How much water to drink a day and how to remember to do it

How much water to drink a day for our well-being is an essential question. We have known since childhood that drinking is essential and to remind us of this there is that unequivocal stimulus that we call thirst. However, this stimulus is not always enough to make us understand that it is time to drink or that we need it. Those who, like many in our cities, do sedentary work in an office where temperature and humidity are optimal all year round, both in summer and winter, risk never experiencing that stimulus and drinking water too infrequently.

It sounds incredible, but we often forget that we have to keep our bodies constantly hydrated. Or we might convince ourselves that too many soft drinks can replace that precious element. To help us understand how important it is to drink water regularly is technology, with many apps that can help us drink well and if we can do so the benefits for our body and our lives will be many. Let's see why.

How much water is in our body?

The human being is predominantly made up of water. It is a difficult percentage to calculate accurately, which can vary depending on the age group of the subject, gender, and the relationship between his muscle mass and fat. In general, if in newborns water represents a very high percentage, which can reach up to 75%, in adult males it affects about 60% of the weight, while in women it varies between 50 and 55%, because females have a higher percentage of body fat, compared to men.

What is the use of water in our bodies?

This valuable element is involved in almost all of the most important functions of the human body:

• Acting as a solvent of inorganic and organic compounds;
• by promoting the dissociation of electrolytes;
• acting as a thermostatic liquid, with thermoregulating capacity.

It also oversees the regular course of metabolic transformations and, thanks to its chemical-physical properties, acts as a reagent for multiple transformations of cellular chemistry (e.g. enzymatic reactions, biological oxidation). It doesn't take long, therefore, to understand how much water is fundamental for our health and for our very existence in life. That is why we should drink regularly during our days.

How much water should we drink per day?

Also on this point, it is impossible to give precise indications that are valid for everyone, because there are many factors at stake. How much water to drink a day obviously depends on the activities we carry out, on the climate, on the outside temperature, but it also has a great influence on age, because children and the elderly tend to underestimate or diminish their ability to hydrate depending on the stimulus of thirst, which may not be sufficiently sensitive.

What is certain is that drinking less than necessary causes effects that can also have very serious consequences and cause in the long run pathologies. Obviously, consistent dehydration can also lead to death, as happens to those who have the misfortune to find themselves in the total impossibility of drinking for a long time, but efforts must be made every day to avoid even the apparently slightest problems. How much should we drink every day, then, to stay hydrated and fit? The recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) indicate that 2 litres per day the average need for adult women and 2.5 litres for adult men but these values can even double depending on physical activity and climate.

How much water to drink a day with the apps

When the stimulus of thirst is not enough to help us, there are many Apps on the net, which do something simple but fundamental: depending on our age and our lifestyle they remind us with a notification when it is time to drink a glass of water. They also take into account what we drank during the day.

It may seem ridiculous to rely on technology for this, but water is such an important health precaution that it's really worth going to our reference App store and downloading one of the many applications that can literally save our lives.

Smart water bottles

There are also smart bottles or water bottles to drink the right amount of water throughout the day. Ulla, for example, is an accessory for bottles, glasses, water bottles and remembers the right amount of water to drink during the day (and when). There are 75% of people that live their days in a state of dehydration. Ulla reminds you to hydrate if you forget and flashes before dehydration occurs then records when you drink.

Hidrate Spark 2.0 is a real smart bottle: it lights up to remind you to drink, it synchronises with the apps to remind you to drink water and with the fitness apps, and it has no cables because the recharge is wireless and is available in different colours. H2OPal is another smart bottle for tracking and improving water intake. It provides a personalised hydration goal and measures and encourages progress over time.