Drinking enough can aid everything from kidney stones to healthy skin. It helps you feel more awake, alert and energetic throughout the day.
But what is enough water? How much water should you drink in a day?
Is 4 bottles of water a day enough? Absolutely. Most standard water bottles are around 16 ounces. Drinking 4 16 fluid ounce bottles of water a day should be enough.
The general recommendation is to drink 64 ounces of water daily. This, however, doesn’t always work out because of several factors like environment, overall health, exercise, age and gender.
Continue reading to learn why you need to drink enough water every day and more.
What are the Benefits of Drinking Enough Water?
To function properly, all organs and cells of your body need water.
Listed below are some of the reasons why you should drink enough water every day.
- It lubricates the joints
If you don’t want to suffer from joint pain, you need to drink enough water. Cartilage in your joints and disks of the spine contains about 80% water.
Long-term dehydration can reduce joint shock-absorbing ability causing joint pain.
- Forms saliva and mucus
Water helps form saliva that keeps your mouth moist. It also helps in food digestion. Drinking enough water also keeps your mouth clean.
- Boosts skin health and beauty
Drinking enough water keeps your body refreshed and hydrated. It also helps combat several skin issues, including eczema and psoriasis.
- Boosts performance during exercise
Consuming enough water can enhance performance during workouts. In fact, dehydration can reduce performance in activities that last longer than 30 minutes.
- Transports oxygen throughout the body
Blood is more than 90% water. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Dehydration can cause blood thickening, which increases blood pressure.
- Flushes body waste
Water is required for sweating, removal of urine and defecation.
- Weight loss
Water can also help with weight loss. Drinking water before meals prevents overeating by creating a sense of fullness.
How Much Water Should You Drink Daily?
Every individual’s water needs are unique depending on their health, age, activity levels, environment, sex and weight.
Drinking little and often is, in fact, the best way to stay hydrated.
Experts recommend that you drink 8 eight oz glasses of water per day (64 ounces), but you should aim for more, especially if living in a hot area.
You’ll also need more water if you work out often or suffer from kidney diseases.
The amount of water to drink in a day also varies in men and women. Research shows that women should drink about 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) of water daily and men 3.7 liters.
Do Fluids Other than Water Count?
Milk, tea, coffee and sugar-free drinks count. However, remember that caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea can make you urinate more quickly.
Smoothies and fruit juice count as well, but you should limit the consumption of the 2 because they contain free sugars, which are unhealthy.
Foods like soup, fruits and vegetables, ice cream and jelly also contribute to fluid intake.
How Will You know that you are Drinking Enough Water?
You’ll know that you are drinking enough water if:
- Your urine is light yellow or colorless
- You rarely feel thirsty
To prevent dehydration, make water your beverage of choice. Always drink a glass of water with every meal and between meals, before, during and after exercise and whenever you feel thirsty.
Is 5 Bottles of Water a Day Too Much?
Whether 5 bottles of water a day is too much or not depends on the size of the bottle in question. For instance, if using a 16-ounce bottle, 5 bottles a day might not be too much.
However, if using a 33.8 oz bottle, 5 bottles are too much. Drinking that much can lead to water intoxication.
How Many Water Bottles a Day is enough?
3 to 4 bottles of water a day might be enough, but this varies from person to person. For instance, 4 bottles of 16 fl oz might be enough for a healthy person who rarely exercises but barely enough for another who spends some time in the gym every day.
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