Drink when you’re thirsty because your body knows best

A lot of tips on how to stay hydrated, how to drink more water, how to make drinking water a helpful habit, and how to track water intake…

No animal on earth drinks before it is thirsty. The original study included all the water in all the food and beverages consumed, which is, as you know, mainly water. The bottled water companies are the big promoters of this nonsense. Extra water makes sense if you are working out or hard or it is boiling. If you want to know if you need excess water, check your urine; if it is dark, have some water. Otherwise, drinking all the “recommended” water is crazy, and you will waste a lot of time in the bathroom.

“Thirst” is the initial response of the human body to dehydration. When the total body water (TBW) starts becoming less, our brain sends signals to the salivary glands in our mouth to reduce saliva production. This one we can feel immediately. But, there are several calls like that generated when TBW becomes less. Some of them are not very beneficial for the body system.

“Drink water when you are thirsty ” sounds like eating only when hungry or slipping into your winter cloth when you have hypothermia.

Eating when I am hungry makes perfect sense to me. Being hungry does not mean starving, and being thirsty does not mean being severely dehydrated.

The example with winter clothes is not very relevant, but if you want to compare water with clothes, how about that: I have a sweater in my backpack just in case it is cold. If I feel cold, I take it out and put it on. Does feeling cold mean hypothermia? I don’t think so.

A little discomfort of feeling hungry, thirsty, or cold is enough to make you get some food, water, or warm clothes.

I have a 20L water bottle within 2 meters of reach. So when I feel like drinking water, I pour a glass and drink. But I don’t think forcing myself to drink 2 liters of simple water daily is necessary.

Our body knows precisely or shows us when we need water; drinking too much water beyond the limit can dilute the minerals in your body, leading to other serious issues. So if you think you are taking in the right amount, you are good.

Our bodies are composed of 80% water. Our brains need water. Consuming coffee and even tea is not drinking water. Our bodies require pure filtered or ionized water in addition to the water we get from the foods we consume.

There are many so-called ‘studies,’ with many estimates, including the often-referenced 1945 RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance). RDAs were initially defined to ‘prevent illness’ and continue to be defined as levels to prevent illness. Medical science is all about the condition. The 1945 recommendations had nothing to do with optimal health – and everything to do with preventing disease.

There is no attempt, much less agreement on how to measure healthiness. As a result, making any scientific recommendations for optimal health is impossible. There are no studies that measure fitness. Although people often make recommendations for optimal healthiness – none are supported by scientific investigations. It is pretty likely, that from a health point of view – the answer is ‘it depends.’ Healthiness is about balance; if some ratios change, others must change for optimal health. If you are an athlete, desk jockey, vegetarian, or on a primary meat diet, tall or short, fat or thin, sickly or healthy, – you will need different amounts of water for optimal health.

There is today, no science of healthiness. Maybe someday.

Most of this fuss followed the internet-maintained old wives’ tale that we must drink 2 or 3 liters of water daily.
Almost all foods we consume are over 90% water, and we take in many beverages as well (and no, coffee and tea do not ‘cost’ more water than they add to your system, although alcoholic drinks do seem to).

Some foods, like fruits and many veggies, are above 95% water, and sources like these are where we get most of our water.
Because of salt in the food, or proteins, we may not achieve quite the positive water balance we need from food alone, so some water or similar liquid is often desirable, but w 2 or 3 liters a day?

“If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated!”

The key is to drink just before when you think you’d be thirsty.

Drink when you’re thirsty. Your body knows best.