Carbs, fat, protein, and sugar always seem to be triggering some sort of debate, but good old water? It doesn’t seem like it should be controversial at all, but it’s been the source of some scuttlebutt recently after a health expert claimed that the need for eight glasses per day is “nonsense.” So what’s the deal? Here are five hard facts about agua.
TRUTH: Fluid needs aren’t the same as water needs
According to the Institute of Medicine, women 19 and over need 2.7 liters of total fluid per day (about 11 8-oz cups) and men need 3.7 (about 15 8-oz cups). But that’s total fluid, not just water, and foods can provide a significant chunk. For example an 8 ounce container of plain, nonfat yogurt supplies 7 oz of fluid, a cup of watermelon 5 oz and even a medium banana, which you don’t think of as being “watery” provides 3 oz. Now that said, if you racked up 20 percent of your fluid needs from food that still leaves nearly nine cups of fluid to go for women, so if water is the only beverage you drink, eight cups (8 oz each) may not be enough.
5 Truths About Drinking Water
