WATER CONSUMPTION

The debate continues on how much water we should intake each day and if other fluids and water from foods count towards our required consumption. We have been raised on the idea that 8 glasses a day meet our needs but the latest research differs. In February 2004 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published their findings from years of research and those findings have been adopted as the general guidelines. The IOM states that thirst should guide our fluid consumption and from the studies they found that a female who satisfied their thirst each day consumed an average of 91 ounces of fluids and men consumed and average of 125 ounces. Those fluids can come from a variety of sources with 80% coming from beverages of some sort and 20% from the water in foods we eat which makes an argument for making sure we eat our fruits and vegetables which contain larger percentages of water.

The research also showed that physical activity, heat and humidity increase our need for fluids. People who engage in physical activity or prolonged periods of heat have significant amounts of water loss and can sometimes require up to double the amount of fluids that a person who is not exposed to these situations requires. Some athletes and some individuals with psychiatric disorders drink excessive amounts of water that can lead to life threatening situations however that situation is very rare therefore the IOM chose not to put an upper limit on fluid consumption.
They also found that the typical diet is high in sodium intake and low in potassium and that the two should be reversed. American men's median intake of salt is between 7.8 and 11.8 grams per day, and women consume between 5.8 and 7.8 grams every day. Because these figures do not include the salt that people add at the table, they are probably underestimates. Studies indicate that reduced consumption of salt coupled with increased potassium intake can blunt the age-related rise in blood pressure. American men consume just 2.8 to 3.3 grams of potassium daily on average, and women get an average of only 2.2 to 2.4 grams each day. Fruits and vegetables are both low in sodium and high in potassium. Among foods with the highest amounts of potassium per calorie are spinach, cantaloupes, almonds, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, bananas, oranges, grapefruits, and potatoes.

Sources: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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