Water recommendations
Although the more than Eight litter Need to Drink and that is a good start, it is not based on solid, well-researched information.
60% of Human body weight is made of water. Every system in your body needs water to perform its function. Your recommended intake is based on factors such as your gender, age, activity level and others, such as if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Adults
The current IOM recommendation for people 19 and older is 131 ounces for men and 95 ounces for women. It refers to the number of fluids you have each day, including everything you eat or drink, such as fruits or vegetables.
Of this total, men would like to get about 13 to 13 cups of drinks. For women, these are 9 cups.
Children
Recommendations for children have a lot to do with age.
Girls and boys between the ages of 4 and 8 should drink 40 ounces daily or 5 cups.
This amount increases to 56-64 ounces or 7-8 cups from the age of 9 to 13 years.
From 14 to 18 years, the recommended amount of water is 64–88 ounces, or 8–11 cups.
Women of reproductive age
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, your recommendations change.
Pregnant women of all ages aim to get 80 ounces a day, or ten ounces of ten glasses of water.
Breastfeeding women may need to carry a total of 104 ounces or 13 cups of their water.
| Demographic | The daily recommended amount of water (from drinks) |
| children 4–8 years old | 5 cups, or 40 total ounces |
| children 9–13 years old | 7–8 cups, or 56–64 total ounces |
| children 14–18 years old | 8–11 cups, or 64–88 total ounces |
| men, 19 years and older | 13 cups, or 104 total ounces |
| women, 19 years and older | 9 cups, or 72 total ounces |
| pregnant women | 10 cups, or 80 total ounces |
| breastfeeding women | 13 cups, or 104 total ounces |
Other considerations
You may need to drink more water if you live in hot climates, exercise frequently, or have fever, diarrhea, or vomiting.
If you exercise, add 1.5 to 2.5 cups of water daily. If you exercise for more than an hour you will need to add more.
If you live in warm climates you will need more water.
If you live above 8,200 feet above sea level, you may need to drink more.
When you have a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, your body loses more fluid than usual, so drink more water. Your doctor may even recommend taking drinks with electrolytes to keep your electrolyte balance even stronger.
Why do you need water?
Water is important for most of your body's actions in one day. When you drink water, you fill your stores. Without enough water, your body and its organs cannot function properly.
Benefits of drinking water include:
- Keep your body temperature within a normal range
- Lubricate and cushion your joints
- Protecting your spinal cord and other tissues
- Helps you eliminate waste through urine, sweating, and bowel movements
Drinking more water can also help you look your best. For example, water keeps your skin looking healthy. Skin is the largest organ in your body. When you drink a lot of water, you keep it healthy and hydrated.
And since water contains zero calories, water can also be a great way to handle your weight.
Risks
There are risks or dangers of drinking too little or too much water.
Dehydration
Your body is constantly using and losing its functions, such as sweating and urinating. Dehydration occurs when more water or liquid is lost than your body.
Symptoms of dehydration can range from feeling very thirsty to feeling tired. You may also find that you are not urinating frequently or that your urine is dark.
In children, the cause of dehydration can be dry mouth and tongue, lack of tears during crying, and less wet diapers than usual.
Dehydration may lead to:
- confusion or unclear thinking
- mood changes
- overheating
- constipation
- kidney stone formation
- shock
Light dehydration can be used by drinking more water and other liquids.
If you have severe dehydration, you must need treatment at the hospital. Your doctor will give you intravenous (IV) fluids and salt until your symptoms go away.
Hyponatremia
Drinking too much water can also be dangerous to your health.
When you drink too much, excess water can lower the electrolytes in your blood. Your sodium levels decrease and can cause what is called hyponatremia.
Symptoms include:
- confusion
- headache
- fatigue
- nausea or vomiting
- irritability
- muscle spasms, cramps, or weakness
- seizures
- coma
Water intoxication hyponatremia is uncommon. Individuals and children with a small builder are at greater risk of developing this condition. Likewise, there are dynamic people like marathon runners who drink large amounts of water in a short period of time.
If you are at risk of drinking too much water for exercise, consider drinking a sports drink that contains sodium and other electrolytes to help fill in sweat-sticking electrolytes.
The takeaway
Staying hydrated is just out of the water you drink. Foods make up 20% of your total fluid needs every day. In addition to drinking 9 to 13 cups of water daily, try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Some foods with high water content include:
- watermelon
- spinach
- cucumbers
- green peppers
- berries
- cauliflower
- radishes
- celery
Tips for drinking enough water
If you need some extra help with using excessive water, check out these tips to drink more.
- Try to carry a water bottle with you wherever you go, around the office, at the gym, and even on road trips. Amazon has a good selection of water bottles.
- Focus on fluids. You do not need to drink plain water to meet your hydration needs. Other good sources of fluids include milk, tea, and broth.
- Skip sugar drinks While you can get soda, juice, and liquids from alcohol, these drinks contain high calories. It is still smart to choose water whenever possible.
- Drink outside to eat. Instead of drinking another drink, drink a glass of water. You can save some cash and reduce the number of calories you eat.
- Squeeze in fresh lemon or lime juice and add some flavor to your water.
- If you are working hard, consider drinking sports drinks that contain electrolytes that help to replace lost alcohol due to sweating. Shop for sports drinks.
Overview
You should have heard that you should drink eight to eight ounces of water daily. You really have more individuality than you think you should drink.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has suggested that men drink at least 101 ounces of water per day, which is slightly less than 13 cups. They say women should drink 74 ounces, which is a little over 10 cups.
Still, the answer to how much water you should drink is not easy.
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