The water content in an adult's body is around 50 to 60 per cent. The fluid ensures that the blood can flow. It transports important nutrients to the organs, regulates body temperature through sweating and flushes toxins out of the body.
Your body uses two to three litres of water a day. It excretes it through the skin, through breathing and through the metabolism, i.e. through urine and stool. So that the water balance is correct, you should take in as much water every day as your body needs.
You get a small part from food, the larger part gets into your body through drinks such as water, tea and fruit juice spritzers. If you drink around 1.5 litres per day, the organism gets enough fluids. This amount is recommended.
However, if you are very hot, extremely cold, have fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and are involved in physically strenuous work and sport, you need more fluids. In these special situations, they recommend an additional 0.5 to 1 litre per hour. A healthy organism excretes excess quantities through the kidneys.
A lack of fluids is not without consequences for the body:
So that it doesn't get that far, it is best to drink something regularly throughout the day. Apps can also help you and remind you to drink regularly. It is also advisable that you always have a drink within sight - at work and at home. If you get thirsty, it's actually too late. By being thirsty, the body signals that it lacks fluid.
If you find it difficult to drink enough fluids, you can try lukewarm water or tea. If the water temperature corresponds approximately to the body heat of 36 degrees, this is gentle on the organism. Lukewarm water also relieves pain and cramps and promotes digestion as it dissolves fats better. A glass of lukewarm water immediately after getting up will get your circulation going. How much water do I need to drink during losing weight?
But you can also overdo it when drinking. If you take in significantly more fluid than the body needs in a short period of time, in extreme cases "water poisoning" can occur. The kidneys fail to dispose of a large amount of fluid. The extreme thinning of the blood messes up the electrolyte and salt balance.
Due to the low salt concentration in the blood, the water gets into the cells and swells them up. This can promote the formation of edema, especially in the brain. In the worst case, water poisoning leads to death. People with kidney and liver diseases and extreme athletes are particularly at risk. If you are unsure which amount of water is right for you, ask your doctor.Drinking as a virtue
It has long been known that most of the drinking quantity information comes from studies with athletes who sweat a lot during their workout and therefore have to drink more than the person behind the office desk. From a medical point of view, those who work while sitting do not need to drink when they are thirsty. Nonetheless, the health promise associated with water consumption stubbornly persists.
In 2019, the manufacturers of natural mineral water accounted for the largest share of sales in the beverage industry. Mineral water consumption is around 973 million litres per year. Perrier and Evian were the first brands to introduce the concept of bottled water in the 1970s to compete with other beverages such as Coca-Cola or orange juice in the store.
