How much water should you drink a day? Most people need about four to six cups of plain water each day. But it may be surprising to learn that water intake is an individualized number.
While the daily four-to-six cup rule is for generally healthy people, that amount differs based on how much water they take in from other beverages and food sources. Also, certain health conditions, medications, activity level, and ambient temperature influence total daily water intake.
Unfortunately, many of us aren’t getting enough to drink, especially older adults.
-Benefits of drinking water:
Water keeps every system in the body functioning properly. The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report 6-Week Plan for Health Eating notes that water has many important jobs, such as:
-carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
-flushing bacteria from your bladder
-aiding digestion
-preventing constipation
-normalizing blood pressure
-cushioning joints
-protecting organs and tissues
-regulating body temperature
-maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance.
.How much daily total water do you need?
For healthy individuals, the average daily water for men is about 15.5 cups and for women about 11.5 cups. That might mean you need only four to six cups of plain water, depending on other fluid sources such as coffee, tea, juice, fruits, and vegetables.
-Other factors that might mean more plain water include:
-Activity level: If you’re losing water through sweat because you’re exercising, you should increase your water intake. Individuals participating in long stretches of physical activity, such as marathons, often need to replace both water and sodium losses.
-Outside temperatures: You should adjust your water level when the temperatures soar outside. In warmer temperatures, you might feel thirstier faster.
-Overall health and medications: It’s possible to take in too much water if you have certain health conditions, such as thyroid disease or kidney, liver, or heart problems; or if you’re taking medications that make you retain water, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opiate pain medications, and some antidepressants.
-Age: Older people don’t sense thirst as much as they did when they were younger. And that could be a problem if they’re on a medication that may cause fluid loss, such as a diuretic.
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