We all know that the only thing that keeps living organisms alive is water. From the millions of years when the first unicellular organisms started developing, they all required water containing essential nutrients to grow and further multiply. We all drink water daily, mostly in the morning, after eating a meal, or when we feel thirsty. But do you feel you are getting enough water for your body? In reality, majority of the people don’t know how much water should be consumed in a day. Thus, here at Geetanjali Medical Nutrition Clinic help you to know exactly how much water intake is to be taken to stay hydrated for the whole day and why drinking water at regular intervals is important for our body.

Why is it important to stay hydrated?

Drinking water is a common activity in our daily lives, as our body needs to be maintained with a proper proportionate of water, which is often dependent upon many factors such as our age, gender, physical activity, and body composition. We are required to drink water not only to quench our thirst but also to get our body functioning in a normal state. Like:

1. Regulating Body Temperature: Our body regulates our body temperature by sweating and respiration, and this takes adequate water to work.
2. Supporting Digestion: When we eat our food, it is hard for our body to digest it if there is not enough lubricant to pass through; therefore, from the moment of chewing to excretion, water helps to smooth the process. Also, the nutrients that are taken out of the food are passed through the body via water only.
3. Boosting Energy Levels: When we are thirsty, it’s a message sent from our body that our muscles lack water and can cause fatigue; thus, staying hydrated helps to maintain the supply of oxygen and glucose to boost energy levels.
4. Maintaining skin health: Our skin is healthy when it is well moisturized; therefore, drinking water helps our skin to stay nourished and prevents bruises and cuts.

Correct Water Intake

The required water intake for you can vary on many factors, including age, gender, activity level, diet, climate, geographical location, and overall health. Let’s take a deep look into these factors:

• Age: As you grow older, the body’s water capacity decreases, which lowers the water intake in a day.
• Gender: Men generally have a higher water percentage than women, thus they require more water to keep hydrated for the same body mass.
• Activity Level: The more you are involved in physical activities, the more you sweat. Therefore, our body requires more water to replenish energy.
• Climate and location: A person living in a tropical region with a hot climate will release more water from the body as compared to someone living in a cold climate. This results in drinking more water as it feels more thirsty in hot and humid areas.
• Health Conditions: Some diseases, like diarrhea or urinary tract infections, can lead to a significant amount of fluid loss from the body. In those cases, a doctor suggests drinking more water with electrolytes to recover fast.

Diet: The type of diet you keep tells a lot about your body.

• • If you eat foods that are rich in water content, like cucumber, watermelon, oranges, grapes, and many more, then you are already getting ample water in your body. These foods are easily digested as they contain very few calories.
  • If you eat foods that are high in sodium and other salts, like preservative foods, meat, eggs, and spiced-up gravies, then you might feel dehydrated as the salts tend to absorb water from your body, thus you feel thirsty every time after eating some of these foods in bulk. To digest the salt-based food, much more water is required and it takes more time to complete the digestion process.

Other than these factors, there is a well-known formula to calculate the amount of water you require according to your weight if you have normal health:

Water Intake (in litres) = Body Weight (in kg) x 0.04

For example, if your body weight is 60 kg, then your daily water intake should be:

Water Intake per day = 60 x 0.04 = 2.4 Litres.

Yes, what many have learned in schools that everyone should drink 8 glasses of water every day is not fully true. Your weight and age matter about the adequate amount you should take.

Signs of Dehydration

You should be able to recognize dehydration if one of these symptoms is felt:

• Thirst
• Dry Mouth
• Fatigue or Lethargy
• Dark Yellow Urine (also indicates high salt intake in the body, which is not good)
• Dizziness or Lightheadedness
• Dry skin or irritation

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s essential to increase your water intake.

Conclusion

These were some important points to stay hydrated. Now you see drinking water in the correct proportion is essential for the body. It’s not just about quenching the thirst but maintaining the inner balance of the body. Our health and productivity are highly impacted due to our water intake and when you drink ample amounts of water at regular intervals, you can see the positive changes in your body and mental health.