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How much water should we drink every day?

How much water we need depends on many factors, including our health status, how active we are and where we live. Although there is no single answer for this question, there are a few guidelines that will help us estimate how much water we should drink every day.
Water is essential to your health; it makes up approximately sixty percent of our body weight.

Insufficient intake of water may lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when we do not have enough water in our body to carry on normal functions.
Even mild dehydration, as little as a one to two percent loss of our body weight, decreases our energy and make us feel tired and sluggish. Dehydration is a particular health risk for the very young and the very old.
The signs and symptoms of dehydration are thirst, dry mouth, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, diminished or absent urination and weakness.

How much water do we need to drink? We lose water every minute of our life through sweating, breathing, urinating and with bowel movements. For our body to function properly, we must replace the water we lose by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. Daily water needs for healthy adults vary widely; most people drink fluids to quench thirst, to satisfy perceived water needs and also out of habit. It is estimated that total water needs for healthy adults living in a temperate climate vary widely, depending mostly on physical activity. For sedentary adults, drinking approximately two to two and a half liters of water a day, might be sufficient: we have to consider that food intake accounts for about twenty percent of this amount, and that we make up for the rest by drinking water or other beverages. Two liters may seem like a lot of fluids, but in reality they are not: it is the equivalent of about eight 8-ounce glasses of water throughout the day.
Some studies estimate that adults should consume two and a half to three liters of fluids a day. However, we should know that if we have enough energy to go through our daily activities and do not feel excessive thirst, we are actually consuming enough fluids...

Fluid intake needs depend on factors such as physical activity, climate, general health, pregnancy, breast feeding, etc. If we exercise or engage in any activity that makes us sweat, we will need to drink extra water to compensate for that fluid loss.
Drinking one or two 8-once glasses of water about one hour before working out would compensate for losses

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