How much water should you drink a day? Most people need about four to six cups of plain water each day. But it may be surprising to learn that water intake is an individualized number.While the daily four-to-six cup rule is for generally healthy people, that amount differs based on how much water they take in from other beverages and food sources. Also, certain health conditions, medications, activity level, and ambient temperature influence total daily water intake.Unfortunately, many of us aren’t getting enough to drink, especially older adults. We’ll help you understand how much water you need to drink in a day to stay healthy.
Benefits of drinking water
Water keeps every system in the body functioning properly. The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report notes that water has many important jobs, such as:
- carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cellsflushing
- bacteria from your bladder
- aiding digestion
- preventing constipation
- normalizing blood pressure
- cushioning joints
- protecting organs and tissues
- regulating body temperature
- maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance.
How much daily total water do you need?
For healthy individuals, the average daily water for men is about 15.5 cups and for women about 11.5 cups. That might mean you need only four to six cups of plain water, depending on other fluid sources such as coffee, tea, juice, fruits, and vegetables.
