Are You Drinking Enough Water?

A study reported on ABC news this week examined the consumption of water throughout several different groups of people in America. The groups were divided by age range beginning with early childhood and continuing on to older adults. The study examined water intake by several different methods including bottle and tap water. The results were compared to consumption of drinks other than water, such as soda, juice, coffee and tea, milk, sports drinks and alcohol. The scientists conducting the study concluded that water consumption of Americans is below the recommendation of Institute of Medicine (IOM), especially in older adults.

The Institute of Medicine asks and answers the most pressing questions about health and health care. To this end, IOM conducts many studies in order to determine the recommended intakes of several vitamins and nutrients. IOM set their general water intake recommendations as follows: women should consume 91 ounces of water per day; men should consume 125 ounces of water per day.  91 ounces of water equates to a little over eleven 8 ounce glasses per day, while 125 ounces equates to almost sixteen 8 ounce glasses of water per day. That is a lot of drinking! However, he IOM also determined that 80% of water intake comes from beverages, while the remaining 20% is derived from food.  That means 9 glasses per day for women and 12 glasses per day for men.

The importance of drinking water is multifactorial. Water makes up 60-70% of our body’s composition. It is needed for important physiological mechanisms. Inadequate water consumption can lead to dehydration and fatigue. Benefits of water include balancing body fluids, energizing muscles, and maintaining normal bowel function.

Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, Americans do not consume enough water. This may be because some perceive water to be boring. Luck for you some recommendations on how to spice up your water are provided here:

Add a twist of lemon, a small piece of fruit, a little unsweetened cranberry concentrate, or a slice of cucumber. Mint leaves, lavender leaves, and herbal tea bags can be good additions as well.

Water is an extremely important nutrient for your health. Therefore it is imperative that you try to meet your water intake recommendations.

Now it’s your turn to take action: How much water do you drink daily?  How will you increase your water consumption this week? Please share in the comments section below.

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