So Much Water Daily Is Healthy

How Much Liquid Do You Need Per Day?

Good concentration, optimal sports performance or a great complexion: water is necessary for your organism to function smoothly. But how much liquid do you need per day?

Anyone who drinks too little usually notices this very quickly: the head starts to hurt, concentration drops, or dizziness sets in—high time to do something.

An adult needs 1.3 to 1.5 litres of liquid per day – this is the advice of the Federal Center for Nutrition.

According to the expert, whether you drink water or another drink is of secondary importance. However, it is crucial that you can quench your thirst by drinking and doing this throughout the day.

Healthy Drinks For Daily Hydration

Still, water, infused water, unsweetened fruit and herbal tea are best suited for daily fluid intake.

However, one should refrain from excessive amounts of coffee and green tea. In principle, they also cover the need for liquids, but according to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), they are more of luxury food. Furthermore, excessive amounts can be harmful to health. For example, the tannin in green tea inhibits iron absorption and can cause tooth discolouration.

Sugary soft drinks and Co. can attack the teeth and contain many calories. Therefore, you should avoid them or only consume them in moderation.

That’s Why You Need Liquid Regularly

You can spend a whole day in the office or on the couch at home – but the body still loses fluids. Believe it or not, it gets rid of 2.5 litres when sitting, sleeping or walking, as Annabel Oelmann from the Bremen consumer advice centre knows.

You then have to give your body a helping hand to keep the fluid balance intact. So it is not only necessary what you drink, but also when. Thirst indicates that you urgently need liquid – especially when it is warm.

That’s why it’s advisable to have small portions of drinks that are as room temperature as possible and free of alcohol and sugar.

The dose of 1.5 litres per day should not be drunk in one fell swoop – the body is completely overwhelmed. The perfect amount is 200 ml per hour – that’s how much the body can use in this time.

For Athletes: Drinking Under Extreme Conditions

If you do a lot of sport, you usually sweat more. It is because, to stay productive, you must make up for lost fluids.

So it was evident that you had to drink even more. Sodium and magnesium-supplemented water ensure that you also absorb the necessary nutrients for training that will loose through sweating.

The same applies to fever illnesses, vomiting, and diarrhoea, which also lead to increased fluid loss.

The Federal Center for Nutrition advises drinking around 0.15 to 0.25 litres of water every 15 to 20 minutes when doing endurance sports.

• Drink properly – that’s how it works
• drink at least 1.5 litres of liquid per day
• Drink more when you are ill, hot or after exercise
• I prefer non-alcoholic and sugar-free beverages that are at room temperature
• Only consume stimulants such as coffee, green tea and soft drinks in moderation
• Drink from time to time throughout the day when thirst sets in