When Do You Need to Drink More Water?

Your body contains more water than anything else, about 60 percent of your total body weight. Water helps regulate your body temperature, transports nutrients, and helps remove waste. Every day you lose water when you breathe, sweat, urinate, and defecate, and that water needs to be replenished.

How Much Water Do You Need?

The big question is how much water do you need to drink every day? Although that's a simple question, it doesn't have an easy answer. It depends on some environmental and physical factors that can change every day. Also, it's not just the water you drink—about 20 percent of your water intake comes from the foods you eat. The remaining 80 percent comes from beverages, including water, coffee, tea, milk, and anything liquid.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy reviewed years of research evidence on adequate water intake and has the following recommendations:

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