Nurse Mary: Water, How Much Should You Be Drinking?
By Mary A Drobnak RN, BSN, MSN
Every month, Nurse Mary offers her advice on how you can do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We hear so much about how vital water is to our everyday lives, but is it really that important we get our eight glasses a day?
What I would really just say is “Absolutely!” Water is so important to our overall health, more than you may think you know.
Water plays a role in virtually every function of the human body. Considering our bodies are made up of 60-70% water, water losses from urine, stool, perspiration, and respiration (breathing!) need to be replenished daily for our bodies to function optimally. It is a major component of the tissues and cells of the body and scientists surmise water makes up approximately 80% of our brain, 83% of our blood, 79% of our lungs and 76% of our muscles. Simply put, every system in our bodies depends on water!
Water flushes toxins out of our vital organs (such as the kidneys and liver), carries nutrients to our cells, cushions and lubricates our joints and muscles, provides moisture for our eyes, ears, nose and throat, and even regulates our body temperature. Without water, the human body will survive only a few days before experiencing physical and mental signs and symptoms that can be detrimental to our health. No other nutrient deficiency has such profound effects!
If we are healthy, it is because water helps us to stay that way. However, loss of water without replacement can lead to dehydration. Even mild dehydration can lead to adverse health consequences. Some symptoms of mild dehydration are headaches, dizziness, fatigue, loss of concentration and short term memory, weakness, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, and decreased urine output. Many of us do not make the connection that something as simple as water might alleviate (and prevent) a headache! But it’s true; the first thing you should think when experiencing any of the aforementioned signs or symptoms is “did I drink enough water today?”
More severe dehydration can contribute to a number of health problems such as constipation and kidney stones. Our smart bodies try to alert us when we start to get dehydrated through telling signs such as our having a dry mouth, feeling hot, having concentrated urine that is dark yellow, and dizziness or lightheadedness, all of which indicate we need to increase our water intake! So pay attention!
Some other benefits water provides are that it helps keep our skin healthy, glowing and can also aid in the reduction of wrinkling! Additionally, flushing our intestines with plenty of water allows us to maintain stable and safe quantities of yeast and bacteria. Water keeps our thought processes and brain function at optimal levels! It also makes us feel full, so before you grab an unhealthy food choice, swig a glass of water to curb your appetite or drink a glass before a meal so you don’t eat as much! It really is pretty amazing what that one little glass of water can do!
It’s important to remember that we also obtain water from a variety of the foods and drinks we consume daily. Many foods such as fruits and vegetables that are primarily made up of water add to our water intake requirements. Although not as good as water - coffee, tea, juices, milk and even soda count in adding to our daily water intake. But for those of you wondering if alcohol can be counted, the answer is NO. Alcohol blocks the reabsorption of water and further dehydrates, much more so than the small amounts of caffeine found in soda and coffee.
So the question remains, how much water do we really need?
I am sure many of you may have heard of the 8x8 rule over the years in which health gurus proclaim that our water intake per day be approximately eight glasses filled with at least eight ounces of water a day. This was derived from calculating basic daily fluid loss and an equation that approximated that 64oz of water was required to replace the average person’s fluid loss.
Fact is our water needs vary based on age, weight, activity level, diet, and even the climate or environment you are exposed to everyday. Illness, certain health conditions, and pregnancy can also affect our water intake needs.
Children require more fluids and can become dehydrated faster, so mums out there, make sure your kids are getting enough water, especially in the hotter months of spring and summer when they will lose many fluids through sweat and increased outdoor activities! When kids tell you they are tired, feel nauseous or ill and it feels like they have a fever, think dehydration first and hand them over a water bottle!
As for adults, be careful when you exercise; your body will experience a greater fluid loss so remember to replace those fluids with water before, during, and after increased activities! It’s important to add that we will all be experiencing hotter weather in the coming months, so get in the habit of carrying a water bottle with you everywhere! We often don’t realise just how much fluid loss we experience in the warmer weather.
Bottom line, water is good for you! It’s rare or based on a health condition that one would suffer from “drinking too much” water. The 8 glasses filled with 8oz of water a day is a pretty good rule of thumb! Remember, you need more fluids when you lose more fluids! So keep your body healthy this summer and make it a habit to carry a water bottle with you at all times!
And if you think water is boring? Then add some lemon, mint, oranges or strawberries, which are in season now, to make it more tasty and fun to drink! The benefits are enormous!
Send Nurse Mary your health questions and concerns at [email protected]
