Water is not a mere fluid to quench your thirst. it is one of the most potent agents fueling our physical faculties. However, not many are aware of how much water should one preferably drink every day to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Studies have shown that your water needs depend on many factors.
Though, there is no linear formula to calculate your daily needs, understanding more about your body’s fluid requirement will help you evaluate how much water you should drink each day.
Recommendations
Daily water intake broadly depends on total body weight. Researchers found that women should drink 2.2 litres (≈ 9 cups) /day from beverages, and men, on the other hand, should drink 3 litres (≈ 13 cups) /day from beverages.
Other Factors That Determine Water Needs
Your daily intake largely depends on many other different factors such as your daily activity rate, the climate you live in, health status, and if you’re pregnant or lactating women
A. Intensity of Physical Activities :
The more you exert, the more fluid you will require to keep your body hydrated. You tend to lose more water through sweating and breathing during an intense workout session. An extra 1 or 2 cups of water is sufficient for short sessions of exercise and 13 to 26 ounces (or about 2 to 3 cups) an hour will generally be adequate. Regular intake of fluids will help replenish the depleted electrolytes through sweat and reduce the chances of developing Hyponatremia, a condition of having an abnormally low level of sodium in the blood.
However, drinking clean and purified water is also imperative. From RO to UV, UF, to a combination of these, there are many advanced purification technologies being adopted by the leading brands. Look for water purifiers online, and you can find out in detail about each of these technologies and which one is best for your specific needs.
B. Particular Health Condition :
Several diseases like fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting can cause your body to lose additional fluids. While drinking water cannot cure these ailments, but it can certainly boost your health and well-being. In such cases, you should increase your water intake and also take oral rehydration solutions if the need arises.
Pregnant and Lactating Women: Pregnant women and lactating mothers need additional fluid consumption to remain hydrated. During the course of pregnancy, large amounts of fluids get dissipated. The Institute of Medicine advises drinking 2.4 litres (about 10 cups) of fluids every day to pregnant women and women who breast-feed drink 3.0 litres (about 12.5 cups) of fluids per day.
C. Weather Conditions :
Climate and other environmental factors also impact the water intake requirement of your body. If you stay in a hot and humid place, you tend to sweat more. This means that you need more fluids to avoid dehydration.
Likewise, if you are living in cold weather conditions, using a heater to keep yourself warm, this leads to further dissipate the moisture in your skin. At high altitude (more than 8200 ft or 2500 m) areas, we breathe more rapidly and tend to urinate more often, consequently, increasing the water consumption needs of the body.
D. Listen to Your Body :
Thirst is a clear indicator of your hydration status. Furthermore, dark and strong smelling urine is a clear warning that you need to drink more fluids in most cases. One should drink plenty of fluids, such as water, electrolytes and fruit juice to stay hydrated throughout the day.
While it is vital to drink according to your needs, it is also crucial to ensure the purity of that. Explore some of the best water purifier brands in India to eradicate the impurities found in it. This heedful choice will guarantee that your water intake is free of harmful substances and contaminants, and aid you to lead a hale and hearty, disease-free life.
Read about the Role of water in the human body.