Have you ever felt like your bottle of water is a bottomless pit and that getting those 8 glasses of water a day is perhaps just impossible for you? Well, then this article is exactly for you as we will be tackling the water drinking issue, looking into how much water we need, what overhydration is, and much more.
Sources of water
Not all the water we consume in a day comes from the water we drink. In fact, there are many things we consume in a day that contains water. Some of these sources include fruits, vegetables, teas, coffees, and even white meat like fish and chicken. Actually, 20-30 percent of our water comes from the diet we consume; especially fruit and vegetables which have a higher water content than most other foods. 60-70 percent of water comes from the water and other fluids that we drink. About 10 percent of water comes from our body cells, which they produce during normal metabolic processes.
How much water do you need?
This is quite a difficult question to answer as water needs depend on multiple factors like activity, environmental conditions, how much you weigh, your age, etc. The best way to determine whether or not you need water is to listen to your body. Your body has its own internal mechanism to regulate water intake and we all know this as the thirst response. Therefore, make sure to carry your bottle of water with you and take a sip when you feel thirsty instead of trying to wolf down the bottle to reach a goal that a guideline set up for you to reach. There are many online calculators available that can help you roughly calculate how much water you need based on some individual factors if you are interested in getting an idea of your personal water needs. The most important thing is to avoid sugar or soda drinks once you feel thirsty and mainly stick to fresh, clean water. Water will satisfy your thirst much better and is more healthy for you than sugar or soda drinks.
What about coffee?
Many people know that coffee contains caffeine which is a dehydrating agent. They tend to avoid it or only allow themselves one cup per day. So the question is, will that cup of coffee help hydrate you or just dehydrate you even more? After doing some research on this, scientists actually discovered that coffee does not significantly dehydrate anyone and can be considered a hydrating substance. That means that you can definitely enjoy that cup of coffee without feeling guilty! That being said, water is still much better for you; it will satisfy your thirst better and cool you down much better than coffee ever could, so try not to overindulge.
Overhydration
Overhydration happens when you consume so much water that it lowers the amount of sodium relative to water in your blood – or rather, plasma. This causes an accumulation of fluid in your body tissues like your lungs and brain, as the water escapes out of the veins into the tissues, and this can eventually be fatal if medical help is not acquired after. Most people cannot over hydrate themselves very easily, however, and it is often more related to medical conditions.
