How much water should you drink?

It has recently come to my attention that everyone has a different idea of how much water they should be drinking, and it might be because of physicians and their different schools of thought. For example, a friend was recently told by a physician to drink 3 litres of water a day and it was based on no data, just their personal standard although it shouldn’t be the case. Regardless of what we hear, we know that our bodies are 50-70% water and we need it to survive so it is critical that we do not get dehydrated. It is now summer and we know how the local weather can dehydrate us, so take care and make sure you are getting enough water.

Are you sure there is no general rule? No, there is no one standard for water needs, you need to understand your body and what it needs. Our individual water intake requirements are different and depend on several factors in your lifestyle such as how active you are, your general health, location and diet. First of all, we lose water continuously throughout the day through sweating and even breathing as well as through passing urine and even stool. We also lose water as our body uses it for its daily needs such as lubricating joints and managing our internal temperature. One of the most common general average requirements for adults is around 16 cups or 3.5 litres for men and around 12 cups or 2.5 litres for men but some choose to follow the popular 6-8 glasses of ‘fluid’ a day.

Do all liquids and even food count towards our water intake requirements? Yes! I was surprised when I found that out during my research. Can you believe that 20% of our food intake counts towards our total? Even tea and coffee count towards it too! Coffee is around 98% water and soda is around 90% water. Are you like me and thought that tea, coffee and soda dehydrate us? Well I definitely was under that impression, but I recently found out I was wrong as the dehydrating component is only an assumption due to caffeine and it being considered a diuretic, potentially increasing your urine and bowel movements leading to water loss. Lots of fruits and vegetables are high in water and definitely count towards your total. In conclusion, pretty much anything we eat or drink goes towards our daily water intake, and our needs obviously vary depending on what we are already getting through our diet.

Why should I stay hydrated and prevent dehydration? Staying hydrated is critical as it prevents constipation, it helps regulate your weight, it decreases the risk of kidney stones and other kidney related issues, it reduces and improves headaches and helps with your overall physical performance as we have already established that water is a major requirement for a lot of our bodily functions. Lastly, we all know how dehydration can severely affect our hair and skin too.

You can follow any of the standards or advice you prefer but I simply recommend that you actively monitor your food and liquids intake, especially your water. Also, gauge your water levels by listening to your thirst as our bodies are trained to let us know when we need water. You should also replenish your body with fluids after being physically active or sweating in general and depending on your location and climate.

The author is the wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.