How Many Ounces of Water Should You Drink a Day? You should likely drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each every day. However, what you should consume is more individual than you imagine.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) looked at survey data to determine Americans drinking their average daily water intake. Based on this information, they issued guidelines that termed appropriate inputs (AIs) in an analysis from 2005.
Doctors continue to refer to these suggestions even today. They are:
- 3.7 daily litres for males, which includes around 3 Liters (approximately 13 cups) in the form of drinks
- 2.7 daily litres for women, which includes around 2.2 Liters (approximately nine cups) in the form of drinks
AIs are based upon the median intake of water taken from U.S. survey data, and certain people appear to live even with less. A variety of intakes is usual in a large population. For instance, physically active people or those living in warmer climates will require higher amounts of water.
This spectrum shows that the answer to the exact amount of fluid you should drink isn’t always as straightforward.
Water-related recommendations
Although the rule of eight glasses is a good idea, it’s not based on reliable, well-studied data.
The weight of your body is made of 60% water. Everybody system requires water for proper functioning. The recommended amount of water you should drink will depend on various factors, including your gender and age, your activity level and the fact that you’re pregnant or nursing.
Adults
Currently, the IOM recommended amount for adults aged 19 and up is 130 ounces for males and 95 ounces for women. This refers to your total consumption of fluids per day that includes everything you eat or drink that is water-based such as fruits and vegetables.
From this, men will get about 13 cups of beverages. For women, the figure is 9 cups.
Children
Recommendations for kids have amount to do with their age:
- Children aged between 4 and 8 years old need to consume 40 ounces of water daily, equivalent to 5 cups.
- The quantity increases to 56-64 8 ounces which are between 7 and 8 cups between 9 and 13.
- Between 14 and 18, the recommended amount of water is 64-88 inches, equivalent to 8 to 11 cups.
Breastfeeding or pregnant women
If you’re breastfeeding or pregnant, then your advice will are different.
IOM recommends that IOM suggests that pregnant women of all ages strive to drink 80 ounces, 10 cups of water every day.
Women who are breastfeeding may have to increase their intake of water to 104 ounces or 13 cups.
| Demographic | Total daily recommended amount of water from drinks |
|---|---|
| children 4–8 years old | 5 cups, or 40 oz. |
| children 9–13 years old | 7–8 cups, or 56–64 oz. |
| children 14–18 years old | 8–11 cups, or 64–88 oz. |
| men 19 years and older | 13 cups, or 104 oz. |
| women 19 years and older | 9 cups, or 72 oz. |
| pregnant women | 10 cups, or 80 oz. |
| breastfeeding women | 13 cups, or 104 oz. |
Other factors
You might also have to drink more fluids in the following situations:
- Altitude or climate. You may need more water if you reside in an environment that is hot or located at the height of 8,200 feet.
- Exercise. If you regularly exercise and regularly, it is recommended that the American Council for Exercise suggests that you drink between 17 and 20 ounces of water for two up to 3 hours before exercise. They also offer drinking 8 ounces more of water before and after you exercise. It is possible to drink more when working out for more than an hour.
- The symptoms of vomiting, fever or diarrhoea. You should also take more water if you suffer from high fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, as the body’s fluid loss is more significant than average. The doctor may suggest drinking beverages that contain electrolytes to help keep your electrolyte levels more stable.
What is the reason you need water?
Water is essential for the majority of functions your body undergoes throughout the day. If you drink water, it helps replenish your stored water. In the absence of sufficient water, your body and organs won’t function as they should.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source provides the drinking water benefits that are listed below:
- maintaining your body temperature within the average temperature
- Cushioning and lubricating your joints
- to protect you from injuries to your spine, as well as the other structures
- aiding you in eliminating the waste that is produced by sweat, urine and elimination through sweat, urine, and
Drinking enough water can aid in looking your best. For instance, the study published in the year 2018 by The Source explored how water can help keep your skin healthy and looking good.
The skin is the body’s biggest organ. So when you drink plenty of water, it keeps it well-hydrated and healthy.
Risks
Too little or too much water both pose dangers.
Dehydration
Your body is constantly making use of and losing fluids by processes like sweating or having urination. Dehydration is when your body sheds more fluid or water than it takes in.
The symptoms of dehydration vary from feeling extremely thirsty to feeling tired. You might also notice that you don’t have as frequent urination or your urine appears dark.
Children’s signs of dehydration as defined in Medline Plus are:
- A dry tongue and tongue
- an absence of tears when crying
- There are fewer diapers that leak than normal
The effects of dehydration could include:
- Confused or fuzzy thinking
- Mood alters
- Overheating
- Constipation
- Kidney stones
- Shock
It is possible to combat mild dehydration by drinking more water as well as other fluids.
If you suffer from severe dehydration, you might require hospital treatment. The doctor is likely to provide you with intravenous (IV) fluids and salts until symptoms subside.
Hyponatremia
The consumption of too much water could be harmful to your health too.
When you drink a lot of water, it could dilute electrolytes that are present in the blood—the levels of sodium decrease, which can cause what’s known as hyponatremia.
The symptoms include:
- Confusion
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Irritability
- Muscles spasms, cramps and weakness
- Seizures
- Coma
If hyponatremia is triggered due to drinking excessive amounts of water, it’s known by the name of the intoxication of water hyponatremia. Hyponatremia resulting from water intoxication is rare.
People who are smaller in size and kids are at a greater chance of developing this condition. This is also true for active people, like marathon runners who drink a lot of water over brief periods of duration.
If you’re in danger due to drinking large quantities of water to exercising, think about drinking a drink for sports that contains sodium and other electrolytes that can help replenish electrolytes lost by sweating.
Tips for drinking plenty of water
It is possible to achieve your daily water intake goals by drinking water whenever you’re thirsty and during meals.
If you require some additional assistance with drinking enough water, read these tips to drink more.
- Take a bottle of water along with you everywhere you go, such as around your workplace and at the gym or even when you go on road trips. Amazon offers a variety of water bottles.
- Make sure you are drinking enough fluids. It isn’t necessary to drink just plain water to meet your hydration requirements. Other significant sources of hydration are dairy, tea and broth.
- Do not drink sugary beverages. Although you can drink the fluid you need from sodas, fruit juices and alcohol, these drinks contain many calories. It is still advisable to drink water as often as you can.
- Drink plenty of water when you go dining out instead of ordering another drink. It will save you money and cut down on the calories in your meal as well.
- Make your drink more interesting by adding a splash of colour to your glass by adding fresh lime or lemon juice.
- If you’re often exercising, think about drinking drinks containing electrolytes that can replace the ones you’ve lost due to sweating.
CONCLUSION
Being hydrated is more than drinking water. The Better Health Channel estimates that food intake is approximately 20% of your water consumption each day. So, in addition to drinking 9 to 13 cups of water each day, you should try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
Some food items with high water content are:
- Watermelon
- Spinach
- Cucumbers
- Green peppers
- Berries
- Cauliflower
- Radishes
- Celery
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