Let us discuss How Much Water You Should Drink Per Day.
Water is an essential thing to the body; the body is about 60% water. The excretion of water from your body via urine and sweat to prevent being dehydrated, you need a very reasonable amount of water.
How Much Water You Should Drink Per Day
Other studies show that mild dehydration (1–3% of body weight) caused by exercise or heat can harm many other aspects of brain function.
Keep in mind that just 1% of body weight is a fairly meaningful amount. This happens primarily when you’re sweating a lot. Mild dehydration can also negatively affect physical performance, leading to reduced endurance.
Does Drinking a Lot of Water Help You Lose Weight?
Many claim that elevated water intake may decrease body weight by improving your metabolism and reducing your appetite.
According to two studies, drinking 17 ounces (500 ml) of water can temporarily boost metabolism by 24–30%.
The image below shows this effect. The top line shows how 17 ounces (500 ml) of water increased metabolism. Notice how this effect decreases before the 90-minute mark:
The researchers estimated that drinking 68 ounces (2 liters) in one day increased energy expenditure by about 96 calories per day.
Additionally, it may be beneficial to drink cold water because your body will need to expend more calories to heat the water to body temperature.
Drinking water about a half-hour before meals can also reduce the number of calories you end up consuming, especially in older individuals.
One study showed that dieters who drank 17 ounces (500 ml) of water before each meal lost 44% more weight over 12 weeks than those who didn’t.
What’s more, adequate water intake has several other health benefits.
Does More Water Help Prevent Health Problems?
Several health problems supposedly respond well to increased water intake:
- Constipation: Increasing water intake can help with constipation, a pervasive problem.
- Cancer: Some studies show that those who drink more water have a lower risk of bladder and colorectal cancer, although other studies find no effect.
- Kidney stones: Increased water intake may decrease the risk of kidney stones.
- Acne and skin hydration: Many anecdotal reports about how water can help hydrate the skin and reduce acne. So far, no studies have confirmed or refuted this.
Do Other Fluids Count Toward Your Total?
Plain water is not the only drink that contributes to your fluid balance. Other drinks and foods can have a significant effect. One myth is that caffeinated drinks, such as coffee or tea don’t help you hydrate because caffeine is a diuretic. In fact, studies show that the diuretic effect of these beverages is feeble.
Most foods are also loaded with water. Meat, fish, eggs, and especially fruits and vegetables all contain significant amounts of water. Together, coffee or tea and water-rich foods can help maintain your fluid balance.
Trust Your Thirst
Maintaining water balance is essential for your survival. For this reason, your body has a sophisticated system for regulating when and how much you drink. When your total water content goes below a certain level, thirst kicks in.
This is controlled by mechanisms similar to breathing — you don’t need to think about it consciously. For the majority of people, there probably isn’t any need to worry about water intake. The thirst instinct is very reliable.
There really is no science behind the 8×8 rule. It is completely arbitrary. That said, certain circumstances may call for increased water intake.
The most important one may be during times of increased sweating. This includes exercise and hot weather, especially in a dry climate.
If you’re sweating a lot, make sure to replenish the lost fluid with water. Athletes doing very long, intense exercises may also need to replenish electrolytes along with water. Your water need also increases during breastfeeding, as well as several disease states like vomiting and diarrhea.
Besides, older people may need to consciously watch their water intake because the thirst mechanisms can start to malfunction in old age.
How Much Water Is the Best?
At the end of the day, no one can tell you exactly how much water you need. This depends on the individual.
Try experimenting to see what works best for you. Some people may function better with more water than usual, while for others, it only results in more frequent trips to the bathroom.
If you want to keep things simple, these guidelines should apply to the majority of people:
- When you’re thirsty, drink.
- When you’re not thirsty anymore, stop.
- During high heat and exercise, make sure to drink enough to compensate for the lost fluids.
