How Much Water Should You Drink for Weight Loss
Hydration affects the efficiency at which cells function. Researchers of a study published in the American Journal of Physiology suggested that cell hydration has a major effect on cell function. This includes cell metabolism which also affects fat burning. A cell that is properly hydrated can function at optimum levels. Hydration affects how well nutrients are transported into a cell and how well waste is transported out. Adequate hydration level affects fat burning and thus affecting weight management.
8 x 8 Water Per Day Recommendation
We have all heard of the recommendation to drink 8 glasses of 8 ounce water per day. Dr Heinz Valtin set out to find the origin of this “8 x 8″ water per day recommendation that seems to be so prevalent. His findings were published in the American Journal of Physiology in 2002. Dr. Valtin did an extensive review of available medical literature.
In the end, Dr. Valtin could not find any scientific evidence to support the “8 x 8″ water per day recommendation claim. His 51 page report suggested that the subject of hydration is filled with myths without much scientific basis.
Another interesting observation made by Dr. Valtin was that caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and soft drinks could count towards the daily fluid intake of healthy people. Dr. Valtin extracted this information from research done by Grandjean that was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in the years 2000 and 2003.
An interesting review of available scientific studies on assessing hydration levels was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2007. The author concluded that assessing real-time hydration levels remained as elusive as ever. Researchers are still looking for means to effectively asses hydration levels. The body’s hydration levels are determined by very complex processes. Making simple recommendations such as “8 x 8″ water per day just would not work.
How Much Water per Day to Drink
As Dr. Valtin found in his scientific review, the “8 x 8″ water per day recommendation is flawed. Different people have different hydration requirements. Someone who is physically active needs more water per day as compared to someone who is sedentary. The best recommendation for adequate hydration levels comes from Alwyn Cosgrove. His guideline makes sense and is simple to follow.
Drink Enough for 2 to 3 Clear Urination
You know you are well hydrated when your urine is light in colour. Very clear urine probably means you are very well hydrated. Based on this assumption, you should drink enough water per day to have 2 to 3 clear urination. All one needs to do is to keep track of the number of clear urination. When the colour of the urine is dark, just drink more until it clears.
Following this guideline, you will be able to effectively gauge how much of water per day you need. Whenever you become dehydrated, the urine will show. This simple guideline can be used across the board for sedentary and active people.
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// Categories: Food & Nutrition Info, Food & Nutrition Tips, Health, Weight Loss Info, Weight Loss Tips
// Tags: American Journal of Physiology, caffeinated drinks, cell hydration, cell metabolism, grandjean, heinz, how much water per day, hydration levels, observation, optimum levels, soft drinks Back to top
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