How much water should you drink per day?

How is water best absorbed by the body?

How much water do we need to drink every day?

In regards to this topic, the best book that I’ve come across is called ‘The Water Secret’ by Dr. Murad. I would highly suggest everyone to read the book.

Water is essential for life and human health. However, people always have different opinions on the ideal recommended total water intake.

Now, in terms of daily intake of water, it’s not about how much you drink, but how much is absorbed by your cells.

You could drink gallons and gallons of water and still be dehydrated. This actually happens to a lot of people. Some study groups have also calculated that around 95% of North Americans are frequently dehydrated.

How?

Turns out that eating water-loaded fruits and vegetables helps our cells absorb water from these foods instead of just drinking plain water.

Wellness tip of the day:

Eat your water, literally!

This is in fact the best way your cells absorb water. And if you stop doing this, your cells really can’t hold on to a lot of water.

So, eat food which is really very high in water content. Some examples with the highest amounts of water are papayas, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupes, oranges, zucchini, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, kale, etc. Make sure you’re eating at least one big bowl of raw salad and three to five servings of fruits per day to stay hydrated.

What does science say?

According to Dr. Murad, the author of ‘The Water Secret’, when you eat your water through raw fruits and vegetables, you not only stay hydrated, but also give your body antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and roughage.

Fruits and vegetables contain fiber, that can help flush excess calories away from the body naturally, control appetite, lower cholesterol, make digestion more efficient, and improve immunity.

He further goes to say that when we consume foods that are high in water, our bodies don't have to expend water to digest and process those foods. The water eaten goes toward replenishing our cellular water and maintaining optimal cellular functions.

A study was also conducted in 2013 to examine the “Contribution of fruit and vegetable intake to hydration status in school children”.

The data from the study confirmed that regular intake of fruits and vegetables may relevantly improve hydration status in children. It added that dietary interventions to increase fruits and vegetable intake may be a promising strategy to achieve positive water balance in the studied population.

Hence, don’t just think about how much water you can drink overall. Rather try to include it through your foods especially fruits and vegetables.

Trust this helps,

Roshni Sanghvi.