The amount of water a person should drink daily varies based on factors such as sex, age, activity level, climate, and health conditions. General guidelines are:
- For adult men, about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids per day is recommended.
- For adult women, about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids per day is recommended.
These amounts include all fluids consumed, including water, other beverages, and water contained in food
. Additional factors influencing water needs include:
- Living in hot, humid, dry, or high-altitude environments increases water requirements.
- Higher physical activity levels increase fluid needs.
- Diets high in caffeine, salt, spicy or sugary foods may increase water loss.
- Health conditions like fever, infections, diabetes, or medication use (e.g., diuretics) require more hydration.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women need extra fluids to support themselves and their babies
Children and adolescents have lower but age-dependent fluid needs, for example, children 4-8 years need about 5 cups (40 oz) daily, increasing with age
. A common simple rule is to drink about 6 to 8 cups of fluids daily, but individual needs vary widely
. In summary, most adults should aim for around 2.7 to 3.7 liters of fluids daily, adjusting based on personal factors and environmental conditions to maintain proper hydration
