We’ve all heard that drinking 8 glasses of water a day can keep us healthy. It seems a little excessive though. An article from the November 2002 American Journal of Physiology explained the lack of evidence behind this popular notion.

The truth is that to stay healthy, your intake of water needs to be enough to replace the amount lost through perspiration, excretion, and other bodily functions. However, the amount lost per day is different for everyone.

Research suggests that we also get water from the foods we eat and our daily drinks—juice, milk, and decaffeinated beverages. Try drinking diluted fruit juice, tea, sparking water and purified water.

The simple rule of thumb for water intake is to make sure that your urine looks like water. Urine should not appear dark yellow or golden brown as this is a sign of dehydration.

To stay hydrated, you should drink water with each meal and between meals. Be sure to drink water before, during and after you exercise. Try to substitute sparkling water for alcoholic beverages at social gatherings.

Although it’s rare, it is possible that you could be drinking too much water. Drinking too much water can lead to water intoxication, an electrolyte imbalance where cells swell up with excess fluid. Your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water and electrolytes in your blood become diluted. This results in hypoatremia or low sodium levels in the blood.

You doctor or dietician can help you determine the water intake level that’s right for you.

–Nolan

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