Water can work wonders for our health.
Water comprises about 60% of our body weight and allows our internal organs to perform at their best. Water regulates our body temperature, keeps our joints lubricated and carries nutrients to our cells. Water also provides moisture to skin, ensuring a bright and radiant glow.
If we are not adequately hydrated, we may experience nausea and loss of appetite and may find it difficult to concentrate and perform physical tasks.
The Institute of Medicine in the US recommends that women aim to consume 2.7 liters (or 91 ounces) of fluids daily, and men drink 3.7 liters (or 125 ounces). But the institute's recommendation accounts for water-rich foods like watermelon, oranges, apples, grapes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery and cabbage. It also includes all fluids and soups in addition to pure water. And so it may actually come down to a daily goal of about 9 cups (or 72 ounces) of fluids for females and 12½ cups (or 100 ounces) for males.
Besides activity level, body composition and even climate play a role in one's water needs, since muscle cells have a higher concentration of water than fat cells, someone with more lean muscle mass will have higher water needs — and may need to consume more water — than someone with more fat mass.
Other factors to consider include pregnancy and breastfeeding, both of which increase fluid needs, as well as illness and extreme temperatures (both hot and cold).
While alcohol does have a diuretic effect and can increase the risk for dehydration, coffee and tea provide fluid are hydrating. But for health and wellness, it is best to avoid sugar-containing beverages as much as possible.
If the amount we drink exceeds our fluid needs, it provides no additional benefit. In fact, endurance athletes who drink too much water, in the absence of electrolytes, run the risk of hyponatremia, a life-threatening condition characterized by low sodium levels in the blood that occurs with overhydration.
Water comprises about 60% of our body weight and allows our internal organs to perform at their best. Water regulates our body temperature, keeps our joints lubricated and carries nutrients to our cells. Water also provides moisture to skin, ensuring a bright and radiant glow.
If we are not adequately hydrated, we may experience nausea and loss of appetite and may find it difficult to concentrate and perform physical tasks.
The Institute of Medicine in the US recommends that women aim to consume 2.7 liters (or 91 ounces) of fluids daily, and men drink 3.7 liters (or 125 ounces). But the institute's recommendation accounts for water-rich foods like watermelon, oranges, apples, grapes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery and cabbage. It also includes all fluids and soups in addition to pure water. And so it may actually come down to a daily goal of about 9 cups (or 72 ounces) of fluids for females and 12½ cups (or 100 ounces) for males.
Besides activity level, body composition and even climate play a role in one's water needs, since muscle cells have a higher concentration of water than fat cells, someone with more lean muscle mass will have higher water needs — and may need to consume more water — than someone with more fat mass.
Other factors to consider include pregnancy and breastfeeding, both of which increase fluid needs, as well as illness and extreme temperatures (both hot and cold).
While alcohol does have a diuretic effect and can increase the risk for dehydration, coffee and tea provide fluid are hydrating. But for health and wellness, it is best to avoid sugar-containing beverages as much as possible.
If the amount we drink exceeds our fluid needs, it provides no additional benefit. In fact, endurance athletes who drink too much water, in the absence of electrolytes, run the risk of hyponatremia, a life-threatening condition characterized by low sodium levels in the blood that occurs with overhydration.
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