How Much Water Should You Drink Everyday?

I have been receiving emails after I posted - Functions Of Water In Our Bodies - on this blog. I think the best way to respond to the emails is to write something like "How Much Water Should You Drink Everyday?
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Everyday you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

An average healthy adult needs an adequate intake of 2.2 to 3 litres of water a day. A sufficient water intake is needed to combat dehydration, which saps energy, causes fatigue and reduces concentration. A standard of '8 to 12 ounces a day' is recommended.

Our bodies loss on average 2.5 litres of water a day. In order to maintain a healthy body that 2.5 litres needs to be replaced. Our bodies take in about 20% of the liquid required through foods, fruits, vegetables and beverages leaving the remaining to be drunk as water. Generally consuming an amount of water which means that you are not ever thirsty will mean you are getting around the required litres. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions.

There are factors which will alter the amount of daily water intake required.
* Exercise - Exercising causes increased fluid loss. Prolonged exercise causes sodium fluid loss from sweating.
* Temperature - In warmer temperatures, it is important to increase water intake.
* Illness - It is important to boost water intake when suffering from illness like diarrhea, fever or when vomitting as these symptoms cause the body to lose fluids.

You can judge whether you're drinking enough by the colour of your urine. If it's a pale straw colour then your fluid intake is probably fine. If your urine is dark yellow, you probably need to drink more. For more on these, click here!.

For those who want to know if it's really dangerous for them to drink too much water, the answer is YES!
Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication. When too much water enters the body's cells, the tissues swell with the excess fluid, excess water outside the cells (the serum) draws sodium from within the cells out into the serum in an attempt to re-establish the necessary concentration. As more water accumulates, the serum sodium concentration drops. It is a condition known as hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. You can click here for more.

The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day. You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time.

For more health tips, read:

Note on Our Health 
The Immune System
7 Healthy Eating Tips