Did you know that more than half of your body is made up of water? Or that the average person can only live without water for three days? Or that your brain consists of 75% - 80% water? Water is critical for staying alive, but it is possible to drink too much water, too. Are you wondering "How many bottles of water should I drink a day to stay hydrated?" Read on to explore the ideal level of fluid to prevent dehydration and support optimal body function.
The rule of thumb is that you should drink eight glasses of water a day. Many health professionals suggest that you should consume between twelve and fifteen cups of water. But in a world where people tend to buy bottled water, we need to know how many bottles of single-serving water that equates to. In other words, how many fluid ounces of water should I drink a day?
A healthy person should try to consume at least 64 fluid ounces of water a day. This is about four standard-sized 16.9-ounce bottles a day.
Do remember, though, that plastic water bottles have a detrimental effect on environmental health. You could thus explore using reusable containers that you fill at home instead of buying bottled water that comes in plastic containers.
One of the main things that influences how many bottles of water I should drink a day is sex and body composition.
Typically, healthy males should drink more water than females, while children typically drink less due to their stature. Also, taller, larger people of any sex would need to drink more water than people with a smaller build to stay hydrated.
But how many bottles of water you should drink a day is not the only criterion when it comes to staying hydrated. You also get fluids from the foods you eat and other types of drinks consumed. Drinking coffee and tea, for example, does count as part of your fluid intake. You should, however, try to stay away from drinks with a high sugar content like most carbonated drinks.
Foods with a high liquid content include the likes of watermelon, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, celery, and apples, amongst many others.
So, how many bottles of water should I drink a day?
Drinking too much water is an extremely uncommon occurrence, though it can happen. This is referred to as overhydration or hyponatremia. Here, your kidneys cannot process the water you drink. You may also find that your body has too few electrolytes. When this happens, excess fluids move into your cells and cause inflammation. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, general fatigue, and muscle weakness.
If you experience the above symptoms after drinking a lot of water, please talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Your risk factors for developing hyponatremia include the following:
Water plays an essential role in maintaining body homeostasis at a cellular level and life.1 While we usually drink fluids when thirsty, we may need to up our water intake even when not thirsty. Thirst, which causes us to drink fluids, is something experienced in the brain. It is a response to messages sent through neural pathways to certain centers in the brain. These centers are also sensitive to the actions of hormones that determine your urine output, blood pressure levels, and sodium excretion, amongst others. They also send messages to various body organs like the kidneys and sweat glands.
When you do not drink enough water, water gets extracted from your cells and they shrink. This happens not only in the brain but in the entire body. Eventually, it leads to dehydration.
Severe dehydration starts at just over the 24-hour mark without drinking, although it can take less if you are sweating. The first organ affected is your kidneys. They would shut down first, followed by the brain, liver, and eventually, the heart. This is why it is so important to prevent severe dehydration. But even at less severe levels, dehydration is problematic.
Not drinking enough water may affect certain crucial body functions.
When dehydrated, your kidneys may produce less urine. This urine may have a darker color because of the increased concentration of toxins and other byproducts your body needs to get rid of. Furthermore, not drinking enough may cause lower blood pressure levels. As a result, your blood’s ability to transport oxygen to all body organs becomes compromised.
In extreme cases, your kidneys may not have sufficient water to remove waste products. This could lead to a buildup of toxins. This buildup could result in severe consequences that could have a debilitating effect on your health. This is especially true in people already suffering from Adrenal Fatigue or other health conditions.
Due to lower oxygen levels in the brain, you may feel dizzy, especially when standing up suddenly. It is also common to feel fatigued, anxious, and suffer from brain fog when not drinking enough water. Short-term memory issues may also arise, as may issues with visual perception. You could also suffer from delirium in extreme cases. Headaches or migraines may also result from a low consumption of water.
Another point to consider is that water plays a role in your body’s heat regulation process. When hot, we sweat. Sweat that evaporates has a cooling effect and helps with our body’s internal heat regulation process. Consequently, we may overheat when we do not drink enough water. This is especially important during the warmer summer months.
Not drinking enough water can severely increase your risk of heart disease.2 Your blood volume largely depends on how much water you have in your system. A lower water intake can cause blood pressure levels to go down. Exercise may cause an increase in your heart rate. This is because your heart tries to compensate for the slower blood movement throughout the body by pumping faster. This could result in permanent heart damage and even heart attacks.
Your skin is made up of about 30% water. This water helps the skin look firm and plump. When you do not drink enough water, your skin will lose this firm, plump look, and start to sag. Your skin may also lose its thickness. The appearance of premature aging may result.
The gastrointestinal tract is instrumental in absorbing most of your body’s water. From there, your blood sends it to other body organs. A significant amount also passes through the gut and is excreted when defecation occurs. Drinking too little water may result in constipation.
Water plays an important role when it comes to a healthy gut microbiome as well.3 Your gut microbiome, composed of essential gut bacteria, plays an important role in digestion and your immune health.
Really, how many bottles of water should I drink a day? Your Cardionomic Circuit forms part of your NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response. This circuit, along with the five other NEM circuits, work together to help you deal with stress. The components forming this part of the Cardionomic Circuit include the adrenal glands, cardiovascular system, and autonomic nervous system.
Constant stress causes an ongoing demand for elevated cortisol production by the adrenal glands. At some stage, the adrenals cannot keep up with the demand. Adrenal Fatigue is a condition where the body is unable to keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various nonspecific symptoms such as tiredness, sleep disturbances, anxiousness, and fluid imbalances.
Not drinking enough water causes stress on the body which is also reflected in adrenal health. Furthermore, people with Adrenal Fatigue often urinate more frequently than normal. This not only results in an added loss of water but the loss of certain minerals as well. This loss of water may further increase your need for water. Not drinking enough water may also contribute to feelings of fatigue.
So, how many bottles should I drink a day if I have adrenal fatigue? You should drink the recommended amount and possibly even a little more, even if you do not feel that thirsty. You could also add a little salt to your water if you suffer from adrenal fatigue. This is to help make up for the lost electrolytes resulting from frequent urination. Do be careful not to overdo it, though, as a high salt intake is associated with blood pressure issues.
Also, remember that when it comes to how many bottles of water you should drink in a day, it also depends on how active you are and the season. Active people should drink more than the daily recommended amount because they lose water through sweat when they exercise. Due to sweating, you may also need to drink more than the recommended amount during the warmer summer months.
Water offers many health benefits. They include the following:
Different types of water have different benefits. These result from where they were collected and the treatments undergone.
Spring water: This water, coming from a spring, contains many essential minerals like potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. It is considered the purest form of water.To improve the quality of your drinking water at home, you could also consider installing a home water filtration system. You can choose a system that fits under the sink or opt for a full home system. This type of system removes the contaminants often found in our drinking water like fluoride, pesticides, and ammonia, amongst various others.
So, how many bottles of water should I drink a day? A healthy individual would need to drink four standard-sized 16.9-ounce bottles a day. This would depend on your activity and time of the year, though. People who regularly exercise may need to up their water intake due to sweating. You may also need to drink more water during the warm summer months.
If possible, try to use reusable bottles for your water because the common plastic bottles containing water may harm the environment. If you have further questions about water intake or adrenal fatigue, call us at +1 (626) 571-1234.
Popkin, Barry M., et al. “Water, Hydration, and Health.” Nutrition Reviews, vol. 68, no. 8, 2010, pp. 439-58, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x.
Chan, Jacqueline, et al. “Water, Other Fluids, and Fatal Coronary Heart Disease: The Adventist Health Study.” American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 155, no. 9, 2002, pp. 827-33, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/155.9.827.
Vanhaecke, Tiphaine, et al. “Drinking Water Source and Intake Are Associated with Distinct Gut Microbiota Signatures in US and UK Populations.” The Journal of Nutrition, vol. 152, no. 1, 2022, pp. 171-182, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab312.
How many bottles of water should I drink a day depends on your sex, activity levels, and season. A good rule to stick to is a minimum of four 16-ounce bottles daily, You may need to increase this intake if you exercise, are a male, and during summer.
