How much water do our bodies really need?

Most of us know the importance of keeping our bodies hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, but many don't know why we need water and how much we need. Did you know that the majority of the human body is made of water (60-70%) and our cells consist of 65-90% water by weight? This is the key reason why it is so important to ensure we drink enough water every day. In addition to keeping us hydrated, water is also needed to perform important functions such as carrying nutrients to the cells in our body, helping with kidney functions, and flushing out toxins.

So how much water should we all be drinking? Many factors can come into play when determining how many glasses or ounces you should drink. Some questions to ask yourself are:

• Have you exercised and for how long? (If you exercised on a given day, your body will need more water to re-hydrate and make up for the fluids that were lost by sweating.)
• Do you live in a dry climate? (The body typically needs more water in dryer climates.)
• How many alcoholic beverages have you drank or do you plan to drink?
• For women: Are you pregnant or breast feeding?

The Institute of Medicine advises that men should consume roughly 3 liters, which is equivalent to 12-13 glasses of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters, which is just about 9-10 glasses a day.

Note that there is no study that outlines exactly how much water we should be consuming and based on our body make up, where we live and how active we are can all influence how much more water our bodies need. We do all need water each and every day so keep a glass on your desk or nearby you and refill it often.