The often-cited recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day is likely wrong for most people, according to updated research.
The most rigorous study to date on water turnover, published in Science, found that the amount of water that people need to consume to meet their individual needs varies widely, with some people being perfectly healthy on less. More than 90 researchers contributed to the report.
This quarrel against the popular eight-glasses-a-day mantra was based on the assessed water intake of 5,604 people ages 8 days to 96 years from 23 countries. Participants consumed a glass of water in which some of the hydrogen atoms were replaced by deuterium, a harmless stable isotope of hydrogen that is found naturally in the human body. The rate of elimination of the extra deuterium reveals how quickly water in the body is turned over.
The study found the measure varied widely depending on a person’s age, gender, activity levels and environment. Those living in hot and humid climates and at high altitudes—as well as athletes and pregnant and breastfeeding women—had higher turnover, meaning they require more daily water.
Energy expenditure is a big factor in water turnover, and younger people, especially males, had higher water turnover rates from energy expenditure than older individuals or children. Higher body weight and physical labor such as farming were also shown to drive up water turnover, likely through increased energy expenditure. A 50% increase in humidity in a person’s environment pushes the water requirement up by nearly one cup. Another issue is that previous estimates of water requirements have tended to ignore the water content of food, which can contribute a substantial proportion of our overall intake.
In the end, this study shows that a one-size-fits-all policy for water consumption is too simplistic: Some people need less and some need more.
See also: Low Water Intake and Ultraprocessed Foods
The post Is Eight Glasses of Water Correct? appeared first on IDEA Health & Fitness Association.