How much is enough water?

May 9, 2012

Lora Ulrich and The New You Lifestyle are all about helping you create a happier, healthier life and body. We recently blogged about the importance of drinking water and decided today was a good day to follow-up on that blog with some more important information for you. We did some more digging to see how much is enough water and why… read on!

How much water should you drink every day? We did some asking around and found out that the old standby of eight glasses a day still holds. Here’s what you might not already know: If you don’t drink enough water, the greatest effect may not be physical–its mental and emotional. Drink just half the recommended amount of water and you’ll likely suffer from mild dehydration. You’ll also have less energy, and you won’t be able to concentrate and focus as you normally would.

If you do exercise and sweat a lot, then you need more than eight glasses to properly hydrate your body. Our bodies need water, primarily because water makes up more than 70 percent of solid body tissue. It helps regulate body temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, removes waste, cushions joints, and protects organs and tissues, explains Reuters. Too little water can cause headaches, grogginess, and dry, itchy skin. When we become severely dehydrated, it can affect our blood pressure, circulation, digestion, kidney function, and nearly all body processes.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT NOT DRINKING WATER

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to half the world’s population).

In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.

One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters investigated in a University of Washington study.

Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

QUESTION: Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?