Drink Lots of Water! How much exactly?
Drink Lots of Water! How much exactly?
Water..!!It is the Elixir of Life. Actually It is the life. It is the most important thing in the world. There is lots of things to talk about water but today my concern is about the most commonly conveyed message in our society"Drink lots of Water!!"
Health point of view, water is most essential component of our body. Almost every organ of body is composed of 60-70% of water. Water is essential for digestion. Water is essential for thermoregulation. Water is essential for throwing out the bad and toxic products which are formed in our body. And it is essential for many more important things in our body.
Because of so much importance in our body, many people around us says to drink lots of water. Some says to drink 2-3 litres per day, some says 4-5 litres per day. Some spiritual organisations even advice to drink 6-7 litres per day.
Because of this confusion many people end up in drinking too little or too much water.
How much water should one drink exactly?
Here is the solution.
Water..!!It is the Elixir of Life. Actually It is the life. It is the most important thing in the world. There is lots of things to talk about water but today my concern is about the most commonly conveyed message in our society"Drink lots of Water!!"Health point of view, water is most essential component of our body. Almost every organ of body is composed of 60-70% of water. Water is essential for digestion. Water is essential for thermoregulation. Water is essential for throwing out the bad and toxic products which are formed in our body. And it is essential for many more important things in our body.
Because of so much importance in our body, many people around us says to drink lots of water. Some says to drink 2-3 litres per day, some says 4-5 litres per day. Some spiritual organisations even advice to drink 6-7 litres per day.
Because of this confusion many people end up in drinking too little or too much water.
How much water should one drink exactly?
Here is the solution.In truth, your water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.
The intake of water depends upon your current weight.
It also depends upon whether you are a child , adolescent or adult. Gender ( male or female) does not influence much , thought it's been told that males need to drink more than females.
( Here after drinking water means from all sources such as plain water, juices and foods)Here is the simple formula to calculate your own daily water requirement.
For children(1 to 5 yrs) it is 100 ml per kg per day.
For children and adolescents ( 6 to 17yrs) it is 70 ml per kg per day.
And for adults(> 18 yrs) it is 40 ml per kg per day.
So if your child is 4 year old and he/she is weighing aproxx 14 kg then you should offer around 1400 ml water in 24 hrs.
And if you are 25 yrs and your weight is 66 kg then you should drink at least around 2640 ml of water in whole day. 
There also one another method to calculate your daily fluid requirement.It Holiday Segar Formula.
There also one another method to calculate your daily fluid requirement.It Holiday Segar Formula.
It can be applied to anyone ( children, adolescents and adults)It says, for first 10 kg of weight you should calculate as 100 ml per kg. For 11 to 20 kg ( ie next 10 kg) you should calculate as 50 ml per kg and after that 20 ml per kg.
Then add the total and you will get the 24 hr fluid requirement.
For example if your child is of 8 years and weight of your child is 22 kg kg then his weight can be divided as ( 10 +10+2) so from Holiday Segar Formula ( (1000+500+40) it comes out to be 1540 ml per day minimum.The both formulae are different and gives you just an average estimate of the minimum water one should drink.
Although no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
You need extra fluids in following conditions.
Exercise. You need to drink extra water before and after exercise.
Environment. Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. ( Generally one should add aproxx 20% extra of the total requirement for hot weather)
Illnesses or health conditions. When you have fever, vomiting or diarrhea, your body loses additional fluids.
Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing.
How should I know if am I drinking enough water?Generally, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and your urine is colorless or light yellow and you pass urine about 4-6 times a day then your fluid intake is probably adequate.
One important thing you should keep in your mind is -NEVER IGNORE YOUR THIRST.
Is it better to drink soft drinks or juices instead of water?Drinking soft drinks or juices has its own effects on our body. But to fulfill the fluid requirement of the body it is advisable to drink plain water or calorifree or low calorie beverages.
Although uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia.
Key Words: #howmuchwateryouneedtodrinkperday
#waterforlife #wateranditshealthbenefits
References.
References.
1. KE Elizabeth. Nutrition and Child Development.
3. Water, Hydration and Health
Barry M. Popkin, Kristen E. D'Anci, and Irwin H. Rosenberg. Nutr Rev. 2010 Aug; 68(8): 439–458. PMCID: PMC2908954 NIHMSID: NIHMS210404
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