Eight Cups of Water a Day: True or False?

Drinking enough fluid (ideally coming mostly from water) is key to optimizing one’s overall health and longevity. But do all humans need to drink 8 cups of water daily?

No.

An individual’s water and total fluid requirement will depend on many factors like body size, activity level and sweat rate, to name a few. Drinking enough fluid (from water, milk, tea, soup, even some coffee!) allows for regulating temperature, removing waste, preventing injury, improving bowel health, and maintaining healthy internal organs. That being said, your personal fluid intake can be calculated by aiming for 30-35 mL of fluid per kilogram total body weight. Keep in mind that if you are more active, you will need to drink more!

Susan Sommerville, Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian

This article was in response to the article, How Much Water Should We Drink Every Day?