallowing more water requires more effort.
The researchers dubbed this “ swallowing inhibition” – the body’s reaction to excess intake.
In accordance with the findings of the above study, we have mechanisms in place to prevent us from overhydration and we are fortunate enough to live in a country were water supply is of no issue.
So what’s stopping us from adequately consuming enough water ?
by Yashwini Ravindranath
Born & raised in Malaysia, Yashwini earned her M.D. studying in Moscow's Russian National Research Medical University. With an affiliation towards research, all things coffee and the startup ecosystem, she now contributes articles to GetDocSays View all articles by Yashwini Ravindranath.
