How Much Water to Drink to Stay Hydrated

There is certainly no correct answer to just how much water you need to consume everyday. Just like

the fact that you are unique, your needs for water are also. The amount of water you need to have to

consume depends on several factors such as your health condition, how active you usually are and the

climate you live. However there isn't a single formula will be for

all people, as there are a few guidelines that are available to

assist you. The important thing is to stay hydrated and by

knowing how much water to drink this will eliminate ever having

a dehydration problem.

Health benefits of water

Water is essential to your overall health. Water makes up just about 60 percent of how much we

weigh. Just about every system that is in your body is dependent on water. The absence of water can

lead to getting dehydrated, a problem that occurs when you don't have a sufficient amount of water in

your body to perform normal functions. Sometimes even a mild case of dehydration can make you feel

tired by taking away your energy. Dehydration presents a particular health risk for both the very young

and also the very old. Some of the signs and symptoms of dehydration may include:

* Excessive thirst

* Fatigue

* Headache

* Dizziness

* Lightheadedness

* Dry mouth

* Little or no urination

* Muscle weakness

Every day you will lose water—by means of sweating, urinating, exhaling, and bowel movements. For

the purpose of your body to function correctly, you have to replace this water by taking in beverages

and foods that include water.

There are three approaches at least that are used to figure out the total fluid requirements for healthy,

adults that are sedentary that live in a climate that is temperate.

1. Replacement method. The average output of urine for adults is 1.5 liters per day. You will also lose

about another liter of water a day through bowel movements,breathing, and sweating. Food will also

make up fluid intake at about 20 percent, add this with 2 liters of water consumed or any other

beverage per day (a bit over 8 cups), to your typical diet, you just replaced the lost fluids.

2. Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. A second approach on how much water to consume is the "8 x

8 rule" — have eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day (about 1.9 liters). This rule can also be written

as, "drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid every day," as all fluids add up to the daily total. Although this

approach isn't recognized by scientific evidence, countless people use this common rule as a guideline

on how much water they should have.

3. Dietary recommendations. Institute of Medicine has a recommendation that men drink about 13

cups a day of total beverages and women should take in their total beverage amount of 2.2 liters

(which is about 9 cups) each day. The guidelines here are centered on several national food surveys

that looked at the average fluid intake of people.

You can go for any of these fluid intake strategies to gauge just how much water to drink. Most likely

your present total of fluid you take in is most likely OK if you have enough water to get rid of thirst,

and you have a colorless or a very light yellow in color urine, and you feel well.

Factors that may impact water needs

You might want to adjust your total fluid intake from these suggested amounts depending on a

number of factors, which includes how active you are, the climate you live in, your health condition,

and if you are breast-feeding or pregnant.

1. Illnesses or health conditions. Several signs and symptoms of illnesses, such as vomitting, fever, and

diarrhea, can cause your body to lose extra fluids. To restore lost fluids, drink more water or take in a

beverage like Powerade, Gatorade, or a similar sport drink. Any time water loss can't be replaced

orally, then intravenous electrolytes and water may be needed. Increased water intake is usually

recommended in people that get urinary tract stones. On the contrary, you may want to limit the

amount of water you consume if you have some conditions that hinder excretion of water — such as

heart failure and some types of liver, kidney, liver, thyroid and adrenal diseases.

2. Environment. You will need to drink more water if you are in hot or humid weather to help reduce

your body temperature and to substitute what you lose when you sweat.

3. Exercise. If you exercise or take part in any activity that tends to make you sweat, you will have to

drink more water to make up for that fluid loss. Take in at least 2 cups of water about two hours

before a long endurance event, such as a marathon or half-marathon. Having one to 2 cups of water is

also enough for shorter rounds of exercise. Throughout the activity, replace fluids often, and continue

drinking water or other fluids right after you're finished.

Knowing how much water to drink can be crucial to your health. Stay hydrated and stay healthy.