The weather is warm, and some days it is downright hot. Therefore, you feel the need to drink plenty of water. Doctors recommend that you drink at least eight glasses of water per day which is two liters to remain hydrated. And that is what people want to do, especially if they are looking to lose weight, so they are on a strict regimen where they drink enough water, not only to stay properly hydrated but drink enough to flush the toxins and fats.
However, here is something that will shock you. This is something that goes against what doctors and healthcare providers keep saying, You do not need to drink eight glasses of water.
Too Much Water Is Not A Good Thing
If you drink too much water, it can actually cause more problems than you could imagine. There is a thing called overhydration where you drink too much water to the point that you are flushing out too much sodium in your system. And you need enough sodium to function as that is an essential electrolyte. Both dehydration and overhydration will cause electrolyte imbalances. Yes, people have died from overhydration. It may not be a lot, but it has happened. Therefore, you do not need more water than you need since your body’s molecular processes are caring for you without you realizing it.
Now, that does not mean, in some instances, that eight glasses of water is what you need. Because in some cases, you do need more water, but in other instances, you need less. It all depends on the circumstance and environment. Let’s go over that now.
How Much Water Do You Really Need?
There is no set guideline because the amount of water you need per day depends on the circumstance and environment. If you are larger, you will need more water than someone who is smaller. You need enough water to support your body weight. Someone who is overweight will need more water than someone who is underweight.
Another determining factor for how much water you need is the environmental temperature. When it is hot outside, you will sweat more and, as a result, need more water to replenish that. If you don’t, then you will become dehydrated. And the other thing you need to know is that you will need enough water based on your activity level. If you are sedentary, you will need less water than someone who is active. That is because being active will cause you to sweat, and as a result, you will need the water to replace the water lost through sweating.
As you can see, there is not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to how much water you need. Therefore, that is what makes the eight glasses of water rule of thumb inaccurate and inappropriate. You also have to remember that some foods such as soup, fruits, and vegetables contain water as well as other drinks. Alcoholic beverages do increase urination because of the ethanol, but caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea do not have diuretic properties that will cause you to urinate more than the water contained in those drinks. You also have to remember that your kidneys will adjust your hydration levels.
Your Kidneys Have An Important Job
Your kidneys balance the water in your body, and that method is known as homeostasis. You do only need one kidney as you are born with another one in case one kidney goes bad. Your kidneys will always make adjustments to either underhydration or overhydration within 40 seconds by responding to any imbalance in the water balance. That is why if you drink too much water, you will urinate excess water. And remember that the rule of thumb to know how much water you need is how thirsty you are!
