How Much Water Do We Really Need To Be Hydrated?

A person would be able to survive for weeks without food. However, a person would not be able to survive a week without water. This just goes to show how important it is to always stay hydrated.

We all know “the 8 x 8 rule” when it comes to drinking water. Eight glasses of water, eight ounces each glass. But, unknown to many, this rule is an unfounded one, and is not supported by science. Nobody even knows where this rule came from.

“It has no basis in fact,” says Michael Farrell, a professor at Monash University in Australia, who studies how the brain responds to thirst and other sensations. Likewise, the old advice to “drink before you’re thirsty” is countered by the latest research, as scientists finally figure out how the brain knows when you’re thirsty, and when you’ve had enough.

So how much water do we really need? And how do we know if we are well hydrated?

There is no official U.S. government recommendation for how much water to drink. But there are guidelines for total fluid intake from independent groups. The average adult woman should consume about 11.4 cups of fluid per day (a cup equals 8 ounces) and men should consume 15.6 — be it straight from the tap, in other beverages, or in food, according to a widely cited 2004 report from the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies. People get about 20% of their water from food, the report states. Fruits and vegetables are particularly water-laden — both tomatoes and watermelon are 90% or more water.

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… Clear urine is a sign you’re well hydrated. When urine turns yellow, and especially if it becomes dark, dehydration has begun. Other symptoms include infrequent urination and dry or blue lips, along with blotchy skin, rapid breathing, fatigue, fever, and dizziness.

Know more about this topic over at Medium.com.

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