How much water should you drink in a day? Do you have to drink 8 glasses of water? Hou Wenyi's nutritionist: Don't ignore the 4 warning signs of dehydration

How much water should you drink in a day? It is widely circulated on the Internet: "You must drink 8 glasses of water every day." How true are these seemingly golden rules? According to New York Times columnist Calvin Klein, the saying that you must drink eight glasses of water a day has no scientific basis, and the water the human body needs every day does not necessarily have to be replenished by drinking pure water. Let Hou Wenyi, director of the Nutrition Department of St. Martin's Hospital, solve the mystery for you.

How much water should I drink in a day? Nutritionist: It depends on the individual

Hou Wenyi, director of the nutrition department of St. Martin's Hospital, said that since each person's activity level and sweating and water discharge are different, the amount of water to drink and the timing of drinking water also vary from person to person. Generally speaking, your body weight in kilograms multiplied by 30cc is the amount of water your body needs in a day. For example, a 50kg white-collar worker needs to replenish 50kg x 30cc = 1,500cc of water a day.

In addition to the water we drink directly, the various foods we eat every day also contain water. For example, 100 grams of cooked vegetables contain about 20 grams of water, about 20cc of water; an average serving of fruit contains about 60cc of water; and a bowl of white rice contains about 160cc of water. Take this 50kg office worker as an example. Three balanced meals a day, three servings of vegetables, two servings of fruit and three bowls of rice will consume about 780cc of water. If you add the soup or drinks with the three meals, this office worker does not really need to drink 1,500cc of pure water a day.

If you find yourself with flaky lips, dry skin, inelastic skin, and a dry mouth, your body is sending you a signal that you are dehydrated.

Peeling lips and dry skin may indicate dehydration

How do you know if you need to replenish water? If you find yourself with flaky lips, dry skin, inelastic skin, and a dry mouth, your body is sending you a signal that you are dehydrated. Chen Kuidu, director of the Kidney Care Center at St. Martin's Hospital, said that usually if the body is dehydrated by 1 to 1.5 liters, the person will become weak and confused. In more serious cases, if the body is dehydrated by 6 to 7 liters, it may be life-threatening.

The average person needs to drink 12 liters of water a day to be at risk of water poisoning.

In addition, some people worry that drinking too much water will cause water poisoning. Dr. Chen Kuidu pointed out that people with normal kidney drainage function and balanced nutrition for three meals a day need to drink at least 12 liters of water a day to be likely to suffer from water poisoning. The general public does not need to worry too much.

👉Recommended reading: Forgetting to drink water, holding urine, and eating a lot of hot pot in winter will cause your urinary tract to sound the alarm! Dr. Dai Huaiqing: 4 foods to protect the urinary tract

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