How much water does your body really need?When you were born, you were 75 percent water. By the time you celebrated your first birthday, you were only 65 percent water. And, now, you’re likely to be between 55 and 60 percent water. But why? How could your body possibly need that much water?
Well, an adult human brain and heart are both nearly 75 percent water, and even adult bones are approximately 31 percent. These organs need an incredible amount of hydration just to remain healthy, but the average person loses three liters of water every day through bodily functions such as sweat, urine, and breathing.
Many people go through their days chronically dehydrated. Failing to keep our water levels high enough (dehydration) can cause decreases in energy, mood, blood pressure, and cognitive functioning. On the other hand, an extreme excess of water intake (over-hydration) can be equally as detrimental, causing headaches, vomiting, and even seizures.
So how much water do you actually need? Though these levels can be affected by gender, activity, environment, and health, the average person needs between 2 and 3 liters of water every day in order to remain healthy and functioning. Some of that, of course, comes in the form of foods and other liquids.
Watch the video above to find out more.
