Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Water 101

As we head into the hot summer months, we often hear the advice:  Be sure to stay hydrated!  But what does that mean for each one of us as individuals?  How much water is enough?

It’s no secret that water is crucial to a healthy, well-functioning body. In fact, the average adult body is comprised of approximately 50%-60% water.^[[i],[ii]]   And many of the major organs, including the brain, heart, and lungs, are at least 70% water.^[[iii],[iv]]

Many people try to ensure they drink enough water, carrying around large water bottles to help, but the question becomes, how much is enough and what is too much? A quick internet search provides a few different answers.

And the answer is, it all depends. However, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies) provide what they consider an adequate total water intake. This total water intake, which includes water coming from food and all beverages, is approximately 11.5 cups of total water for females (ages 19-50) and approximately 15.5 cups of total water for males (ages 19-50).[v]

Many variables factor into how much liquid one needs, including age, body weight and size, climate, illness, medications, workouts, perspiration, and more. And our bodies are great at keeping us in balance and will adjust our bodily processes at the cellular level to keep us in equilibrium if we drink a bit too little or a bit too much.[vi]

However, the problems occur if we become chronically dehydrated. When this happens, we have an increased chance of damaging our kidneys,[vii] getting headaches, having mood swings, and getting leg cramps.[viii]

On the flip side, we can drink too much, which is called hyponatremia and can lead to death.[ix]

Things to Consider to Help Ensure Adequate Hydration

1. Remember that drinking only when thirsty can give you a false sense of hydration. As much as you may want to rely on your sensation of thirst to help you determine when you need to drink more water, by the time you are thirsty, you are typically already slightly dehydrated.[x]
2. Look at the color of your urine. It is a good indicator to help determine whether or not you are fully hydrated.[xi] HydrationCheck.com has a color chart that consists of an 8-color scale, helping to determine if you are fully hydrated.[xii]
3. Keep track of how frequently you are urinating. On average, healthy people urinate around 6 or 7 times per day (24 hours).[xiii] Certain foods, beverages, and medications can increase or even decrease this amount.[xiv] If you aren’t sure or feel off, always discuss it with your doctor.
4. Think about some of the other common factors that could be affecting your hydration status. For example, are you losing fluids to sweat/exercise? Do you live in a dry climate? Do you live in a warm climate? These are all factors that can affect hydration and fluid levels.

Tips To Ensure You Are Drinking Enough Water

1. Track it! Write it down or check a box on a chart each time you drink a glass of water.
2. Determine how much you need to drink each day and break it into smaller amounts.
3. Set timers throughout the day to stop and drink a bit of water. Have all the water in front of you and finish it. Measure out how much to drink every hour, if needed. Or commit to drinking a certain amount in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
4. Get a measured water bottle with the liquid measure written on the side. Some are now even designed for the sole purpose of helping you drink enough water and have motivational sayings on the side of them.
5. Add some lemon or lime to your water.
6. If you drink soda or some other beverage, consider drinking a glass of water before you drink the soda. And if you are still thirsty, then consider drinking the soda.
7. Drink a glass of water when you first wake up to ensure you have already had one glass.
8. As many of the studies refer directly to fluids, which include eating as well, consider adding some additional fruits, vegetables, or soups to your diet (taking into consideration sodium content as well).
9. Download one of the mobile apps that help to track water intake.

 

Also, again, it goes without saying always work with a medical professional if you have any questions.

How much water do you drink? What do you do to ensure you drink enough? What tips or tricks do you use? I’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

 

[i] Frey, Rebecca J, Ph.D and William A Atkins BB, BS, MBA. “Hydration.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets (Vol 1, 3^rd ed). 2019.

[ii] Palma, Lidia et al. “Dietary Water Affects Human Skin Hydration and Biomechanics.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. Vol. 8. pp. 413-421. August 3, 2015. doi:10.2147/CCID.S86822. retrieved September 18, 2021.

[iii] Lange, NR, and DP Schuster. “The Measurement of Lung Water.” Critical Care (London, England). Vol. 3. No. 2. 1999. R19-R24. doi:10.1186/cc342. retrieved September 25, 2021.

[iv] Betts, J. Gordon, et al. “Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance.” Anatomy and Physiology, OpenStax, 2013. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/26-1-body-fluids-and-fluid-compartments. retrieved September 14, 2021.

[v] “Chapter 4/Water.” Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. National Academies Press, Washington D.C., 2005.

[vi] Jequier, E. and F. Constant. “Water As An Essential Nutrient: The Physiological Basis of Hydration.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 64. No. 2. pp. 115-123. 2010. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2009.111. retrieved September 25, 2021.

[vii] Strippoli, Giovanni F M, et al. “Fluid and Nutrient Intake and Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.” Nephrology. (Carlton). March 2011. Vol 16. No. 3. pp.326-334. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2010.01415.x. retrieved September 18, 2021.

[viii] Hallegraeff, Joannes. et al. “Criteria in Diagnosing Nocturnal Leg Cramps: A Systematic Review.” BMC Family Practice. Vol 18. No. 29. Feb 2017. doi:10.1186/s12875-017-0600-x. retrieved September 8, 2021.

[ix] Frey, Rebecca J, Ph.D and William A Atkins, BB, BS, MBA. “Hydration.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets (Vol 1, 3^rd ed). 2019.

[x] Armstrong, Lawrence E. et al. “Distinguishing Low and High Water Consumers – A Paradigm of Disease Risk.” Nutrients. Vol. 12. No. 3. March 23, 2020. doi:10.3390/nu12030858. retrieved September 29, 2021.

[xi] “The Science. Why Are Fluids Important?” Hydration Check. http://www.hydrationcheck.com/the_science.php. retrieved September 23, 2021.

[xii] “Urine Color Chart.” Hydration Check. http://hydrationcheck.com/ucc.php. retrieved February 25, 2022.

[xiii] “Urinary Frequency. How Often Should You Pee?” Bladder and Bowel Community. https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bladder/bladder-conditions-and-symptoms/frequency/  retrieved September 23, 2021

[xiv] Lukacz, E S. et al. “A Healthy Bladder: A Consensus Statement.” International Journal of Clinical Practice. Vol. 65. No. 10. pp. 1026-1036. Oct 2011. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2011.02763.x. retrieved September 26, 2021.