How to Calculate How Much Water To Drink Daily

Numerous health issues like headaches and fatigue can be traced back to not drinking enough water throughout the day.

Why does water matter?

Your body is about 60 percent water. And proper hydration helps you produce saliva, keep your joints lubricated and flush out waste. Water also helps your body circulate nutrients and aids the digestion of foods.

Drinking the proper amount of water every day is essential to good health. Losing as little as 1 percent of your body's weight in water can cause fatigue and affect your body's ability to regulate your temperature and heart rate.

Sources of water

It's normal to lose water daily through urination, sweating and tearing. And you're able to replenish some of the water lost naturally during the day through foods and beverages like milk, soup and juices.

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Caffeinated beverages like coffee, soda and tea are not good sources of water because caffeine is a diuretic, which causes the body to release water rather than retain it.

Fruits and vegetables also provide the body trace amounts of water.

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Experts agree there's no one-formula to determine exactly how much water a person needs. In general, men should have about 13 cups of water a day and women should aim to drink 9 cups of water every day. However, if you exercise or perform activities that cause a lot of sweating like gardening, yard-work, spending a day at the beach, etc., you should drink an extra 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of water to compensate for the additional loss of water through perspiration.