With the onset of the pandemic, each one of us has started prioritizing our health. Eating nutritious food rich in vitamins and minerals has become essential to stay healthy during these testing times. While we always stress on the importance of eating right, we often forget the importance of drinking right.

Drinking water every day is crucial for our body to function optimally. Proper hydration ensures balance between the body and complex processes such as cell regeneration, respiration, digestion, and elimination of toxins.

The right water intake also helps stabilize blood pressure along with ensuring that nutrients travel to our cells more efficiently. Drinking water can also help avoid health complications such as kidney stones and urinary tract infections. It has numerous benefits for skin and hair too. Read more about the benefits here.

Let us understand how much water we should be drinking every day to keep our bodies healthy.

Researchers and nutritionists, including the World Health Organization (WHO), recommend drinking at least two liters of water (approximately 8 glasses of water) per day. However, there is no one-size-fits all approach when it comes to keeping up the levels of fluids in your system.

The intake of water depends on various factors like age, gender, physiology, climatic conditions, overall health, and level of physical activities a person is usually involved in. If you are someone who works out regularly or engages in physically strenuous jobs, the amount of water intake should be increased.

Kids

Physiological development during childhood can be complex. Hence, water requirement of a child may vary according to his/her age, weight, gender, overall health, and level of physical activities.

As per the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) children aged 4 to 13 should aim to drink approximately 6-8 glasses of fluid a day, with younger children needing relatively smaller servings. (e.g. 150ml glass for a 4-year-old vs 250ml for an older child).

Along with drinking water, parents should also ensure that kids eat food rich in water content. This will further energize their bodies and keep them healthy.

Adults

As per The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine a person is considered adequately hydrated when the daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. These fluids are a mix of beverages and foods. About 80% of an adult’s water requirement comes from drinking water and beverages, while 20% of the requirement is met by food items.

Fruits and vegetables rich in water hence should form a part of your daily routine. Eg: Cucumber, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Strawberries, etc have more than 90% water in them (source: Healthline.com).

While we have listed several advantages of drinking water, it is crucial to understand that our body will only get the health benefits, if the water being consumed is safe and purified. Drinking impure water can become a cause of worry as it can bring along with it a plethora of water-borne diseases. Hence, it is always recommended to invest in a good water purifier to ensure the health and safety of your loved ones. Stay hydrated for a happy and a healthy life.