Drinking eight glasses of water or two liters a day has become a common belief among those who want to stay healthy or lose weight, but how much of this is real? We investigated and found real evidence that suggests the water rule might be a myth and that, although it is important to stay hydrated, there are many ways to achieve this without just filling up on water. Here’s what we learned. Yes, drinking water is extremely necessary, and our body needs to be constantly hydrated to function at its best. However, drinking two liters of water a day may be excessive, and this is due to three different reasons:

1.- Everything we consume has water

That’s right, coffee, tea, and even soft drinks (not that we recommend consuming them) are composed of between 85% and 99% water, and they are usually beverages we don’t consider when counting how much H2O we consume. Water is the majority component of all our foods and makes up over 50% of the composition of meat and between 75% and 96% of fruits and vegetables. What does this mean? It means that while a person weighing around 70 kg may need almost two liters of water daily to stay healthy, almost half of this amount comes from the food we consume. In other words, by drinking three glasses of water a day, you can meet the body's necessary hydration needs.  

2. It can cause constipation

Fiber, a nutrient that helps us maintain regular gastric activity, is extremely water-absorbent. If we drink too much, the fiber in our body becomes "lazy" and stops working as effectively as before. This leads to a decrease in bowel movement and consequently constipation. There’s nothing wrong with drinking water during meals, but two liters a day could be causing you fluid retention and constipation, when popular belief says otherwise.  

3. Your body will ask for the water you need

When we are sleepy, our body tells us, and when we are hungry, we also know. It’s the same with drinking water; as soon as you feel thirsty, it's a physical signal that you need to drink. Of course, these signals vary depending on the person, their diet, and the amount of exercise they do, but we should trust our bodies.

Water and a little more

Having said all this, of course, water is healthier than drinking soda, coffee, or even juices. But we can also consider drinking a little less water but more effectively, by mixing it with other nutrients as in the following three recipes:   Chia water Cactus water Dragon fruit water