That is good for your health. Staying hydrated is in style, like the brand-name water bottle craze and the TikTok tasks to drink one gallon of water every day.
The body is mostly water, making up more than 60% of it. It is a part of almost every process that keeps you alive. This means that if you are drinking water, you are good for your body.
The Water is Basic
“Water is essential for life,” says Crystal Scott, a qualified dietitian and nutritionist with Top Nutrition Coaching.
It helps keep your body’s temperature in check, moves nutrients around, gets rid of waste, lubricates joints and tissues, and plays a big part in keeping electrolytes and fluids in balance.
When you breathe, swear, or even pee, you lose energy. Food and drink are turned into energy. Your health can quickly get worse if you do not replace that fluid.
Your body can work for at least three weeks without food. You will die in a few days if you do not drink water, though. Too many things depend on it.
Water that is Recommended to Drink a Day
You may have heard of the 8×8 rule, which is the most common rule of thumb. It means drinking eight eight-ounce cups of water every day. Scott says that you are doing well if you finish it by the end of the day. But it is possible that some changes would help you.
“I do not think that amount is always wrong, but I do think that research has changed over time,” she says. “Age, gender, and level of activity will change the amount of water you should drink.”
Your Life can Measure your Amount of Water
The amount of medicine you should take may also change depending on your life circumstances. For instance, if you live in a hot and humid area, work out a lot, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding, you may need more water at the end of the day than the normal adult.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine say that men should drink about 125 ounces of water every day and women should drink about 91 ounces.
You get water from food, so even if you do not fill up your water bottle to that exact level every day, you are probably still close to or even over that amount.
How much water is too much?
You can drink too much water, though it does not happen often. Hyponatremia is the medical term for when your body has too much water and your kidneys can not filter it at a regular rate. Your blood’s sodium level can drop too low, which makes your cells swell and is dangerous.
Am I Drinking Enough Water?
For most people, the biggest trouble is getting enough water. Your body is the best way to tell if you are getting enough water. Your body will let you know when it does not get enough water.
Scott says, “The color of your urine is a really important sign of how well you are hydrated.” After you pee, it is fine if the water in the toilet is pale yellow or clear. If your pee is dark yellow or amber, it means your body needs water.
Recommendations for your Daily Fill
If you really want to improve your water, Scott says you should not rush through the whole process. Before you set a goal for where you want to be, you should look at where you are now.
“Start with half your body weight in ounces,” she says. “So 100 ounces would be our first goal for someone who weighs 200 pounds.” Let us say they only drink 20 ounces of water every day.