Daily Consumption of Water - How Much is Enough? How Much is Too Much?

[Ericandblueboy]

I believe the suggestion is 8 glasses of water (@ 8 oz/glass).  What if I drink 3 cups of tea a day?  Does that reduce my water consumption requirement by 3 cups?  What about beer?  If I have a beer, does that reduce my water consumption by 1 cup?  What if I work out and sweat out 2 cups of water, does that increase my water requirement to10 cups?

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I believe the suggestion is 8 glasses of water (@ 8 oz/glass).  What if I drink 3 cups of tea a day?  Does that reduce my water consumption requirement by 3 cups?  What about beer?  If I have a beer, does that reduce my water consumption by 1 cup?  What if I work out and sweat out 2 cups of water, does that increase my water requirement to10 cups?

I know a lot about this subject, and know proponents of both schools. I know athletes who drink water like crazy - a couple of gallons a day, to compensate  for their exercise (and the desire to get those organs pumping). 

I also know the single healthiest (well, second-single healthiest) person I've ever known - our own magdelena, who just turned 81, weighs probably 105 pounds, and doesn't do any exercise except for hiking, and could easily - *easily* - live to be 105 years old, and I pray to God she does. She is of the belief that we should train our bodies to survive on very little water. (An anecdote: several years ago, while at the top of a 4000-meter mountain, she fell and dislocated her wrist so that her hand was almost backwards - she had to walk down for almost five hours, and did so successfully - "Hell on earth," she said - this, at about age 77).

The problem is that both of these philosophies make sense; the blessing is that water is a fairly innocuous thing, and I suspect both are right: Usain Bolt is just as healthy as an elderly Indian who meditates for hours a day - it's a different type of health; I have little doubt the latter tends to live longer.

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Eric, tea is a mild diuretic, so you'll tinkle a tad more than if you were drinking 3 cups of water, but other than that, yes, it pretty much decreases your water consumption by 3 cups. Beer contains alcohol, and while it does hydrate you at one level, it also dehydrates you on another level - you shouldn't substitute beer for water, although back in medieval Germany, people drank *only* beer, as it was cheaper and more plentiful than clean water. 

Don't forget, when you perspire, you lose electrolytes, salts, etc., in addition to water. 

Use common sense as your guide, and listen to your body. Don't feel the need to parch yourself, or to drink to the point where your organs are on a log flume, but do keep in mind that there are both of these philosophies I mentioned above, and depending on which you subscribe to, do what feels right in obtaining your goal.

[ktmoomau]

You need water in your body to flush extra water soluble vitamins, to promote healthy muscles, prevent us from over eating as sometimes it is easy to think we are hungry when we really are thirsty, brain function and mood and etc, there are other reasons why hydration is very good for you, certain people have very adverse reactions to lack of hydration.  I have digestion issues and poor joints, so staying hydrated is fairly important to me.   So I am on the hydration side.  What I was always told in nutrition class- is that most of those studies that lay out how much you need to drink are wrong.  If you are consuming water and then having to go to the bathroom fairly soon afterwards, you are likely to the point of complete hydration and you don't need anymore, there are no additional benefits to your body to drink more at this point.  The point that gets you there is different for everyone on any given day.  And if you don't get there it doesn't mean your body will shut down, but trying to figure out what that point is, based on your body and they type of day it is, you should develop knowledge on about where this line is for you.