Five things you should know about water
The human body is nearly 70% water – so it’s no surprise that we need to stay well-hydrated in order to stay healthy. We need water to transport nutrients to cells, and to get rid of waste products. Water also works to control body temperature and to provide lubrication to joints, organs and tissues. And most of the chemical reactions in the body take place in water, too. Water is also the most natural drink on earth – humans, after all, drank water long before they drank tea, or beer or wine.
So even though drinking a glass of water shouldn’t require a second thought, I run into people all the time who have questions and misunderstandings about the world’s oldest beverage.
So here are five things you should know about water:
• Most people need between 8 and 12 cups of fluid a day (about 2-3 liters). Needs vary, of course, depending on your age, your gender and how active you are. But in general, for every 50 pounds of body weight, you need about a quart of water every day (or about a liter for every 25 kg of body weight). For most people, that falls within the often-cited suggestion that we take in at least 8 glasses a day.
• The temperature of your water doesn’t really matter. In terms of hydration, it doesn’t matter if liquids are warm, cool or cold. They’ll all hydrate you equally, although temperature will affect the rate at which you consume them. Some people think that ice cold water will help you lose weight – the idea being that you’ll burn calories bringing the fluid to body temperature. In theory you could, but the amount of calories you’d use up is so tiny, it’s nearly insignificant – and, you’d also have the ‘brain freeze’ to deal with.
• Fruits and veggies can provide 20% or more of your water needs. Watery foods can go a long way towards meeting your fluid needs. If your meals include plenty of fruits and vegetables, and you drink fluids with meals, you’re probably meeting your water needs. There’s nearly 3 cups of water in a meal that includes a salad, some broccoli, brown rice and watermelon for dessert. On the other hand, too many people eat a ‘dry’ diet that’s heavy on processed foods – a meal of a cheeseburger and a bag of chips contains less than a half a cup of fluid.
• Drinking water with meals won’t interfere with digestion. Some people like to drink with meals, others don’t. Drinking fluids with meals is fine – water won’t dilute digestive juices or impair your digestion in any way. It doesn’t really matter when you take in water, as long as you get what you need over the course of the day.
• Bottled water isn’t necessarily cleaner or safer than tap water. The decision to drink tap or bottled water is a personal one. In the U.S., tap water standards are set by the Environmental Protection Agency; water is regularly tested, and consumers receive annual reports on water quality. Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and has to meet the same safety standards as tap water, but doesn’t undergo the same testing and reporting as community tap water. It has been reported that about 25% of bottled water is simply bottled tap water – which may or may not have had additional treatment before bottling. Your local water treatment facility should be able to provide you with water quality information, which can help you decide between bottled and tap.
Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.
Tags: benefit of drinking water, benefits of water, Discover Good Nutrition, drinking water, health and nutrition, Herbalife, how much water should I drink, Susan Bowerman, water consumption
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Hi Angie,
Thanks for your question. The general recommendations for water consumption are 6-8 glasses per day for a sedentary “normal” person and 8-12 glasses per day for an active person who performs exercise.
There is minimal risk with overconsumption of water for the kidneys UNLESS the individual has a medical condition. For this reason, they should ALWAYS consult with their physician if they have any questions on appropriate water consumption.
Susan
is it true that you can drink to much water and your kidneys have to work overtime if you drink too much?
I recently started a new routine with my water drinking 2 20oz glasses in the morning before I eat or drink anything else. Amazing what water does for you, I never thought water would make such a difference for me but my energy is even better, I’ve lost more weight, my skin is better. I guess I didn’t realize the real benefits of water until I added it with focus myself. And now I tell all my customers to follow this routine. (I am hypothyroid and have been stuck at my bodies comfort level for quite some time. I incorporated more water into my day and an additional 12 pounds just fell off)
Most people and particularly women ( yes sorry there is some stat about this, make your own..) will tell you that they do not drink enough water.
Drinking healthy(*) water is ESSENTIAL to health, beauty and longevity. One can survive without food for 40 days, but ones health will gradually deteriorate without water after two days depending on temperature and amount of body water loss. Moreover, it is not only the kind of water we drink — be it tap water, bottled water, mineral or the newest alkaline ionized water — or how much we drink. It is also however, very important WHEN we drink it…
Good to know. thanks for your advice!
carlos gil.
water is very essential in this life because without water nobody can live successfully. We are using Water for drinking, for bathing for coocking and for washing plate and cloth etc.
Verdadero, el agua es fundamental para nuestro cuerpo, nuestras células lo necesitan tanto para nutrirse como para limpiarse, es un proceso de reciclaje interno…. por lo tanto a seguir tomando agua…toda la que necesite el cuerpo.
Si desea alguien entrar a Herbalife,contáctame y platicamos
para tu ingreso, vivo en la bella ciudad de Guadalajara, Jalisco.México.
Pri nas je voda iz pipe pitna.vedno si jo nalijem v bidon in le redko uporabljam ustekleničeno vodo.
Excellent information, for people who exercise regularly I find its important to drink plenty of water during and after exercise, especially for endurance athletes. Lack of water normally leads to that feeling of tireness and fatique quickly sets in which caused much longer recovery periods after endurance efforts. I really like the approach being taken by Herbalife24.
This has been very helpful to me, I know I have to drink lots of water but I only drink when I get thirsty which is not good, I take water to work with me and bring it back, I drink most of my water while working out and at night, any suggestions on how I can get into the habit and stay there? I am very interested in your response