Water: Why We Need it and How Much Should We Drink Each Day?
By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD
October 20, 2024 | #19
Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice.
Water is Life and is absolutely vital for our health. If I were to stop right here, you would already know the primary reason why water is so important to every living organism. Our bodies are composed of approximately sixty percent water for a reason! Every living cell in our body uses water to function properly and without water, our bodies could not function at all. The key factors that make water so important:
Every living cell in our body uses water to help move essential nutrients into our cells and move toxic waste materials out. Our blood is composed of about 50 percent water, and without blood, our organs and body could not survive. The water is used to dissolve and help transfer many vital substances such as oxygen, minerals and nutrients throughout our body. Water acts as a protective lubricant in our joints and many other bodily tissues and organs. Dehydration can lead to stiffening of the joint cartilage making it harder to bend and straighten your joints. Chronic dehydration can lead to frank joint degeneration. Water helps to regulate our temperature by sweating which helps cool down our body when needed. Temperature regulation becomes even more important as we age because older people tend to sweat less, have less of an urge to drink water and have an overall lower body water content. Thus drinking plenty of water is vital to preventing heat stress and overheating as we grow older.
Water is essential for proper digestion because it helps break down food and move it through the intestines. Not getting enough water can lead to constipation and hard stools which can be very painful. Chronic dehydration can even lead to a bowel obstruction which can require surgery. How much water should we drink every day? Traditionally, the answer has been 8 glasses of water a day which equals 64 ounces. This however seems to be changing. Recommendations seem to now vary anywhere between 8-16 eight ounce glasses of water a day for men and 6-12 glasses of water a day for women. The higher end recommendations of 12-16 glasses of water each day do include the water we get from other beverages and from the food that we eat which we will touch upon in a bit.
These recommendations for how much water to drink each day will vary depending on your age, size, weight, activity level, where you live such as a hot or cold climate, if your are pregnant or breast feeding, and your overall health. For example, if you are exercising and sweating a lot, then you will need to increase your intake of water to offset the fluid loss from sweating. Or if you live in a hot climate, you may perspire more leading to greater fluid loss and the need for more water intake. Or if you are sick with a fever and vomiting/diarrhea, then your fluid requirements will definitely go up temporarily. I think you get the point. As you can see, many factors can alter how much fluid your body actually needs from hour to hour and day to day. In the end, there is no one amount of water intake that fits all. The general recommendation seems to be at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day (64 oz) but 10-12 glasses (80-96 oz) is probably better. And don’t forget the water you get from foods and other beverages like coffee, tea, etc. which we will discuss below. What we can say for sure is that water is essential for our well being and keeping your body well hydrated at all times will lead to a healthier you. Does the water in our food count towards our daily water intake? The answer is a resounding yes. We obtain about 20 percent of our water from the foods we eat. Particularly fruits and vegetables are very high in water content. The top fruits and vegetables with a water content of 85 percent or above include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, oranges, grapefruit, apples, peaches, watermelon, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, radish, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, brussel sprouts, zucchini, and cucumbers.
For example, cucumbers are made up of around 96 percent water, are low in calories and are a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. One average size cucumber contains about 4.5 ounces of water meaning eating two cucumbers would provide you with over one glass of water. On the other hand, there are foods that contain water but also tend to dehydrate you. These would include processed meats such as sausage and salami, salty foods like chips and French fries, and foods that contain a lot of refined sugar including ice cream, pastries and soda pop. In this context, you can see why fruits and vegetables are a much better food choice. And lets not forget alcohol. Alcohol causes you to lose water and become dehydrated because it causes you to pee a lot. So try to never drink alcohol when you are already dehydrated and if you are drinking alcohol, make sure to drink plenty of water in between drinks.
By the way, there is a misconception that coffee causes dehydration which is not completely true. Coffee is a good source of water and has no significant dehydrating effects on your body if drank in moderation like 2 cups a day. But drinking large amounts of caffeine at once like drinking five cups of coffee can lead to dehydration because caffeine is technically a diuretic and can lead to dehydration if drank in excess. So a cup of coffee here or there will definitely help you meet your daily fluid requirements.
How can you tell if you are drinking enough?
Several simple checks:
- Are you feeling thirsty or not?
- Does your mouth feel dry?
- Is your urine colorless/light yellow or is it dark?
- Are you sweating or not while you are exercising vigorously?
- Are you peeing less?
These are crude but reliable indicators for if you are dehydrated or not. Tips to Drink more water each day Get in a routine. Try to drink a big glass of water when you first get up and drink a big glass before each meal. This will not only help you to meet your daily fluid requirements but drinking a glass of water before a meal will make you feel fuller and lead to less food intake which can lead to weight loss. Following a daily routine will eventually lead to a habit which will then lead to you drinking more water each and every day. Remind yourself. Set a timer on your phone to remind yourself multiple times throughout the day to stop and drink water. When I get busy I could easily go all day without drinking because it’s so easy to do. Setting a timer reminds me in a very reliable way to stop and drink a glass or two of water. Buy a water bottle that you like and keep it with you throughout the day. Having access to water when you want it will make it more likely that you will drink water throughout the day. Convenience is key!
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. As we mentioned earlier, many fruits and vegetable are composed mostly of water as well as contain beneficial minerals, vitamins and necessary fiber. So it’s an easy healthy way to add more water to your diet each day. Coffee and tea are good sources of water but drink these in moderation. Add flavor.
What I dislike the most about drinking water is it has no flavor. So place a slice of fruit or vegetable like cucumber into your water to give a bit of needed flavor. Or I use a water bottle that I can dial the amount of flavor that I want. It’s called Cirkul. Using this water bottle system has lead to me drinking so much more water each day than I have ever drank in the past. It’s been a game changer for me. Track it. There are many apps to use to track your water intake or just write it down on a piece of paper each day. It doesn’t really matter what you use but tracking your water intake each day will not only give you a sense of accountability but also give you a feeling of accomplishment when you reach your goal each day.
Impactful Quote of the Week
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity."
- Amelia Earhart
All the best,
Brian Hoeflinger
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