The amount of water you should drink daily varies by factors such as age, sex, activity level, climate, and health status, but general guidelines exist:
- For adult men, about 13 to 15.5 cups (approximately 3 to 3.7 liters) of fluids per day is recommended.
- For adult women, about 9 to 11.5 cups (approximately 2.2 to 2.7 liters) of fluids per day is recommended.
These recommendations include all fluids consumed, including water, other beverages, and moisture from food
. More specifically:
- The U.S. Institute of Medicine suggests about 3.7 liters (about 13 cups) for men and 2.7 liters (about 9 cups) for women daily, including fluids from all sources
- The Mayo Clinic recommends about 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women daily
- The NHS advises 6 to 8 cups of fluid daily, suitable for temperate climates, with more needed in warmer conditions
- For children and different age groups, fluid needs vary, increasing with age
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women require higher amounts, around 10 to 13 cups per day
Factors increasing water needs include physical activity, hot weather, and certain health conditions or medications
. A simple personalized guideline is to drink about half your body weight in ounces of water daily (e.g., a 200-pound person would aim for about 100 ounces)
. It is possible to drink too much water, which can overwhelm the kidneys and cause water intoxication, but this usually requires consuming very large amounts (8-10 liters or more) in a short time
. In summary, aiming for roughly 9 to 15 cups of fluids daily, adjusted for individual factors, is a sound approach to maintaining proper hydration.
