How Much Water Should I Drink?

Our bodies are made up of 60% water.

Most of the water in our body is flushed out via sweat and urine. To prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated, you should drink adequate amounts of water from time-to-time.

There have been several debates regarding how much water we should be drinking daily. Health authorities suggest eight 8-ounce glasses of water. This is known as the 8x8 rule and it can be easily remembered. However, some would even suggest that a regular sipping of water throughout the day is best, even if you're not thirsty.

In the end, it all comes down to how much water each individual actually requires. There are several factors to consider with regard to your need for water. With that in mind, this article will explain the recommended water intake for every individual so that you'll know what's best for you.

Does drinking water affect your brain function and energy levels?

Some people claim that if you don't remain hydrated throughout the day, your brain function and energy levels will be affected. There are actually plenty of studies that can support this.

One study in women has shown that a fluid loss of 1.36% after an exercise has impaired their mood and concentration. It also increased the frequency of their headaches. There are also studies that show that a mild dehydration caused by heat or exercise has harmed several aspects of their brain function.

Remember, 1% of the bodyweight is already a significant amount. This mostly happens when you're sweating a lot. Being mildly dehydrated can also negatively affect your physical performance, which could reduce your endurance in the process.

Does drinking water help you lose weight?

There have been claims that drinking lots of water can reduce your body weight by suppressing your appetite and increasing your metabolism.

Studies show that drinking 500ml of water can temporarily boost your metabolism by 24-30%. Researchers even estimated that drinking 2 liters in a day can increase the energy expenditure by about 96 calories per day. Also, it's best to drink cold water because your body needs to expend more calories to heat the water to body temperature.

If you drink water 30 minutes before a meal, it will help reduce your calorie consumption. This is an effective technique, especially among older individuals.

A study shows that a dieter who drank 500ml of water before each meal has lost 44% more weight in the span of 12 weeks than those who didn't. This means that drinking an adequate amount of water before mealtime can benefit weight loss especially if it's paired with a healthy diet.

Does drinking water help prevent health problems?

There are several health problems that responds well to an increased water consumption including:

• Cancer - There are studies that show that people who drink more water have reduced their risk of bladder and colorectal cancer.
• Kidney stones - Increasing your water intake can prevent the development of kidney stones.
• Constipation - If you're constipated, drinking lots of water can help it.
• Acne and skin hydration - There are reports that talk about how water can help hydrate the skin and reduce the formation of acne.

How much water is best?

No one can exactly tell how much water you need to drink each day since each individual is different.

It's best if you experiment a bit to see which one works best for you. Some people may function better with more water in their system, while some may only result in frequent trips to the bathroom.

To keep things simple, these guidelines may be worth considering since a lot of people can relate to it:

1. Drink whenever you're thirsty.
2. Stop drinking when you're no longer thirsty.
3. During high heat and exercise, drink lots of water to compensate for the fluids that you've lost.

Hopefully, these tips from Dr. Alex Tam of Vacaville have provided more insights into your water-drinking habit. If you want, you can visit him personally at the top chiropractic and holistic center in Solano county for some personal assessment, particularly on your health.