Water!

joshbazin

Hey all,

Just curious for people's thoughts on the matter, since I've seen a variety of opinions on it.

I usually drink 3-4 cups of black coffee or tea at work, in addition to 3-4 cups of just water in a day. Would you say I have 6-8 glasses of water in a day, or just 3-4?

ashenriver

From the mayo clinic:

How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?

Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.


And regarding coffee:

It is true that caffeinated fluids can contribute to your daily fluid requirement.

Drinking caffeine-containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle doesn't cause fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested. While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect — meaning that they may cause the need to urinate — they don't appear to increase the risk of dehydration.

Still, caffeinated drinks can cause headaches and insomnia in some people. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily availa

joshbazin

Thanks for that info!