There are some topics on the forum of what kind of water one should drink (or which filter to use), but I couldn't find a specific topic about the daily water one should drink.
One author that came to mind was Nora Gedgaudas, where she had a chapter about water in her book Primal body Primal mind. But as far as I can tell there are many differences on how much to drink that it isn't too easy to navigate, what is now the right amount. At least for my part, I always need to force myself to drink more and to drink at all. Most often I drink about 1.5 liters per day only water - most often it is less.
Does anybody have some more data about water intake? And how do you proceed to drink enough water?
And here are some quotes from Nora Gedgaudas book as mentioned above:
One author that came to mind was Nora Gedgaudas, where she had a chapter about water in her book Primal body Primal mind. But as far as I can tell there are many differences on how much to drink that it isn't too easy to navigate, what is now the right amount. At least for my part, I always need to force myself to drink more and to drink at all. Most often I drink about 1.5 liters per day only water - most often it is less.
Does anybody have some more data about water intake? And how do you proceed to drink enough water?
And here are some quotes from Nora Gedgaudas book as mentioned above:
Next to oxygen, water is the most important substance we put into our bodies. Most of us fail to get enough of it. It is used in every metabolic process in the human body and is utterly essential to the function of the human brain and nervous system. The human body mass is composed of roughly 55 to 60 percent water at minimum and the human brain of 70 to 80 percent water. The human body can produce about 8 percent of its water needs from its own metabolic processes. That leaves 92 percent that must be obtained through diet. Caffeinated beverages and alcohol cause dehydration, as do stress and physical activity. Replenishing the body with substantial amounts of pure, clean water is critical. No nutrient in the body can function without water. And the body’s bioelectrical system is nonexistent without it.
[...]
Among dehydrating beverages are caffeine, alcohol, some herbal teas, all juices, and sodas. Be sure to add another 12 to 16 ounces of pure water to your daily intake for every 8 ounces of diuretic beverage consumed. For further excellent information, look for the book Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. Also see the Water Cure website, at www.watercure.com.
[...]
Symptoms potentially associated with chronic dehydration include:
[...]
- depression
- stress
- dyspeptic pain
- colitis pain
- false appendicitis pain
- hiatal hernia
- rheumatoid arthritis pain
- low-back pain
- neck pain
- anginal pain
- anxiety
- headaches
- high blood pressure
- high blood cholesterol levels
- excess body weight
- excess hunger
- asthma and allergies
- chronic fatigue
- irritability
- constipation
- cognitive impairment
How much water should we drink daily? Well, it’s certainly arguable that our ancestors did not walk around carrying water bottles or conscientiously drink “eight full glasses a day.” That said, our ancestors also didn’t face the levels of stress or environmental contamination that we now do or drink dehydrating sugary or caffeinated beverages. It makes sense to hypothesize that our need for this life-giving substance is likely greater today than ever before. Then again, overconsuming water can lead to something called water intoxication and overdilution of sodium in the body, also known as hyponatremia, leading to tissue swelling and cellular damage. Symptoms can include an irregular heartbeat, fluid backing up into the lungs, and even swelling in the brain and nerves, which ultimately mimic the effects of alcohol intoxication (without all the fun). It’s a little like drowning from the inside out. Athletes tend to be the most susceptible to this problem, but anyone who is overzealous with water consumption can succumb to the ill effects of hydration excess. True water intoxication is fairly rare. Most people really do fail to drink enough water, but watch out for going too far the other way.
Also, keep in mind that it’s less about how much you drink than how fast you drink it.
The human body (and kidneys) can process only so much water at a time. Drinking water more slowly (in sips) improves absorption and utilization considerably. A good analogy is likening drinking water to watering a dry houseplant. If you just dump a huge cup of water over an arid potted plant, you only flood or drown the plant and create useless runoff. If, instead, you slowly trickle the water in, the plant can far better absorb the water you give it. Same thing with us.
The rule of thumb I follow is this: Take your body weight (in pounds) and divide by 2 to get the rough number of ounces of pure water to drink daily. I generally recommend keeping this under a gallon per day. If dehydrating beverages are consumed, follow the aforementioned guidelines. If you are exposed to prolonged heat or exercise, obviously your need for water will be greater, and more is fine. I avoid drinking distilled water, and I often prefer to add ionic trace minerals to much of the water I drink to further enhance its electric potential and nutrient value on a cellular level.
Bottoms up!