How much water should people drink?

Whatever the source of the water you drink (bottle, tap with or without decanter), it is important to drink enough water every day. Our body is composed of 65% water and is essential for the proper functioning of our body.

To stay healthy, you need to drink enough daily, especially during periods of heat or when physical activity is practiced.

How much water should people drink per day?

How much water should a healthy person drink per day? There is no simple answer to this question. There are though recommendations (1.5 L of water a day at a minimum), but in reality, your water need depends on several factors, including climate and your level of physical activity.

A human body contains about 65% of water or 45 liters for a person weighing 70 kg. This is an average, the actual proportion of water depends on the age, sex, and health status of each individual. Thus, on average, women have a lower proportion of water than men, and people who are overweight have proportionally less than thin people (because fat contains less water than muscles).

We lose water every day through breathing, sweating, urine, and stool. For the proper functioning of the body, this lost water must be replaced by drinks or food containing water.

There are generally two types of reasoning:

1. Replacement of Lost Water: An adult evacuates an average of 1.5 liters of urine per day, and loses 1 liter extra through sweating, breathing and stool mainly. As food supplies between 20 and 40% of the water we need, it is necessary to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water to replace the water that has been lost.
2. Dietary recommendations: Institutes of medicine recommend that men drink about 3 liters daily, and women 2.2 liters daily.

Factors Affecting Water needs :

Your water needs depend on your level of physical activity, the climate you live in, your state of health, and increases if you are a pregnant or nursing woman.

– Physical Activity: The more you exercise, the more you sweat, and therefore the more you need water to stay well hydrated. A few extra glasses of water are enough for moderate efforts, but for long-term efforts, it is best to drink special sports drinks containing electrolytes that will replace mineral salts lost through perspiration and avoid cramping inconveniences to more serious problems

– Climate: Warm temperatures and humid air cause more sweating. During the winter, hot, dry indoor air can also dehydrate you faster.

– Health: If you are ill, and you have symptoms such as fever, vomiting or diarrhea, you become dehydrated faster, so you need to drink more often.

When to drink and how to stay hydrated:

It is best not to wait until you are thirsty before drinking. Indeed, when you are thirsty you are already slightly dehydrated.

In order not to risk dehydration, you can follow the following recommendations:

• Drink a large glass of water during each meal and between meals.
• Hydrating sufficiently before, during and after any physical exercise.
• Do not forget to drink water during evenings with friends.

If you use a plastic water bottle by filling it with tap water or a filter jug, clean it there regularly, and replace it there from time to time. Also, check that your plastic bottle can be reused: some will release toxic compounds over time when filled with tap water and should be discarded after consumption.