Is This The Most Overrated Health Tip Ever?

Water is life—literally.

Every cell, tissue and organ in your body depends on it to function properly.

You need water to regulate your body temperature, digest food, transport nutrients, lubricate your joints… you get the point.

The problem is, our bodies don’t have a way to store water for later. And because we’re constantly losing it through sweat, breath and urine, we have to keep topping up.

So, the question isn’t whether you need to drink water. That’s a given.

The real question is, how much do you actually need?

Enter: the 8 glasses of water a day rule.

The evolution of “8 glasses a day”

The popular advice that we should all be drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day has been around for decades.

But surprisingly, it didn’t come from any scientific study.

In fact, it’s believed to have originated from a 1945 recommendation by the U.S Food and Nutrition Board, which stated:

“A suitable allowance of water for adults is 1 milliliter of water for each calorie of food consumed.”

So, for the average adult eating around 2,000 calories per day, that works out to about 2,000 milliliters of water—roughly 8 glasses (250ml each).

However, there’s a crucial piece of information that’s often left out.

The recommendation also stated that “most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods”.

In other words, the guideline wasn’t telling people to drink 2 liters of plain water.

It was referring to total water intake from all sources: food, milk, tea, juice, soups, stews, and more.

Somehow, that detail got lost in translation.

So instead of: “You need about 2 liters of water per day from all sources, including food”,

People started saying: “You need to drink 2 liters of plain water every day.”

The “8 glasses a day” rule was catchy, easy to remember, and sounded sciencey enough to be taken seriously.

So, it was taken up by mainstream media and got repeated by health influencers, fitness instructors, and even doctors.

Over time, people forgot that food and other drinks also count toward hydration.

And just like that, a hydration myth was born.

What actually influences a person’s hydration needs

Like many things in nutrition, hydration isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Hydration needs are highly individual. How much water you need depends on a number of personal factors like:

• Body size

Just like a Range Rover requires more fuel than a Toyota Vitz to run efficiently, bigger bodies generally need more water to maintain basic functions.

• Diet

High-protein diets increase your hydration needs. For instance, you might have realized that you feel thirstier after eating nyama choma.

Salty or spicy foods can also leave you thirstier.

On the flip-side, water-rich foods like watermelon, oranges, and cucumber can significantly boost your fluid intake.

Therefore, someone who eats a lot of fresh fruits and veggies will generally need less water than someone whose diet is mostly dry or processed foods.

• Activity level

The more active you are, the more you sweat, and the more water you need to replace.

Athletes, market vendors, and anyone who’s physically active throughout the day needs more water than someone who spends majority of their day indoors sitting behind a desk.

• Weather

The hotter it is, the more water you need to replenish the fluids you lose through sweat.

You might notice that you feel thirstier during the hotter months than the colder ones.

• Specific conditions

-Pregnant and breastfeeding women need extra fluids to support their body and their baby.

-Fever, vomiting, diarrhea increase a loss of fluids from the body, increasing your water needs.

-People with kidney stones or urinary tract infections may also be advised to drink more water.

Bottom line? Your hydration needs are unique, and they can change day by day.

How to know if you’re well hydrated

Your body already has an in-built mechanism to signal when it needs water and when it has had enough.

You’ll know you’re well hydrated if:

• You rarely feel thirsty

For most healthy adults, thirst is a pretty good signal that your body needs water.

If you rarely feel thirsty, and you're not experiencing symptoms like fatigue, dry mouth, or headache, then that’s a good sign that you’re getting enough water.

However, the thirst reflex tends to weaken with age, which means older adults may not always feel thirsty even when their bodies need fluids.

Certain health conditions and medications can also interfere with this mechanism.

In those cases, it's smart to consciously remind yourself to drink water, even if you're not feeling thirsty.

• Your urine is mostly pale yellow

Urine color is one of the most reliable indicators of your hydration status, even when thirst isn’t.

Here’s a simple guide:

Keep in mind, certain foods, diseases or medications can affect the color of your urine.

That said, for most healthy adults, this chart is still a helpful general guide for gauging hydration.

Better ways to stay hydrated

• Eat more water-rich foods

Fruits (watermelon, apples, pineapples, oranges), veggies (cucumber, spinach, tomatoes), stews, soups, porridge, and teas all contribute significantly to your daily fluid intake without you having to chug bottle after bottle of water.

• Let your thirst guide you

Unless you fall into a group where thirst isn’t reliable (like older adults or people with certain medical conditions), your body will usually tell you when it needs water.

Drink when you’re feeling thirsty. Stop when you’re not. It really can be that simple.

• Adjust intake based on weather and activity

If you’re sweating, whether it’s because of a workout or it’s just hot, drink more water to make up for the loss.

Drink water before, during, and after exercise. If you sweat a lot during exercise, consider adding a small pinch of salt or snacking on a banana or fruit to help replenish electrolytes too.

• Check your urine

Pale yellow? You’re good.

Dark yellow or amber? Time to sip some water.

It’s one of the easiest, most reliable ways to stay in tune with your hydration levels.

Thanks for reading! I hope you found something valuable :)

To get more actionable tips like these, consider joining other health-curious friends like you by signing up below.