How many ounces of water should I drink per day? The Institutes Of Medicine Of The National Academies states that men that are well hydrated drink 3.7Liters of water daily. And women who are well hydrated drink 2.7Liters of water daily.
Most people think you are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water daily but there is no evidence that suggests you must do that. Research studies show that people naturally get enough water based on their individual thirst.
How many ounces of water should I drink per day? Photo Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen
You get your hydration not only from beverages but also from foods. In fact, 20 to 30% of your hydration intake comes from fruits and vegetables.
You can get hydration from beverages outside of water such as milk, tea, coffee, juice, electrolyte drinks, etc. The fruits that have high water are tomatoes, watermelon, pineapple, etc. And some of the vegetables that are high in water are cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, etc.
An effective way to tell if you are hydrated and need more water is by the color of your urine. If your urine is dark yellow or amber it means you need to drink more water. The human body contains about 60 to 70% of water, and the reality is you can’t live without it for more than a couple of days.
What water does is the following to your body:
- Help to regulate temperature.
- Help to lubricate your joints.
- Help to remove harmful waste from your body.
- Keeps your mouth clean.
- Transports nutrients to organs via your blood.
The Signs When You Are Not Getting Enough Water In Your Body:
- Headaches
- Dry Mouth
- Dark Urine that has a smell to it.
- Fatigue
- Experiencing Thirst
It is possible that you can drink too much water although it is rare for this to happen. Overhydration can lead to a condition called hyponatremia. And this is a result when the body doesn’t have enough sodium and this is especially important when it comes to fluid regulation.
And the fluid will cause the cells to swell and the cells in the brain. A good analogy is overflooding your body with too much fluid.
These are the conditions when someone has overhydrated themselves:
- When an athlete or a person is so dehydrated they end up drinking too much water after a strenuous workout or athletic event.
- Someone who has a heart condition or kidney disease tends to hold on to more water when they drink it.
The Bottom Line is how many ounces of water you should drink daily. The Institutes Of Medicine Of The National Academies stated that men that are well hydrated should drink 3.7Liters daily. And women that are well hydrated drink 2.7Liters daily.
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References
- National Academies- https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/report-sets-dietary-intake-levels-for-water-salt-and-potassium-to-maintain-health-and-reduce-chronic-disease-risk
- BMJ 2007; 335 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39420.420370.25 (Published 20 December 2007)
- Platania A, Castiglione D, Sinatra D, Urso M, Marranzano M. Fluid Intake and Beverage Consumption Description and Their Association with Dietary Vitamins and Antioxidant Compounds in Italian Adults from the Mediterranean Healthy Eating, Aging and Lifestyles (MEAL) Study. Antioxidants (Basel). 2018 Apr 9;7(4):56. doi: 10.3390/antiox7040056. PMID: 29642527; PMCID: PMC5946122.
