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Oct 12, 2022 · You've probably heard the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day. That's easy to remember, and it's a reasonable goal. Most healthy people can stay hydrated by drinking water and other fluids whenever they feel thirsty. For some people, fewer than eight glasses a day might be enough.
- Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its w...
- You've probably heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's easy to remember, and it's a reasonable goal.Most healthy pe...
- You might need to modify your total fluid intake based on several factors: 1. Exercise. If you do any activity that makes you sweat, you need to dr...
- You don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion. For example, many fruits...
- Overview
- Fifteen benefits of drinking water
- Kidney damage
- Sources
- Recommended intake
- Facts
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Drinking water has numerous benefits. Water is crucial for many bodily functions, such as lubricating the joints, delivering oxygen throughout the body, preventing kidney damage, and more.
Around 60 percent of the body is made up of water, and around 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water.
Perhaps it is the ubiquitous nature of water that means drinking enough each day is not at the top of many people’s lists of priorities.
•Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.
•There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.
•Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions.
To function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water.
Here are some reasons our body needs water:
1. It lubricates the joints
Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.
2. It forms saliva and mucus
Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps the mouth clean. Consumed instead of sweetened beverages, it can also reduce tooth decay.
Water helps dissolve minerals and nutrients, making them more accessible to the body. It also helps remove waste products.
These two functions make water vital to the kidneys.
Every day, the kidneys filter around 120-150 quarts of fluid.
Of these, approximately 1-2 quarts are removed from the body in the form of urine, and the rest is recovered by the bloodstream.
Water is essential for the kidneys to function.
If the kidneys do not function properly, waste products and excess fluid can build up inside the body.
Some of the water required by the body is obtained through foods with a high water content, such as soups, tomatoes, oranges, but most come through drinking water and other beverages.
During everyday functioning, water is lost by the body, and this needs to be replaced. We notice that we lose water through activities such as sweating and urination, but water is lost even when breathing.
Drinking water, whether from the tap or a bottle, is the best source of fluid for the body.
Milk and juices are also good sources of fluid, but beverages containing alcohol and caffeine, such as soft drinks, coffee, and beer, are not ideal because they often contain empty calories. Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.
The amount of water needed each day varies from person to person, depending on how active they are, how much they sweat, and so on.
There is no fixed amount of water that must be consumed daily, but there is general agreement on what a healthy fluid intake is.
According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the average recommended daily intake of water from both food and drink is:
•For men: Around 3.7 liters or 125 ounces
•For women: Around 2.7 liters or 91 ounces
This would be around 15.5 cups for men and just over 11 cups for women. However, around 80 percent of this should come from drinks, including water, and the rest will be from food.
Here are some facts about water:
•Babies and children have a higher percentage of water than adults. When babies are born, they are about 78 percent water, but this falls to 65 percent by the age of 1 year.
•Fatty tissue has less water than lean tissue.
•Men have more water than women, as a percentage.
Learn how water is essential for many bodily functions, such as lubricating the joints, delivering oxygen, preventing kidney damage, and more. Find out the recommended intake, sources, and facts about water consumption.
- Joe Leech, MS
- Helps maximize physical performance. If you don’t stay hydrated, your physical performance can suffer. This is particularly important during intense exercise or high heat.
- Significantly affects energy levels and brain function. Your brain is strongly influenced by your hydration status. Studies show that even mild dehydration, such as the loss of 1–3% of body weight, can impair many aspects of brain function.
- May help prevent and treat headaches. Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraine in some individuals (14, 15). Research has shown that a headache is one of the most common symptoms of dehydration.
- May help relieve constipation. Constipation is a common problem that’s characterized by infrequent bowel movements and difficulty passing stool. Increasing fluid intake is often recommended as a part of the treatment protocol, and there’s some evidence to back this up.
Sep 13, 2023 · Key facts. In 2021, over 2 billion people live in water-stressed countries, which is expected to be exacerbated in some regions as result of climate change and population growth (1). In 2022, globally, at least 1.7 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces.
Sep 15, 2023 · Learn how water works in your body, how much you need, and how to stay hydrated. Find out how water affects your temperature, joints, digestion, mood, and longevity.
Jan 2, 2024 · Getting enough water every day is important for health. Drinking water can prevent dehydration, which may cause unclear thinking, mood change, overheating, constipation, and kidney stones. Water has no calories, so replacing sugary drinks with plain water can help reduce caloric intake.
Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also called tap water.
