These 6 Key Factors Influence Our Daily Water Needs
You’ve probably heard the claim that
drinking eight glasses of water per day is important for health. Water,
of course, is the most important nutrient for our body, and maintaining
proper hydration is extremely crucial to good health. However, simply
drinking eight glasses of water a day and feeling that you’ve done your
job won’t always be helpful.
Our water needs are dependent on several
key factors and vary from person to person. Not many of us always think
carefully about this but it is extremely important to take those points
in order to stay healthy. Here, we have listed some of the critical
elements that determine an individual’s daily water intake. Take a look.
1. Your age
Health experts say that an average healthy
adult should drink around 4 to 6 glasses or about 2 liters of water
every day. That should keep your body sufficiently hydrated.
Seniors, however, may need increased
amounts of fluid to remain hydrated. We mustn't forget that aging adults
often need reminders and encouragement to drink enough water to avoid
dehydration. Moreover, seniors lose water faster with age. Their sense
of thirst also decreases with age and hence older adults have to be
extra mindful of their water intake.
An important point to remember here is that older people are also at a
higher risk of overhydration as they have less ability to conserve
sodium. Insufficient amounts of dietary sodium, along with excess
fluids, can lead to dangerous overhydration in aging adults.
The recommended daily water intake for seniors is at least one cup of
water for every 20 pounds (9 kg) of weight or at least 1.7 liters of
fluid per 24 hours.
2. Environment
Where you live significantly impacts the
amount of water you should consume. For example, hot or humid weather
can make you sweat and requires an additional intake of fluid. Indoor
heating can increase sweating and makes your skin lose moisture during
the winter season and you would hence need more water to make up for
that loss. Also, those living in altitudes greater than 2,500 meters
(8,202 ft) are more prone to extra urination and more rapid breathing.
This may lead to a greater fluid loss and consequently an increased need
for water.
3. Illnesses or health conditions
If you have an infection or a fever, your
body may lose water by as much as 200 ml per day for a rise of each
degree Celsius in body temperature. Vomiting or diarrhea can also cause
you to lose fluids rapidly. In such cases, you will need to drink more
water and may even require oral rehydration solutions. Other conditions
such as diabetes, bladder infections, urinary tract stones, gout, and
constipation may also require enhanced water intake.
However, not all health conditions need you to take more water. For
instance, heart failure and some types of kidney, liver, and adrenal
diseases tend to damage the excretion of water and may require you to
lower your water consumption.
4. Pregnancy or breast-feeding
Women who are expecting or breastfeeding
generally need additional fluids to remain properly hydrated. This is
because the body is working for two (or more).
The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women should drink
2.4 liters (about 10 glasses of 250ml) of fluids per day and women who
breastfeed should drink at least 2.71 liters of water and additional
fluids daily depending on their thirst (about 12 glasses of 250ml).
5. Exercise or physical activity
It goes without saying that exercising or
engaging in any activity that makes you sweat will also mean that you
need to drink extra water to make up for that loss. Ideally, an extra
1.5 to 2.5 cups of water should be enough for short bouts of exercise.
However, if your exercise lasts for more than an hour, you would
obviously require more water. The additional fluid you would need would
depend on the amount of sweat you lose during the exercise, its
duration, and the kind of activity you are involved in. If you are
engaging in long bouts of extreme exercise, it would be better to use a
sports drink that contains sodium as that will help replace the sodium
lost in sweat, too.
Also, if you are active during the day or your work involves standing or
walking a lot, you would need more water than someone who sits at a
desk all day. For these people, an extra 2-3 glasses of water daily
should be enough.
6. Your diet
Your water intake is also related to the
kind of diet you follow. For instance, if you drink a lot of coffee and
other caffeinated beverages, you are bound to lose extra water as a
result of caffeine's diuretic effect. Also, if your diet is high in
salty, spicy, or sugary foods, you should increase your water intake by a
little bit. More water would also be needed if your diet doesn’t
include a lot of hydrating foods that are high in water such as fresh or
cooked fruits and vegetables.
Another point to note is that people taking too little protein are not
able to maintain sufficient amounts of water in the blood. One of the
most important roles of protein is to hold onto fluid in the blood.
Thus, these individuals should certainly make it a point to boost their
water consumption.