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A Gallon of Water A Day
Some people believe they should be drinking a gallon of water a day to get the highest possible health benefits. Some other peoples think it’s okay to drink only eight glasses of water a day.
Hydration is important. Dehydration can lead to multiple complications that even can be life-threatening.
How much water one should drink is a common question. Drinking too much water can also cause many complications. We have to consume the amount of water that will be most beneficial.
Let us dive deep into a gallon of water.
Benefits of Drinking A Gallon of Water A Day
Drinking water is very important. Almost 70% of your body is filled up with water. Our body needs a certain amount of water to maintain the natural functions of our body.
Some factors determine the amount of water needed by the body. Such as;
- Age
- Gender
- Activity level
- Health condition
- Weight
- BMI
- Size of the body
- Sweating level etc.
Most people can maintain a healthy water level of the body by drinking water when they feel thirsty. This is because our body’s thirst mechanism works very well in this case. Whenever our body needs water, a signal goes to the thirst center of the brain, which arises the thirst sensation. This is why you should always drink water whenever you are thirsty.
Another point that needs to be mentioned is that if your urine is colored, that indicates you are not drinking enough water unless you are suffering from liver cirrhosis or other kidney complications.
Water carries the nutrients of the body to the cells. 90% of our plasma is water. If the plasma level reduces, many complications may arise, including low blood pressure, cardiac arrest, and other life-threatening conditions.
Water maintains our body temperature. If you do not drink adequate water, you can suffer from hypothermia, which is a condition that makes your body cold.
The benefits of drinking water cannot be explained in an article. That is huge. Water carries oxygen to the tissues, carries the waste products of our body outside via the kidney. Act as a lubricant in our body joints. On the other hand, drinking less water can cause painful conditions like arthritis.
Our eyes, mouth, nose, alimentary system all are moist and working well because of water. In addition, our brain contains 90-200 ml CSF (cerebrospinal fluid), which is essential for our brain functions.
Drinking a gallon of water is necessary if your body needs that much water.
Should You Drink A Gallon of Water A Day?
Drinking enough water is essential, but the water needed for every individual is not the same. As we mentioned earlier, the recommended water intake depends on some factors.
You should drink water when you are thirsty. If your body needs a gallon of water a day, the thirst center of your body will let you know. You can ask your doctor for a better understanding. You may need to drink a gallon of water each day if you match the following criteria;
- If you are an athlete
- You sweat a lot and feel thirsty most of the time
- If you work hard outside during the day
- If you are overweight and your body needs much water to maintain your body functions
- If you pee a lot.
- If you have constipation and your doctor recommends you
A normal person doesn’t need a gallon of water a day. However, if your doctor recommends you, then you should drink this much. An adult male needs around 2.5L of water a day, and an adult female needs around 2.2L of water a day.
A gallon of water is 3.8L. This is slightly higher than the normal amount of water needed by a normal human body. Drinking a gallon of water a day won’t hurt you. But you should also know that very little evidence shows that drinking more water than necessary will benefit your health.
So, drinking a gallon of water a day is unnecessary unless you need this much water for your body’s functioning. Your doctor will recommend you if you need more water for any condition or your body’s normal requirement.
Water Intake Recommendations
Daily water recommendation depends on certain factors, as we mentioned earlier. These factors are age, sex, health condition, weight, etc.
Adult Male
According to WHO, a normal 70 kg healthy adult male should take 2.5L of water a day. A healthy man’s thirst center works well. If a person drinks water when thirsty, he does not have to worry about how much water he is taking.
Institute of Medicine (IOM) mentioned a man should take a minimum of 2.3L of water, and the rest would be metabolized from other foods.
If you sweat a lot or physically work hard, you may need to drink more than a normal man.
Adult Female
According to WHO, a 58kg healthy adult female should take 2.2L of water a day. However, if you sweat a lot, are overweight, and pee a lot, you may have to drink more water. We’ve discussed pregnancy and lactating women’s daily water recommendations later in this article.
Athletes
Athletes need more water than a normal person. Prolonged physical activity losses more water through sweat. According to some research, an athlete loses 6-10% of their body water by sweating.
If an athlete doesn’t take enough water, their athletic performance will drop. Even a little dehydration can dramatically affect a person’s physical activity level.
So, an athlete should drink 10% of extra water than a normal person. There is no exact recommended volume of water for athletes. They should understand if they are thirsty or not, if their urine is colored or not. For the safest method, they can drink a gallon of water a day or more.
Pregnant and Lactating Mothers
According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), pregnant mother’s water need increase to around 300 ml. Pregnant mothers should drink additional 300 ml of water to ensure the health safety of her and her child.
The lactation process uses water to produce milk in breastfeeding mothers. According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the additional amount of water needed for a lactating mother is 700 ml. So, a lactating mother should drink additional 700 ml to compensate for the loss of water.
The pregnancy and lactation is a crucial period of a women’s life. In this situation, the mother should always drink enough water to ensure the safety of her child. Drink a glass of water with every meal you take.
Patients with Medical Conditions
Some medical condition requires more water such as UTI (urinary tract infection), fever, constipation. On the other hand, some conditions may require less water to compensate, such as renal failure. In that case, the patient has to go through a dialysis procedure to get rid of waste material in our body. Therefore, drinking less water is recommended in that case.
Your doctor will mention how much water you should take in your certain health conditions. The doctor may also tell you to avoid some foods and eat some foods more often according to your condition.
As we mentioned earlier, the recommended water intake level depends on some factors, and it can never be an exact value.
Daily Water Requirement According to Weight
In general, one should drink 0.5-1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight. So, for example, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should drink 60-120 ounces of water a day.
An ounce = 29.5 ml of water.
How Much Water Do We Get From Foods And Beverage?
According to some studies, a man gets 80% of the required water from directly drinking water and 20% from dietary sources.
Tea, coffee, juice, and other beverage contain mostly water. Amongst the solid foods, the fruits provide the highest amount of water, such as grapes, cucumbers, coconut, etc.
Our regular meals also provide some water. This is because whenever we eat something, it breaks down into protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water during metabolism.
If you are bored of drinking water and cannot drink enough water according to your body needs, try watery fruits, vegetables, beverages. That will also help.
Drink A Gallon of Water A Day For Proper Hydration
A gallon of water = 3.8 ltr of water.
Around 20% of adult men do not drink enough water over the world. Proper hydration is necessary to maintain the functions of the body. Let’s have a look at the benefits of proper hydration.
- Keeps you fit – Inadequate water intake can lead to constipation and other associated complications such as stercoral colitis, erythematous mucosa in the antrum, etc. Drinking enough water can prevent those complications.
- Increase physical performance – Drinking enough water enhances physical strength and performance. It prevents fatigue, control body temperature, reduces stress during intense work.
- Facilitate the weight-loss process – Drinking enough water increases the metabolic rate of your body. Increased metabolism helps to burn extra fats reduce body fat and weight.
- Prevent headache – Hunger and thirst headache is caused by dehydration and starvation. Drinking enough water prevents dehydration, headache, and fatigue.
- Improves skin glow and tone – Drinking enough water improves the skin tone and elasticity. The glow of your skin increases as it becomes more moisturized.
Is A Gallon of Water A Day Too Much?
A gallon of water isn’t too much. Most people needs around 2.5 ltr of water each day. A gallon isn’t too much than that. Some people may think it’s too much.
In that case, follow your urine color and thirst. Drink water whenever you are thirsty. For example, if you notice that your urine color is yellow or dark brown, that indicates you are not drinking enough water.
Follow the signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, dry eyes, muscle cramps, cracked lips. If you don’t have any of those signs, then you are hydrated enough.
Water intoxication is quite rare and arises only when someone drinks 6-9 ltr of water within a few hours. Excess water intake causes hyponatremia. That means your blood becomes thinner. Hyponatremia can even be fatal.
But don’t worry about it, almost nobody drinks this enormous amount of water within a few hours.
If you sweat a lot and are involved in extreme physical activity, talk to your doctor about taking salinated water. Because when you are sweating, you are losing salted water. Drinking plain water won’t replace the salt requirement.
Water intoxication is quite rare. Never drink too much water at the same time. Drink water each hour, drink water with each meal, eat watery fruits and stay hydrated.
How Many Times Peeing is Normal?
A funny yet common question arises when someone thinks about drinking a gallon of water a day. How many times do you have to pee?
A normal persons need to pee 8-12 times a day. If you drink a lot of water, you have to pee more often. But there is good news for you. As you drink more water, your body works hormonally to increase the capacity of holding water. That means you can pee as usual still drink a gallon of water.
Summary
Drinking a gallon of water a day depends on your body weight, age, sex, and health condition. If your body requires a gallon of water, you should drink. A gallon of water isn’t too much. So, there is no chance of water intoxication and hyponatremia.
Drink water each hour. Try to drink a glass of water with each meal. If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mother, drink more often and more water.
If you are an athlete or have a certain medical condition, talk to your doctor for recommended water volume.
Drink water whenever you are thirsty. Watch for any sign of dehydration is present or not. Notice the urine color. Stay hydrated, stay healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does drinking a gallon of water a day do?
Drinking a gallon of water a day provides you enough hydration. As our body needs water for daily functions, the body can have enough water and function smoothly.
What happens when you drink a gallon of water a day?
your health status improves, your skin glows, your constipation eliminates, you become free from a dehydration headache, back pain, and multiple dehydration complications.
What happens if you drink a gallon of water a day?
You get benefitted from water in every way possible. Although you may have to pee more often.
How to drink a gallon of water a day?
Drink water every hour. Do not drink much water at a single event to avoid water intoxication. Try to drink a glass of water with each meal.
Is it good to drink a gallon of water a day?
If your body built, weight, activity level, and thirst indicate, then surely it’s good to drink a gallon of water a day. If you don’t need this much water, then it’s unnecessary to drink this much. Although a gallon – = 3.8 L; this much water cannot arise water intoxication. So, you are free to drink a gallon of water a day.
Last Updated on February 23, 2022 by Learn From Doctor Team
