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Water: Why We Need It

Everywhere we look, be it in a magazine, newspaper or on the shelves of the supermarket, water has become big news in the health and beauty industry.

But just how much do we need and why do we need so much of it? Do some of us need more than others? And what if you can't handle the recommended 1.5 litres – 2 litres (3-4 pints) a day?

How much water we take in is controlled, primarily, by our thirst mechanism. How much we lose will depend upon other factors such as weather, body temperature, how much exercise we take, how much we sweat and how many times a day we empty our bladders. Therefore the amount of fluid lost needs to be replaced.

Water is the most important factor in our diet. Without it, quite simply we die. Our bodies are made up of 60% water, so it's easy to see why we must keep ourselves topped up with nature's liquid life force.

The good news is that there are three great ways of doing this. We get it in the food we eat, as a by-product of metabolism and by drinking it.

How much do we really need?
The human body needs 2.5 litres of water a day. That's 10.5 glasses of water daily! But luckily we need only drink 6-8 glasses a day as we get some of our water from food and 25% is supplied by metabolism.

If you want to up your intake, try to think about having around three pints a day. An easy way to do this is to drink half a pint on the hour. This way you are topping up your body without feeling saturated with the stuff.

Research has shown that children perform better in the classroom when they are drinking water frequently, as it aids concentration and learning. Water is also enormously important in the function of detoxing, and is a natural aid in flushing out and boosting our immune systems, which is essential in keeping us healthy.

Did you know that three-quarters of a newborn baby's body weight is water? But in an adult this averages between 50-60%, decreasing with age.

That's one of the reasons why things begin to sag, and our skins become drier and less supple. Water keeps us fit, healthy and young looking too.

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