How Much Water Should You Drink?
We all know the importance of adequate hydration.
However, water consumption requires a balance of sorts and it's entirely possible to drink too much water.
Over-hydration and hyponatremia - although rare - can be a problem (particularly among endurance athletes).
What do the experts really say about water intake and how can you ensure you drink the right amount?
Keeping Count: The Traditional View
Guidelines are constantly changing. Back in 2004, the Institute of Medicine effectively overruled the 8 glass a day rule - with a new report.They stated a general daily recommendation of 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men. This includes water from all sources (foods and drinks).
Water intake from food will vary depending on your diet (higher fruit and vegetable intake means higher water intake). Some experts suggest that 20% of water intake comes from food.
Here are some tips to keeping count.
- Wake up to water--literally. Before you eat or drink anything else in the morning, have a glass of water.
- Drink out of a measured bottle or sports drink container. If you know 1 bottle = 12 ounces, you can figure out how many ounces to drink to meet your body's daily needs. Know your numbers so you can meet your goal.
- Track your intake with a loose schedule. Don't be too rigid, but find a general schedule that works for you (say, 2 glasses in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, and 2 in the evening). This will help spread out consumption and regulate your water intake.
Winging It: Using Urine Color
If urine is dark in color - you are not drinking enough. Urine should be a light color and should occur every 2-3 hours (webmd). The trouble here is; what is "dark" to one person may be "light" to another.
Other Factors That Affect Intake Levels
The more you sweat, the more water you lose.So heat and exercise play a major role, and, of course, any medical conditions that may affect fluid balance.
Controversy and a Thorough Debunking
In the American Journal of Physiology (2002), Heinz Valtin does a complete and utter debunking of the "8x8 myth". He also goes on to question the need for a high water intake at all, and states that caffeinated and alcoholic beverages do indeed count toward daily water intake.
The Answer?
It seems no-one really agrees. May I suggest that for the average sedentary person - there is no need to overdo the water intake. For those aiming to manage body weight - it may assist in the feeling of fullness and thus lead to less food intake.
For those doing exercise - increased water intake is important. Where considerable sweating occurs, then it is very important to maintain electrolyte balance (see a discussion on Gatorade).
The Irony
While we obsess about the correct water intake, there are still 1,067,789,000 people that do not have easy access to clean drinking water (WHO/UNICEF).
It makes you think.
And while you're thinking about that - contemplate the words of Todd Jarvis, associate professor at OSU.
- "in America we're spending $20,000 every minute of every day on bottled water."
- "tap water that originally cost maybe five cents a gallon can be sold now for $4 a gallon."
Ever thought about the environmental consequences of creating up to 2.5 million tons of plastic bottles each year?
Someone's making a lot of money from our obsession with "adequate hydration".
Read More
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- Which is Healthier: Avocado Oil or Olive Oil? (Diet Blog)
- Meet Greg, 155 Pounds Down! (DailySpark)
- Brad Pitt Gives His Kids Coke for Breakfast! (Diets in Review)
117 Comments
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Created / Updated: December 23, 2011
I've always largely ignored the "you should drink X litres of water a day advice". Doubly so with the claims that it had to be just water. Virtually all my fluid intake contains either alcohol or caffeine, and as long as it's going in one end and out the other fairly regularly I don't worry too much....
ReplyLOL tell us how the kidney stones feel while you're battling cirrhosis in your 60s
ReplyWell then your a freak
Replytheres flouride in the drinking water its toxic
Replyif it's toxic then why do dentists put flouride on your teeth? or make flouride water for toddlers?
ReplyOk.....Lol- thats sound smart. I can see you need to take a nutrition class:)
ReplyI feel sick if I don't drink enough water. And have had several experiences at the hospital with dehydration.
I try to drink 100 oz a day. Sometimes less, but that's the goal.
I consume electrolytes if my workout is going to last over 90 minutes.
It works really well for me... and that's what really matters. What works for you.
Too much lately, I've heard people telling everyone around-- you don't need that much water; don't drink that much. Most the studies saying that deal with sedentary people. If you're active, you need water.
ReplyVadim (who's a leading renologist) in addition to debunking the caffeine stuff, debunked the urine color claim.
His conclusion? Drink when you're thirsty. You become thirsty well before your body actually needs water.
For weight loss purposes (as opposed the health purposes), drinking water often can keep you filled up and bloated, killing your appetite. It also can be an effective placebo ritual to follow to keep reminding your of your diet and help avoid unconscious eating.
ReplyMark, some of us don't feel thirsty. I never do. I could go for 10 hours without feeling thirsty. This is bad for me. When I was in my twenties I never had the urge to drink. Now, I literally have to force myself to drink. I also do not drink carbonated beverages, beer, wine, or pop. Now I only drink water and I usually drink 64 to 94 ounces daily depending on my activity. So, your theory would be unhealthy for me. Another reason I don't like to drink is because if I drink cold substances, they drop my core temp and I am constantly freezing. So I have started drinking hot tea. It helps. Thanks.
ReplyMe too. I hate to say it now, but I doubt I drink more than 60 oz max of any liquid a day. I drink about one or two cups of coffee, one or two diet sodas, maybe one bottle of water, and a cup of milk in my cereal. Sometimes I have a cup of tea at night. Especially in the winter, I feel too cold to drink, the thought makes me cold.
ReplyI dont agree with the individual that said that 'drink.. only if your thirsty'. It is said that when you are thirsty it already means that your body is partially dehydrated. to put in simple terms: When the water content of the body is low, signals are sent to stimulate thirst, making us to have the urge to have a drink of water. so being thirsty means that our body's water content is already low, therefore there should be a constant intake of water. since our body requires soo much of water it is better to take a constant suppl of water than to wait for the thirst to make us drink water
ReplyI've heard that once your thirsty, your body is past the point of needing water...
I drink 8oz every hour...
ReplyI hydrate a lot during exercise and right after exercising. Other than that, I drink when I'm thirsty, and have a glass of water about 30 minutes before each meal to help with feeling full.
Brian
ReplyWhen did we get so fixated on the amount of water to drink? I don't recall people talking seriously about trying to drink more water in the 1970s when I was a college student. Beer, maybe... no, seriously, when did drinking water become something we worried about?
Replywhen people stopped drinking it!!
ReplyYou tell em` Alex!
ReplyFantastic
ReplyThe not getting enough water seems so foreign to me. I probably go through 16-20 glasses a day minimum without even trying (just water... adding alcoholic and caffeinated beverages plus water from fruits and vegetables - I can't even imagine how much that is). I actually have to work to drink less, since the more I drink the thirstier I get. I've been tested for diabetes despite having no family history, no risk factors and no other symptoms besides hypoglycemia between meals (apparently only the symptoms, not the blood sugar, according to blood sugar tests).
I work out a few days a week, but I'm not *that* active. Does anyone else just naturally gravitate to drinking obscene amounts of water? Or am I as weird as I think here?
ReplyI do the same thing. Every time I drink water I just get thirstier, and I also have hypoglycemic symptoms between meals. Right now I'm averaging about 114 oz of water a day, if I'm not paying attention. And that doesn't count the 3/4 gallon of tea I make and drink every day, either.
ReplyI stay estremely thirsty...i consume around 320 ounces of water daily, thats not including the milk i drink or fruits and veggies I consume. I try to lower it but i actually CRAVE water. I would much rather have a glass of water than a meal. I do not have a eating disorder. i am at a good weight for my age and height. I am not diabetic. Anyone have any kinds of answers to this?
ReplyMe too, have the same symptoms I consume 15 litters of water daily .. I checked with my doctor .. and discovered a disease called Diabetes Insipidus it is not the real diabetes (sugar type) thing .. it is something else .. you can check your doctor in that matter.
ReplyNo that is no true as you would have died from water poisoning by now
ReplyNo Anonymous, you don't die instantly unless you've consumed too much liquids for generally your own body. I have the same problem that was described in this chain as well.
I drink 5-12 17 oz. water bottles a day and that's well over the suggested amount written on this site. I have not died of food poisoning and i've done blood tests that the doctor told me I was completely healthy and normal on.
I actually crave water myself and it's just better than a can of soda. I might need to go check-up and seriously talk to my doctor about that hidden diabetes... :/
ReplyDiabetes insipidus is an endocrine disorder where you don't pruduce enough anti duiretic hormone it makes you urinate a lot and thus need a lot of water you can have normal blood sugar and have it because it isn't related to blood sugar it is often caused by a tumor on the hypothalamus or something. I don't really know the details I learned about it in 2nd year physiology but hopefully that is a starting point to get some answers as it can be dangerous to drink too much water.
ReplyYou may need more water because you are drinking so much tea. Tea makes you dehydrated. As well as coffee.
Replyi have the same problem. i drink too much water...its like my body is expecting it to fill me up like the "instant breakfasts did along time ago". do you remember those? well, since we both seem to have the same problem maybe we can figure out how to get ourselves out of this mess. well, if nothing else i did figure out how to get my electrolytes rebalanced!
ReplyIf you drink too much water too fast (any nutrient is the same way, particularly calcium) your body just flushes out the excess and only handles what it can at that moment. This is why taking multivitamins is just stupid, and a huge waste of money besides.
ReplyI know some people who are obsessed with drinking water all day. They are a pain to go out with because you are constantly having to find them a toilet.
I do carry a bottle of tap water with me when I'm out walking, on a hot day and at the gym. But I don't drink unless I am thirsty.
It's important to drink water, but I think that certain members of the hydration cult take things a little too far.
ReplyI carry a water bottle with me and drink all through the day, whenever thirsty. I especially drink a lot during exercise, because I sweat like a herd of mule.
But one time that I think a lot of people forget is after meals, particularly big meals with high-starch (aka, dehydrated-like) foods. That will seriously dry me out, or so says my thirsty mouth.
ReplyI have a novel approach. I drink when I'm thirsty :)
Gal
Replyunfortunately it does
ReplyIn general I recommend just drinking when you're thirsty. That said, a diet high in processed foods that contain sugars, chemicals and salts can alter your proper sense of thirst. Many times when we are craving these foods, we're actually thirsty. I don't think there's any reason to worry about "water rules" - but people should certainly try to replace sweet drinks and sodas with water.
ReplyWELL, I LIKE TO DRINK WATER, SPECIALLY ON A HOT DAY,AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW THAT IT'S GOOD FOR U, I TEND TO GET BORED JUST DRINKING WATER, AND LET ME SAY THAT I HAVE TRIED DRINKING THE "RECOMMENDED" AMOUNT, BUT THEN IT JUST MAKES ME HATE IT, SO I DON'T BOTHER... BUT IT'S GOOD ONCE IN A WHILE.
ReplyIt is no joke, there is such thing as Water Poisoning... read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication
ReplyMy wife is constantly drinking ice water. Once, she had to go to the emergency room due to weakness and other unexplainable symptoms and they hydrated her through an IV. Immediately, she started feeling better. The doc said her kidneys "went in reverse" due to too much hydration--Too much of anything, I guess.
ReplyWhen it comes to drinking fluids, I choose water because it is, essentially, what my body needs. It doesn't need cola or some other sugar-laden drink on a daily basis. Just pure, clean water. I actually started drinking mostly water when I first developed rosacea - as part of my research into what was causing my flushing - so, I just sort of got used to it! I do drink green tea and a little coffee once in a while for a boost. As far as a staple drink goes, though, water is it!
ReplyThis is a really interesting discussion.
I feel like we've been nagged for so long by experts to drink more water that it's hard to believe "just when you're thirsty" could really be enough.
Could it? Really? That would be awesome.
ReplyIt would be awesome.
Unfortunately all the junk, and hidden junk like preservatives, all that added sodium, sugars, food coloring, and everything else leaches minerals, vitamins, and water from our body. So depending on your food choices you might need more then the recommended amt just to get all that crap out of the system.
Normally 2 liters is good, up to a gallon a day.
Reply