Maintain Your Body by Drinking “Enough” Water

Last Updated on February 16, 2023

We need to maintain the level of fluids in our body every single day by drinking enough water. Undeniably, we may hear advertisements about drinking eight glasses of water a day. Is it scientifically true? Also, do you have to drink 8 glasses of water at once?

There is not even a single study I could find that recommends drinking exactly 8 glasses of water a day.

Drink at least 2 liters of water a day

Some of us may know this slogan from some advertisements on television, radio, websites, or other media. Specifically, the total amount of 8 glasses of water is 1,893 ml (64 ounces), or up to 2 liters of water ​[1]​.

The suggestion to drink eight glasses of water a day first appeared in 1945 ​[1]​. The Food and Nutrition Agency of the United States recommends that, commonly, the daily water requirement for adults is 2.5 liters. In fact, it has been mostly served in prepared meals.

However, people ignored the “served in prepared meals.” They misinterpreted this recommendation to drink 8 glasses of water every day. Of course, we may not fulfill all of our daily fluid needs with plain water, which is the best drinking source. It may also be satisfied by fruits, vegetables, tea, or even coffee.

Daily fluid intake

Our bodies require water for metabolism, maintaining body temperature, and helping the circulation process ​[2]​. Furthermore, water aids in the daily removal of toxins from our bodies. It typically occurs via our excretory system, such as sweat and urine. Therefore, we need to maintain our fluid intake at all costs and avoid dehydration.

There is no consistent information regarding the amount of daily fluid intake. Health professionals may differentiate the amount of daily fluid intake according to gender, age, and weight. However, we cannot determine the general daily fluid intake because each person will have different body characteristics and activities ​[2]​. In this case, there is an easy way to detect whether our body is properly hydrated or dehydrated. One way is by checking the color of the urine.

How to test your hydration level

We need to check the water intake in our bodies at all times. However, you may need to conduct an examination of your own body.

First, the human body provides a “notification” of a lack of water through thirst. However, this is a great method only when we are not exercising.

When exercising, on the other hand, we may not know how much fluid is lost. Fortunately, we may be able to determine the average weight loss for every hour of exercise. A study found that we should drink water gradually, as much as 0.8-1 liter for every 1 kg of weight loss ​[3]​.

Second, when we urinate, we can check the color of our own urine as a measure of hydration. The following is an explanation of the urine color line (as in Figure 1):

1. transparent color, meaning that the fluid in the body is excessive. In this case, we may need to stop drinking water for a while.
2. The urine is slightly yellowish, indicating that your body’s fluid balance is optimal.
3. If it starts getting yellow, it indicates that the body’s fluid is below the optimal limit. We may drink when we feel thirsty.
4. The orange color indicates that the body is dehydrated. Immediately drink a glass of water to restore the body’s fluid balance.
5. Dark orange is a sign that your body is very dehydrated, and it may be a warning sign. Drink water or electrolyte drinks right away.

If your urine color is around #3, the most common symptom you will experience is thirst. When the body starts dehydrating (color #4), we may feel thirst, a dry mouth, less urinating, dry or cold skin, and dizziness. Moreover, when your body is severely dehydrated (color #5 or darker), a number of symptoms will arise, including dizziness, a fast heartbeat, rapid breathing, lethargy, drowsiness, or even fainting.

Water intoxication

In this world, anything excessive is not good. Maintaining body water intake does not imply drinking an excessive amount of water. Water intoxication occurs when the body’s water intake exceeds the threshold. Drinking too much water in a short period of time can cause mild cases or even lead to death.

An example of water intoxication involves an experienced female marathon runner who was rushed to the emergency room ​[4]​. It turned out that she consumed excessive water during the race, which resulted in vomiting and confusion. She could not even remember the details of the race she was in. Luckily, after being treated by medical personnel, she was able to recover the next day.

Another example is when a woman in her 60s died because the night before she drank about 30 to 40 glasses of water, followed by several symptoms. She ended up feeling depressed, drinking continuously, then falling asleep and dying ​[5], [6]​.

Do not drink too much water

Water intoxication can occur when a person drinks 3–4 liters of water in a short period of time. This is because the kidneys receive more water than they can excrete. Generally, for healthy adults, the amount of water excreted from the body is around 20 liters per day ​[7]​. Also, no more than 0.8 to 1 liter per hour. That is, we can use this number as a limit on water consumption every time.

Conclusion

We may need to maintain optimal fluid levels in the body to keep our bodies healthy. We can drink when we are thirsty and stop when it is gone, or see the color of urine when we urinate.

The 8 glasses of water or 2 liters of water a day may be irrelevant for you. However, it should be noted that whatever we drink must not exceed the daily limit of water intake every hour.

Hopefully, by reading this article, we can easily understand the fluid intake of our bodies.

References