Even if you are healthy or not, one thing that does not change is drinking water. It is never suggested not to drink water but it is always recommended to have as much water as you can. Ever thought why is it so? Why water is so important to us? And how much water should I drink a day or how much water does your body needs? Well, the answers to all of your queries are right here.
Why Water Is Important To Us? Health Benefits Of Water
Water is an integral component of our survival. Our body needs water for almost all functions and uses it on regular basis, that’s why replenishing our body with enough water on a daily basis is of dire importance. Some of the health benefits of drinking water are listed below for your convenience.
- Better heart health by maintaining serum sodium levels in the blood
- Better brain health by lubricating hormones and neurotransmitters
- Better kidney health by excreting waste from the body
- Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Boosts energy
- Maintain your body’s temperature
- Better skin health
- Prevent constipation
- Improved immunity
- Promote healthy joints
- Helps in digestion
How Much Water Should I Drink?
Though there is a thumb rule that in a day, you should drink 8-ounce glasses of water. But do you know that every person’s body and environmental factor influences the amount of water intake? So, everyone might have a different number of glasses they should consume per day. Some of the factors that affect this number are below:
- Where you live (either living in hot, cold, dry, or humid area)
- Daily physical activity
- Your diet
- Your life stage (either young, adult, or old)
- Your overall health condition
- Body weight
- Birth sex
- Pregnancy or any medical condition
After keeping all these factors in mind, there is no one-size answer for all. However, a group of researchers from all over the world mostly agrees on the following number of water intake.
- Females: 2.7 liters equals 11.5 cups
- Males: 3.7 liters equals 15.5 cups
However, this number can greatly vary for people having medical conditions related to kidneys.
How To Calculate My Daily Water Intake?
So, you have got about water consumption per day, here is a water intake chart for everyone. This chart will be your guide to calculating your daily water intake requirements based on your body weight.
8 Glasses Of Water A Day- Good or Not?
If you don’t feel much thirsty or are not into any extreme physical activity, then following the guideline of drinking 8-ounce glasses of water per day could be a good idea. It provides sufficient water to your body for daily activities. However, if you are suffering from any medical condition or get dehydrated easily due to your exercise routine or the environment around you; you need to modify the amount of water intake according to your doctor’s recommendation or by following the chart mentioned above.
How To Know If I Am Drinking Enough Water?
Good question. The best part is that your body tells you if it’s having an adequate amount of fluid intake or not. You are all set in the water department if:
- Your thirst is quenched and you do not feel thirsty often
- The color of your urine is either pale yellow or it’s colorless
What Happens If I Don’t Drink Enough Water?
Failure to hydrate your body as per its requirement can result in severe dehydration, which can lead to:
- Fatigue
- Consistent headaches
- Dry mouth
- Weight gain
- Mental fog
- Irregular bowel function
- Poor immunity
- Skin problems
Is Too Much Water Harmful?
“Excess of everything is bad” definitely has some truth in it. Though drinking excess water does not pose any threat to most people, some people might suffer from Hyponatremia. In other words, it is known as water intoxication in which the level of sodium, which is an electrolyte and essential for regulating water in the body’s cells, in our blood becomes way too low. Such condition can lead to the following symptoms:
- Confusion or headaches
- Low energy
- Nausea/ vomiting
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Brain swelling
- Low blood pressure
- Seizures
- Coma
- Lung congestion
In some severe cases of hyponatremia, people might die.
How to Avoid Dehydration? Tips
Less water consumption leads to dehydration, so, you can follow these tips to balance water intake on a daily basis.
- You can drink healthy beverages or consume foods that have high water content to meet the needs of water intake
- Have water between each meal
- Consume water right after waking up in the morning
- Don’t forget to drink water after physical activity, and before as well
- Drink water whenever you feel thirsty
- Track the number of glasses consumed per day
The Final Word
Water is essential for your survival and how much you need to drink solely depends on your body and the conditions around you. That’s why there is no one-size answer for everyone. But drinking 8-ounce glasses of water can also fulfill the water requirements of your body somewhat. But to customize the water consumption according to your needs, you can always consult the water intake chart provided in this article or can also seek medical advice. In the end, all that matter is to DRINK WATER.
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.
