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"headline":"How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?",
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"description":"How much water should you drink per day? Here are the guidelines you should follow for optimal health.",
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"text": "For men, about 100 ounces. For women, about 74 ounces. But several factors can influence this number. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much water you should drink each day.<br>While there isn't one clear number, the daily recommended amount (DRI) from the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board states that:<br>Men over the age of 18 should drink 3.7 liters of water per day (about 125 ounces)<br>Women over the age of 18 should drink 2.7 liters of water per day (about 91 ounces)<br>So about 15 cups for men and a little over 11 cups per day for women per day is a good place to start."
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"text": "Because so many factors play into adequate hydration, it's hard to say whether drinking a gallon of water each day is too much for you. But drinking too much water at one time can be dangerous. One gallon of water is about 128 ounces, which is on the high side. 3 liters of water is about 101 ounces of water per day. For men, this is their daily recommended amount of water. For women, this number might be excessive if you aren't exercising a lot or spending a lot of time in hot weather."
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<article>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="#section1">How Much Water Should You Drink Each Day?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section2">5 Health Benefits of Hydration</a></li>
<li><a href="#section3">3 Popular Myths About Hydration, Debunked</a></li>
<li><a href="#section4">Is Drinking a Gallon of Water a Day Too Much?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section5">Daily Hydration: Wrap Up</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<section>
<p>Your body is comprised of approximately 60 to 70 percent water<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436022/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a></sup>.
<p>On its own, that statistic implies that drinking water is important. <i>But exactly how much water should you drink per day?</i></p>
<p>While we know hydration is important, and plenty of information has surfaced over the years on this topic, scientists still don't have one conclusive answer to this question.</p>
<p>But there are a few definitive guidelines you can follow.</p>
<p>Here's what you need to know about how much water you should drink each day, the benefits of hydration, and the truth about a few water drinking myths.</p>
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<section id="section1">
<h2>How much water should you drink each day?</h2>
<p><i>The short answer</i>: For men, about 100 ounces. For women, about 74 ounces. But several factors can influence this number.</p>
<p>There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how much water you should drink each day. </p>
<p><i>Why?</i> Because too many factors influence hydration in the body. Things like<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2</a></sup>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your size (as a general rule of thumb, bigger people have more body tissue (muscles, bones, etc.), and need more water to function)</li>
<li>Your level of activity (the more you <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/" rel="noreferrer">exercise</a> and sweat, the more fluids you need to replace)</li>
<li>Your age (your body retains less water later in life) </li>
<li>Environmental concerns (you'll lose far more fluids on a hot day in Phoenix compared to a mild day in Minnesota, for example)</li>
</ul>
<p>While there isn't one clear number, the daily recommended amount (DRI) from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56068/table/summarytables.t4/?report=objectonly" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><i>U.S. Food and Nutrition Board</i></a> states that:</p>
<ul>
<li>Men over the age of 18 should drink 3.7 liters of water per day (about 125 ounces)</li>
<li>Women over the age of 18 should drink 2.7 liters of water per day (about 91 ounces)</li>
</ul>
<p>The DRIs for children based on age approximately every 3 years. Some adult factors (such as pregnancy) may cause this number to change, too.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56068/table/summarytables.t4/?report=objectonly" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3</a></sup></p>
<p>So about 15 cups of water for men and a little over 11 cups per day for women per day is a good place to start.</p>
<h3>How much water should you drink based on your weight?</h3>
<p><i>The short answer</i>: There are several different popular ways to calculate how much you should drink based on your weight, but no science to back one specific method.</p>
<p>All over the internet you'll find different formulas for calculating how much water to drink based on body weight. Some popular ones are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Take your body weight and divide that by 2.2. Drink that many ounces of water per day</li>
<li>Divide your bodyweight in half. Drink that much water per day, and add 8 oz per 30 minutes of exercise.</li>
<li>The 8x8 rule, which advises you to drink 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water each day. This "rule" has been around for ages, but doesn't take into account bodyweight</li>
</ul>
<p>There are many methods, and no science points to one as their preferred calculation. Therefore, you should start with your recommended amount (125/91oz, male/female), and if you're still thirsty, drink more.</p>
<p>You probably know this already, but thirst is one of the first signs that your body is dehydrated.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5957508/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">4</a></sup> So listening to those signals is probably a good idea, even if you've already drank your recommended daily amount.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section2">
<h2>5 health benefits of hydration</h2>
<p>Here are five benefits of staying properly hydrated:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Water helps regulate your body's temperature:</strong> A healthy body functions at a temperature of around 98.6 degrees fahrenheit.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279457/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5</a></sup> Proper hydration plays an important role in maintaining this number, because your body cools itself by sweating, and sweat is primarily made of water.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236240/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">6</a></sup> Drinking enough water helps replenish the fluids you lose when you sweat so your body can continue to regulate its temperature.
<li><strong>Staying hydrated boosts cognitive performance:</strong> The brain needs plenty of water to perform maximally. Even <i>mild</i> dehydration (1 to 2 percent) has been shown to impair your memory, level of attentiveness, and critical thinking skills.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4207053/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">7</a></sup>
<li><strong>Adequate water intake promotes skin health and anti-aging<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4529263/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8</a></sup>:</strong> Proper hydration may increase your skin's hydration and elasticity, and studies show that drier skin is more likely to wrinkle as you age.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29392767" rel="nofollow noreferrer">9</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22672420" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10</a></sup> Therefore, drinking water also plays a role in how you look, not just how you feel.
<li><strong>Drinking enough water may promote weight loss:</strong> A 2011 study showed that drinking water before meals led to more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/will-i-lose-weight-on-keto/" rel="noreferrer">weight loss</a> over a 12-week period.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2859815/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">11</a></sup> Similarly, another study found that hydrating before meals helped limit how much participants ate, which could be helpful for long-term weight loss.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929932/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">12</a></sup>
<li><strong>May help prevent diseases:</strong> According to the Journal of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17921462" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><i>American College of Nutrition</i></a>, you're more susceptible to certain diseases if you're dehydrated. Along the same lines, another study found that cancer may spread faster in patients that are chronically dehydrated.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20693908" rel="nofollow noreferrer">13</a></sup></li>
</ol>
<p>Now that you know the benefits, let's debunk a few popular adages you may have heard about hydration.</p>
</section>
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<h2>3 popular myths about hydration, debunked</h2>
<p>There's a lot out there on hydration, but some of it is either outdated or simply untrue.</p>
<p>For example, here's what science says about three hydration myths you may have heard.</p>
<h3>1. Urine should always be clear, otherwise you're dehydrated</h3>
<p><i>What the science says</i>: Not necessarily true.</p>
<p>Urine does change colors depending on how much water you drink, But it doesn't have to be totally clear to indicate hydration<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4949298/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">14</a></sup>.</p>
<p>In fact, clear urine could suggest you are <i>too</i> hydrated. Pale yellow is fine and means you're perfectly hydrated<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/what-color-your-urine-means" rel="nofollow noreferrer">15</a></sup>.</p>
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<h3>2. Caffeine dehydrates you</h3>
<p><i>What the science says</i>: Not true.</p>
<p>A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3886980/" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><i>2014 study</i></a> found that a moderate amount of coffee (1 to 2 cups per day) had the same hydrating effects as water.</p>
<p>The same goes for tea. Caffeinated fluids don't necessarily lead to a fluid imbalance.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19774754" rel="nofollow noreferrer">16</a></sup></p>
<h3>3. Drinking nothing but water removes toxins from your body.</h3>
<p><i>What the science says</i>: Not true, but there are other, related benefits.</p>
<p>According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25522674" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><i>Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics</i></a>, there is little to no clinical evidence suggesting that water detoxes work. You might lose weight, but that has more to do with caloric restriction than the removal of toxins from your body.</p>
<p>But that doesn't mean it can't be beneficial. Water fasting can induce <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/fasting-and-autophagy-understanding-your-body/" rel="noreferrer">autophagy</a>, a natural reset mechanism where your body gets rid of old and diseased cells<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6257056/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">17</a></sup>.</p>
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<section id="section4">
<h2>Is drinking a gallon of water a day too much?</h2>
<p><i>The short answer</i>: Because so many factors play into adequate hydration, it's hard to say whether drinking a gallon of water each day is too much for you. But drinking too much water at one time can be dangerous.</p>
<p>One gallon of water is about 128 ounces, which is on the high side. </p>
<p>This number exceeds both the men's and women's recommended daily amounts discussed above. But depending on your size, how much you workout, and how hot it is, a gallon of water throughout the day could be reasonable.</p>
<p>It's important to note that drinking way too much water at <i>one time</i> (one study says 3-4L, which is approximately a gallon) can cause a serious condition called <i>hyponatremia</i>. In this state, your electrolytes become imbalanced (due to dilution from excess fluid) and can severely affect your kidneys.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4027093/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">18</a></sup></p>
<p>But you'd have to drink <i>a lot</i> of water (think 3 to 4 large water bottles) very quickly for this to happen. Hydrate in proper doses throughout the day and you shouldn't have a problem.</p>
<p><i>(Even though it's pretty rare— signs of hyponatremia include nausea, vomiting, headaches, restlessness, and more.<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6698993/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">19</a></sup>)</i></p>
<h3>Is it safe to drink 3 liters of water a day?</h3>
<p>3 liters of water is about 101 ounces of water per day. </p>
<p>For men, this is their daily recommended amount of water.</p>
<p>For women, this number might be excessive if you aren't exercising a lot or spending a lot of time in hot weather.</p>
</section>
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<section id="section5">
<h2>Daily hydration: wrap up</h2>
<p><i>So, how much water should you drink per day?</i></p>
<p>If you're a man, start with the daily recommended amount of 125 ounces per day. If you're a woman, start with 91 ounces. And if you're bigger, live in a hot climate, or exercise on a regular basis, you might drink more than that number. Listen to your body—if it’s still thirsty, drink more.</p>
<p>While there isn't one clear-cut answer, the benefits of hydration are clear. Drinking water boosts brain performance, regulates body temperature, improves skin health, and may even promote weight loss.</p>
<p>We recommend you keep filling up that water bottle and hit your daily baseline. There's no doubt that you'll feel, look, and perform better as a result.</p>
</section>
</article>
