The debate about how much water each person needs to drink per day does not subside for many years, not only among supporters of a healthy lifestyle, but also among pundits. Some of them are sure that you need to drink only with the appearance of a natural feeling of thirst, while others adhere to the well-known theory of “eight glasses”.
It was developed by American experts in the mid-20th century and consisted in the fact that a healthy person needs 1 ml of water per 1 kilocalorie of food consumed for a normal
drinking regime . The average daily diet in those years was 1900 kcal, which is why the calculation arose of how much water an adult needs to drink per day: divide 1900 into 250 ml, which results in approximately 8 glasses. Moreover, nutritionists from different countries, taking this figure as a basis, did not agree whether to include in this amount water contained in human-consumed products, as well as in first dishes and drinks, or recommend drinking in pure form. And only at the beginning of the XXI century, in 2004, the standards were recognized as official US medicine: an adult healthy woman needs to drink 2.7 liters of water a day, and a man - 3.7 liters.
This considerable amount of daily fluid should include any water contained in vegetables and fruits, juices, tea and coffee, milk, smoothie-cocktails, first courses and other sources.
Factors affecting consumption
A lot of factors influence how much water a person needs to drink per day in order to maintain vitality: his body weight, the temperature and humidity of the environment, the quantity and quality of food eaten, physical activity and the type of work performed. Unlike the WHO recommended standard: 30-40 ml of liquid per 1 kg of a person’s body weight (including drinks, decoctions, juices), people who are actively involved in physical labor or sports should restore moisture lost with sweat, so the necessary amount of water on the day of training they always exceed by 30-50% the volume of moisture drunk on the "day off". Ambient temperature plays an important role: the higher the indicators, the more water “escapes” during breathing and evaporates from the skin.
In the summer, when the thermometer goes off scale, doctors advise drinking at least 3 liters of water per day. The answer to the question of how much water to drink per day also depends on the quality and quantity of food. One and a half liters of water a day is enough for slender Japanese and Mediterranean people who eat seafood and other healthy foods, while obese Americans with their hamburgers, coffee and cola should consume at least 2.5 liters.
For pregnant women, the daily amount and quality of the fluid should be determined by the supervisor. Usually prescribed at least 2 liters of fluid per day. The amount of water consumed per day increases with diabetes mellitus, problems with the adrenal glands, thyroid gland and gastrointestinal disorders. Doctor's consultation on how much water to drink per day to compensate for fluid loss in each individual case should be strictly individual!
Why drink water?
Everyone knows the fact that our body consists of two-thirds of water, and its blood contains 83%, the brain - 75%, the muscles - 76% and even the skeleton is saturated with water for 22%! If a person does not drink water for a long time, then all organs will begin to suffer from dehydration, blood will thicken, and after 4-5 days a fatal outcome may occur.
The lack of moisture adversely affects the human skin - it becomes flaky and excessively dry, redness and wrinkles appear on it. Moisturizers: masks, creams, gels in this case will not solve cosmetic problems, because in order for the skin to radiate youth, you need to drink enough water per day, because our dermis gets the main nourishment from the inside.
How to drink water?
Most nutritionists tend to recommend that their patients quench their thirst with plain table water without gas as needed when thirsty. Although there are supporters of the “100 ml per hour” rule, that is, you need to keep a little water close so as not to forget to replenish the fluid deficiency in the body. But all experts in proper nutrition are inclined to think that it is unacceptable to drink water through force, but it is better to help the body cope with thirst and at the same time get a charge of vivacity and good mood!