How Much water should I drink Every day?
To drink or not to drink? And If to drink then how much? Every day millions of people all over the glove ask themselves these questions and they refer purely to water. There are different opinion on the matter, some specialists encourage you to drink no fewer than 8 glasses or half a gallon of water a day. And others are sure that you need to drink constantly and as much as your body accommodate. Some people claim that you need to drink only the amount of water that your body demands. A bit confusing, isn’t it? So which path should you follow? Continue reading this article to learn….
How much water is there in your body?
Human body is 55% to 75% water. When you are born your body is comprised of 75% water, as you grow older and become an adult this number becomes a bit smaller 60%, as for seniors their bodies are about 50% water. Where dose all this water hide? Here’s where…
One third of it can be found in your blood and between yourselves, and two thirds of it fills your cells. It’s interesting that the more muscle a person has the more water their body contain. Overweight people have a smaller percentage of water, because fat tissue contains a smaller amount of water. On top of that men have higher percentage of water in their body than women.
How much water is optimal for you to stay healthy?
The Institute of Medicine recommends that women drink no less than 72 ounces of water a day which equals nine cups. As for men they need more water a hundred and four ounces or 13 cups a day. At the same time the volume of water you should drink is much more individualized.
For example: Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to drink more water. Children require less water than adults. A child of 4 to 8 years old needs to drink 40 ounces or 5 cups of water daily. Children from 9 to 13 should have 56 to 64 ounces or 7 to 8 cups of water, And 14 to 18 years old need 64 to 88 ounces or 8 to 11 cups of water every day. Older than 19 should drink (men) 104 ounces or 13 cups of water every day, for women 72 ounces or 9 cups is enough. If women is pregnant she needs no less than 80 ounces or 10 cups of water a day. Breastfeeding women should drink even more 104 ounces or 13 cups of water.
These number don’t mean that you have to make yourself gulp down only pure water, they refer to your overall daily water intake this means that anything containing water counts. For example: Fruits and Vegetables; Such products as spinach, Cucumbers, Watermelon, Berries, Green peppers, Radishes, Celery, And cauliflower have a high water content. At the same time try to avoid soft drinks, Alcoholic drinks and beer besides containing water, they also have an impressive of empty calories.
There are also some cases where you need to drink more water than other people. For example: If you exercise drink 2 cups of water more than usual. If your workout lasts longer than one hour you should add even more to your daily water intake. The same goes If you live in a hot climate or at an elevation higher than 8000 feet. And if you’re suffering from Diarrhea Fever or Vomiting you should also drink additional water.
