How Much Should a Person Drink Each Day?

Ensuring the Body Gets Enough Fluid is Essential

Oct 19, 2009

For the body to function at its best it must be kept adequately hydrated and choosing a suitable drink is important to achieve this.

Two thirds of an average adult's body weight comes from water. Water and other fluids ensure that the body functions properly on a day to day basis; therefore, it is essential to stay hydrated.

The Food Standards Agency advises adults living in the UK to drink 1.2 litres of water a day to avoid the warning signs of dehydration. This amount is roughly six to eight glasses. People living in hot countries are advised to drink more than this as excessive heat causes the body to loose fluid at a faster rate.

It is Best to Drink Water

Water provides the best source of hydration for the body and quenches thirst. It contains no calories therefore an individual need not worry about how much they consume. Another benefit to water is that it does not contain sugar, which can harm the teeth.

If an individual is not keen on plain water, they can try flavouring it by adding a small amount of squash or fruit juice. Slices of fruit such as lemons or lime can also give water a more appealing taste.

Alternative Drinks to Water

If an individual does not want to drink water at all times, they could also try fruit juice, milk, smoothies, or sports drinks. Fruit juice is an ideal choice for people who want to top up on vitamins and minerals or add to their "five a day." There are many varieties available in supermarkets and buyers can choose from single fruit juices or mixed fruit juices. The downside to choosing fruit juice is that it contains a lot of natural sugar which can harm the teeth if drunk regularly. Fruit juice also contains more calories than its fresh fruit counterpart

Milk is a good choice of fluid as it contains calcium, which is especially important in the development of the bones. Children should drink whole milk to obtain a larger amount of calories while adults may wish to choose semi- or fully skimmed milk, which contains fewer calories. Milk can also form the basis of smoothies or milk shakes. Smoothies contain fruit which can go towards reaching the five a day while milk shakes often contain sugary flavours so their consumption should be limited.

Sports drinks are often chosen by exercisers to help them replace the fluids lost while working out. These drinks are often full of sugars and their consumption should be kept to a minimum. An alternative can be made using equal measures of fruit juice and water.

Drinks Containing Caffeine

Tea, coffee and cola all contain caffeine. Caffeine acts as a mild diuretic and makes the body produce more urine and therefore more fluid is lost from the body. This affects individuals differently and some may find this more noticeable than others. It is fine to drink caffeine; however, it should be alternated with water or other drinks.

The copyright of the article How Much Should a Person Drink Each Day? in Nutrition is owned by Kim Ford. Permission to republish How Much Should a Person Drink Each Day? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.