How much should you drink? What factors affect the need for fluids? What happens if you drink too much or too little?
Question: How much water does an average person really need to drink? And is there such a thing as too much water?
Answer: If you’re not drinking from a 64-ounce Stanley thermos all day, are you really living? Hydration is back in the spotlight: TikTok videos with the hashtag #WaterTok have now been viewed more than a billion times.
Whether you’re drinking from a trendy thermos or a simple glass tumbler, there’s no single answer to how much water you should drink per day. The National Academy of Medicine’s water consumption recommendations come closest to those of the United States, which reported in 2004 that healthy men are generally adequately hydrated when they drink at least three liters (about 13 cups) of water per day. are, and women generally stay hydrated when they drink at least 2.2 liters (just over nine cups) per day, which does not include water drank through food.
However, these guidelines should not be taken as gospel, experts said.
“Most people, even if they stay below that recommendation, will be fine,” said Siddharth P. Shah, a nephrologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, who specializes in hydration and electrolyte balance.
When and how much water should I drink?
Of course, water is vital to our survival. It helps us eliminate waste, maintain blood pressure, regulate body temperature and much more.
Some people need more water than others. People who are particularly active — those who have physically demanding jobs or who exercise a lot — lose more water through sweat and will need to compensate by drinking extra water, says an emergency physician at Northwestern Medicine. said George Chiampas, a medical expert and the federation’s medical director. us soccer
Experts said people may be at risk if they live in a hot climate, have a large body or a lot of muscle, have loose stools, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if they have had kidney stones or frequent urinary tract infections. If someone has an infection, they may need to drink more.
Throughout life, the amount of water a person needs also varies. Shah said, typically, with age, people lose muscle and increase fat. Because fat contains less water than muscle, as people age they generally need to consume less water to maintain healthy tissues.
However, some older adults still don’t drink as much water as they need, Shah said, because the bodies of older people — especially those over 60, research shows — are less good at detecting thirst. Not there. Dehydration levels “What makes you feel thirsty at age 40 may not make you feel as thirsty at age 80,” he explained.
If you feel thirsty, you’re probably dehydrated and should drink water, said Dr. Alicia Robicheau, MD, family and sports medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital.
Robicheau said dehydration can also have more subtle symptoms, such as feeling constantly cold or having dry skin. People who are acutely or chronically dehydrated may also experience headaches or dry eyes, she said.
Since people go without drinking water for hours before they sleep, “most wake up and are already dehydrated,” Chiampas said. In general, it’s a good idea to start your day with a glass of water, he said.
Adding flavors to your water or drinking carbonated water is perfectly fine, Robicheau said, but she cautioned that coffee and other caffeinated beverages may not be as hydrating as caffeine-free drinks. Drinking caffeinated beverages, especially if you don’t consume it regularly, can reduce your kidneys’ ability to absorb water, causing you to lose excess water through urine. Alcoholic beverages also dehydrate you.
Keep in mind that you can also hydrate with food. Some fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and celery, are mostly water, Shah said. The US National Academy of Medicine estimates that people get an average of 20 percent of their water through food.
Chiampas said it’s unlikely for people to drink too much water, but it is possible, especially among endurance athletes who drink a lot of water quickly. Doing so can disrupt the body’s sodium and potassium balance and lead to potentially fatal water intoxication.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking no more than 48 ounces (about 1.5 liters) of water per hour. Also keep in mind that drinking too much water probably doesn’t have any health benefits.
“These days, there are a lot of people who bring big-sized water bottles,” Shah said. “But the overwhelming majority don’t need to drink that much extra water.”
*Melinda Weiner Moyer – ©The New York Times