How much water should you drink every day to stay healthy?

Keep your body hydrated It is essential for overall health and well-being. But how much water should we really drink every day? 

Understanding individual water needs and adapting can significantly improve daily life. 

Let's see in detail how much to drink, what the benefits of water are and how to maintain proper hydration.

The importance of proper hydration

Drinking water is essential for the proper functioning of the human body. Every system in the body depends on water, including the digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems. 

Water helps transport nutrients to cells, remove waste and regulate body temperature. How much water does correct hydration require? The answer may surprise you, let's look at it together in the next paragraphs.

What is the point of drinking water every day?

Drinking water every day is vital to maintaining optimal body functions. Water supports digestion, cognition, memory, helps eliminate toxins, increases energy, regulates body temperature and keeps tissues and joints lubricated.

Also, proper hydration it's good for the skin, making it more elastic and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

How much water should you drink every day?

The amount of water you drink every day can vary depending on several factors such as age, gender, level of physical activity and climate. However, there are general guidelines. The Institute of Medicine and the European Food Safety Authority generally recommend: 

• men approximately 2,5 – 3,7 litres of water (about 13 glasses) per day
• women approximately 2 – 2,7 litres (about 9 glasses) per day

But be careful: not all this water has to come from the liquids you drink. Food also contributes to hydration. 

Fruits, vegetables and other water-rich foods can provide about 20% of our daily fluid needs.

How to calculate how much water to drink every day

Calculating the amount of water you should drink daily can be simple with a body weight method. 

A common recommendation is to drink approximately 30 ml of water for every kg of body weight. For example, a person weighing 70 kg should drink approximately 2,1 liters (70 kg x 0,03) of water per day.

Additionally, technological tools such as apps and smart devices can help you monitor your fluid intake and maintain a proper level of hydration.

Another simple formula that is used to estimate daily water needs is based on calorie consumption. 

The formula is based on the idea that for every calorie consumed you should drink 1 ml of water. So, a person who consumes 2000 calories should drink about 2 liters of water every day.

Of course these formulas can be a good starting point, but there are also other factors that influence your water needs, including:

• Physical activity level: People who are very active or do strenuous exercise may need to drink more water.

• Climate and environment: In hot and humid environments, the need for water increases due to increased sweating.

• Health conditions: Some medical conditions or situations such as pregnancy or breastfeeding can affect your water needs.

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What happens if you don't drink enough water?

Dehydration can have devastating effects on the body and mind. Even mild dehydration on the order of 1-4% body water loss can cause symptoms such as:

• headache
• fatigue
• constipation
• difficulty concentrating
• dryness of the skin
• articolar pains
• decrease in muscle mass
• mood swings
• dark urine
• nausea

In more severe cases, a loss of more than 4% of body water can lead to problems such as kidney failure, breathing difficulties, urinary tract infections or kidney stones.

Lose weight by drinking more!

Can drinking water contribute to weight loss? The answer is yes!

Water not only helps you feel full, but it can also improve your metabolism. Drinking water before meals can reduce calorie intake, while adequate hydration helps the body metabolize fat more efficiently.

Furthermore, replacing sugary drinks with water significantly reduces your daily calorie intake, promoting weight loss and improving overall health.

I suffer from water retention, should I drink a lot?

When a person suffers from water retention (edema), typical of the start of the hot season, it is often more advantageous to adopt strategies that help rebalance body fluids rather than resorting to diuretic remedies. 

Water retention is mainly linked to an increase in the amount of extracellular water (ECW), therefore outside the cells. In contrast, intracellular water (ICW) is found inside cells. 

Excess salt can increase extracellular water increasing the volume of the limbs, while potassium being an antagonist mineral can reduce it. 

To better understand, in the reference values ​​of the "DACH" nutritional guidelines, a minimum intake of 550 mg of sodium, or approximately 1,5 g of salt per day, for teenagers and adults. 

However, salt consumption in Switzerland, as in other European countries, is far higher than these values, i.e. 8,7 grams per day per capita, approximately 75% higher than the "WHO" recommendations, equal to the maximum to 5 grams.

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Tips and remedies to improve water retention

1. Sodium Reduction:

   – Salt intake: Reducing sodium can help decrease fluid retention. Sodium retains water in the extracellular compartment, so high salt intake may contribute to edema.

   - Supply: Prefer fresh and less processed foods, which naturally contain less sodium, and pay attention to labels.

2. Increased potassium:

   – Potassium intake: Il Potassium helps balance sodium levels and promotes fluid translocation from the extracellular compartment to the cells (intracellular environment).

   – Food sources: supplement your diet with potassium-rich foods such as bananas, oranges, spinach, sweet potatoes, avocados and coconut water.

3. Adequate hydration:

   – Drink enough: It seems paradoxical but introducing enough water can help reduce water retention. When the body is well hydrated, it is less likely to retain fluids and therefore we appear less 'fat'.

4. Moderate physical activity:

   – Physical exercise: Exercise can improve blood and lymph circulation, helping to reduce fluid accumulation in peripheral tissues.

   – Walking and stretching: Light activities such as walking and stretching can be very helpful in reducing retention and toning muscles

5. Lower limb lifting:

   – Location: Raising the legs above the level of the heart can facilitate the drainage of fluids from peripheral tissues.

6. Lymphatic drainage massage:

   – Natural therapies: Manual lymphatic drainage massage can help stimulate the lymphatic system and reduce fluid retention.

Avoid using diuretics if you have water retention

Diuretics remove fluids from all areas and not selectively where we want them, which can lead to dehydration if not managed correctly; they can also reduce essential electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, which can lead to muscle cramps as well as worsen the root of the problem.

It is generally preferable to adopt strategies that balance the fluids and electrolytes in the body rather than resorting directly to diuretics. 

Reducing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake, along with maintaining adequate hydration and incorporating moderate exercise, can be an effective strategy for managing peripheral fluid retention. 

How important is physical activity for water needs?

Physical activity greatly affects your water needs, because when you exercise, you lose a significant amount of fluids through sweat.

It is essential to replenish these fluids by drinking water during and after exercise, especially for athletes or those who practice intense physical activity it may be necessary to drink even more to maintain a correct level of hydration. 

A general rule is drink at least 500 ml (half a liter) of water for every hour of moderate or vigorous exercise, in small doses and sips.

How to recognize dehydration

Recognizing the signs of dehydration is very important to prevent health problems. In addition to the symptoms already mentioned, it is essential to note the frequency with which you urinate and the color of your urine. 

Dark urine and less frequent urination are some of the signs of dehydration to pay attention to.

In extreme cases, dehydration can cause severe complications such as fever, hallucinations and loss of consciousness. It is essential to pay attention to the body's signals and take prompt action.

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Water is a source of life and well-being

How important is it to drink water every day? The answer is extremely. If you want to stay healthy and feel your best, make sure you drink an adequate amount of water, tailoring your intake to your individual needs. 

Don't forget that adequate hydration is one of the simplest and most natural ways to improve overall well-being.

Start tracking your water intake today and enjoy the benefits of proper hydration!

References:

1. Nutr Hosp. 2019 Dec 26;36(6):1424-1429.doi: 10.20960/nh.02746.

Effect of water consumption on weight loss: a systematic review 

2. Nutrients. 2019 Aug; 11(8): 1857. doi: 10.3390 / nu11081857

The Role of Water Homeostasis in Muscle Function and Frailty: A Review

3. Front Nutr. 2022; 9: 880630. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.880630

Acute Water Supplementation Improved the Body Composition of Young Female Adults After Water Restriction of 12 h in Baoding, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

4. Swiss Confederation, Federal Office for Security; https://www.admin.ch/gov/it/pagina-iniziale/documentazione/comunicati-stampa.msg-id-101208.html#:~:text=Berna%2C%2030.05.2024%20%2D%20In,75%25%20rispetto%20alla%20quantit%C3%A0%20raccomandata.