ACCURATE WATER NEEDS

Water is vital to the body. It hydrates you and quenches your thirst. Water is the major constituent of the human body. The latter can not produce enough water by metabolism or obtain enough water by food ingestion to fulfill it's need. As a consequence, we need to pay attention to what we drink throughout the day to ensure that we are meeting our daily water needs as not doing so may have negative health effects. The 5 uses of water to the body:

1. it is a vital component of our cells

2. a necessary agent in the body's chemical process

3. a facilitator of all bodily functions including respiration and digestion

4. regulates body temperature

5. lubricates joints and muscles for proper movement

Mild dehyration or lack of water in your body corresponding to only 1%-2% of body weight loss in adults can lead to a significant impairment in both cognitive function (alertness, concentration, short-term memory) and physical performances (endurance, sports skills).

So if you want to be at the top of your game all the time, do not exclusively rely on thirst to know if you're dehydrated. Mild to moderate dehydration manifests through a dry, sticky mouth, sleepiness or tiredness, decreased urine input, few or no tears in crying, muscle weakness, headaches and dizziness or light-headedness.

You kow you're severely hehydrated when you experience extreme irritability and confusion, lac of sweating, little urination, low blood pressure, rapid heart beat, and fever. For beauty conscious people out there, dehydration leads to a very dry mouth, sunken eyes, and shrivelled dry skin tahat lacks elasticity. Worse yet, you can experience delerium or unconsciousness, all from a lack of just water.

At a particular risk of dehydration include the very young and elderly. This is because infants have a highter percentage of water in their bodies while the elderly experience degradation of their bodily functions like the sensation of thirst. This is also due to the simple fact that their mobility is slower thus making it hard to drink more often.

According to the study, "human water requirements are not based on a minimal intake as it might lead to a water deficit because of numerous factors that modify water needs - metabolism, climate, physical activity, diet and so on. What it means is that you should not limit yourself to only 8 -glasses-a-day because you need more based on your activities and the weather. The study recommends the following intake levels:

Male adolescents aged 9-13 yrs need 1.8L -a-day
14-18yrs need 2.6L-a-day
Male adults need 3L- a - day

Female adolescents aged 9-13 yrs need 1.6L-a-day
14-18yrs need 1.8L-a-day
Female adults need 2.2L-a-day

That is equivalent to 13-glasses for male adults and 9-glasses for female adults. Furthermore the study states that this total water amount represents water, other beverages and water from food.