Water Wisdom!
Your body is made up primarily of water. Depending on your body fat, water is 50 to 80 percent of your total body weight. Your muscles and brain are about 75% water and your blood is about 80 percent water but might at times be as high as 92% water. The rest of your body averages about 50% water. All together, total body water weight for adult women is about 60%.
You need water for many reasons–to transport nutrients, lubricate joints, regulate body temperature, and eliminate waste. About 4% of your total body water is lost every day without sweating. And if you are physically active or live somewhere with high temperatures, high altitude, or dry air the loss of water is greater.
So how much water do you need each day? The National Academy of Sciences (February 2004) recommends about 2.7 liters (91 ounces or 11.3 cups) for the average adult American woman. That may sound like a lot but it takes into account the water you get from food and beverages in addition to any you might drink as plain water. Also your need may be significantly less or more depending on your circumstances. For example, if you are sedentary and live in a cool climate your need will be less than someone who is physically active in a warm climate.
The actual amount of water you get from food depends on how much you eat and what you are eating. Fruits and vegetables are a much better source of water than say refined carbohydrates such as chips and crackers. The National Academy of Sciences suggest that women are getting somewhat less than 3 cups of water each day from food. That means you may need an additional 8-9 cups of water from beverages.
The problem for many Americans is that in addition to meeting water needs many people are getting too many calories from beverages. This may be part of the reason you often hear the recommendation to drink 6-8 glasses of plain water. However it is possible to get plenty of water from unsweetened tea or coffee without extra calories.
At one time, not that long ago, caffeinated beverages were believed to be dehydrating. Recent research suggests that this is only true for individuals who are not accustomed to drinking a high level of caffeinated beverages and who then consume a significant amount of caffeine (the equivalent of 3-4 cups of coffee or 5-8 cups of tea). (School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University. Leicestershire, UK)
Some people enjoy drinking low calorie or calorie-free soft drinks to satisfy thirst. The FDA has approved a number of low-calorie or calorie-free sweeteners. Even so, I choose not to drink calorie-free soft drinks because I am concerned about the potential long-term negative effects of these sweeteners. There is also some indication that sweet but calorie-free or very low calorie beverages may actually encourage an individual to eat more food and thus consume more calories rather than less.
The easiest way to way to stay well hydrated is to simply drink enough to satisfy your thirst. This may be a little more problematic for people who are older, particularly the elderly, because thirst may not be well regulated. There is a simple solution. Pay attention to your urine. If it is very light in color or clear chances are good you are getting plenty of water. If not, find a low calorie beverage or plain water and drink up!
Here are some general guidelines for beverage consumption (Healthy Beverage Guidelines released in 2006 by a panel of experts):
1. Water – Drink 20-50 ounces each day (about 2.5 to 6 cups of water)
2. Unsweetened tea or coffee – Drink 0-40 ounces of tea or 0-32 ounces of coffee (caffeine is the limiting factor for coffee)
3. Low and non-fat milk and soy beverages – 0-16 ounces a day
4. Non-calorically sweetened beverages – 0-32 ounces
5. Caloric beverages with some nutrients – 0-8 ounces per day of juices. No whole milk. Consume sports drinks sparingly (except for endurance athletes) 0-16 ounces per day.
6. Calorically sweetened beverages without nutrition. No more than ONE 8-ounce serving per day.
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