You’ve probably read that the human body requires 64 fluid ounces of water per day to function properly. Unless you can sit beside the kitchen sink, that might seem tough to maintain, but the advent of bottled water can help you easily attain this important medical daily goal. But how many bottles of water a day would you need to drink to consume 64 ounces? Is 3 water bottles a day enough?
Is 3 Water Bottles a Day Enough?
It depends on the size of the water bottles. Drinking three eight-ounce bottles of water would mean you still need to consume five more bottles or glasses of water afterward.
Choosing a 17-fluid-ounce bottle of water would mean you need to consume four bottles of water. Any less than that and you’d gyp your body of hydration.
You would only need to drink two 33.8 fluid-ounce bottles of water to meet the necessary medical requirement. In fact, you’d consume a bit more than needed, but that won’t hurt you.
So, why does the human body need so much water? Let’s consider all the jobs that water does for our bodies.
Water Comprises Most of the Human Body
Water comprises about 60 percent of the human body. It handles or contributes to the following functions:
- Regulating body temperature
- Cellular function
- Removing waste.
Water accomplishes a lot more, requiring its replenishment daily. So, when you ask, “Is 3 water bottles a day enough?” – only if the bottle contains 33.8 fluid ounces or more each. What else does water do that makes it so important?
You Need to Keep Your Teeth Strong
In the US, water helps keep your teeth strong because the country fluoridates its water. In 1945, the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan added fluoride to its water system. In 1950, dentists’ data showed the city’s schoolchildren experienced significantly fewer cavities than other children in cities throughout Michigan. Other cities in that state added fluoride to their water and experienced the same phenomenon. Dentists reported fewer cavities in schoolchildren, and the general dentistry industry recommended that all communities add fluoride to their water.
During the next decade, US communities added fluoride to their water and all experienced the same reduction in the need for dental treatment for cavities. In 1999, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) named “fluoridation of drinking water” to its list of the “Ten Greatest Public Health Achievements – United States, 1900 – 1999.”
That means that you need some of the water you drink each day to come from the tap. Bottled water does not contain fluoride, so you should not only consume it. Instead, drink at least four glasses of water from the kitchen sink or bathroom tap each day. If you prefer bottled water for its flavors or fizz, try adding flavored water mixes to it. Many of these vitamin-infused powders further improve the healthiness of your water.
Your Body Needs Moisture
Your body’s requirement for moisture adds to the reason that the answer to “Is 3 water bottles a day enough?” remains only if you drink 33.8-ounce bottles of water. Because of the importance of hydration, babies born with a tongue tie typically undergo a tongue tie release treatment called a frenectomy before leaving the hospital with their parents. That’s because the malformed tongue impedes the child’s ability to consume food and drink. The danger to their ability to hydrate causes doctors to recommend immediate treatment.
Every day, each person loses 64 to 96 ounces of water through breathing, urination, perspiration, and bowel movements. You can easily tell when you need to drink some water to replenish what you’ve lost. Look at your urine in the toilet bowl before you flush. If it looks clear or straw-colored, you’re hydrated. The color of homemade lemonade also indicates hydration. Darker urine, such as the color of apple juice, indicates dehydration. Drink some water.
Hydration Can Affect Disease Treatment
Men typically need to consume about three more cups of water per day than women. One cup equals eight ounces. In some cases, though, the human body needs more water. If you fell ill or incurred an injury, you might ask, “Is 3 water bottles a day enough still?” Well, no.
Add one or two extra glasses of water to your daily intake. You can also drink too much water, but that would require drinking gallon upon gallon of water. When you develop an illness that raises your temperature, or you develop diarrhea or vomiting, you need to replenish your water loss with an extra 16 ounces of water each day. Don’t overdo it because you could develop hyponatremia, a condition when the sodium levels in the blood drop too low, causing nausea, confusion, irritability, seizures, and, if untreated, death.
When undergoing chemotherapy, bladder cancer treatment, prostate or uterus surgery, you also need to consume greater amounts of water. All of the treatments mentioned, as well as autoimmune disease treatment (immunotherapy), can damage the bladder and kidneys. In these cases, three water bottles of water won’t maintain hydration. Drink an extra two eight ounces glasses of water each day.
You’ll Look Leaner When Hydrated
So, is 3 water bottles a day enough to help encourage weight loss? It offers a start towards any weight loss goal, but drink at least four 17-ounce bottles of water daily to jumpstart weight loss.
Hydrating properly makes you look leaner because you lose about five pounds of water weight. That probably sounds odd, but it’s a fact. When you properly hydrate, your body can complete its cycles without problems. The sodium and potassium in your bloodstream regulate, and your skin and internal organs remain hydrated, too. Excess salt in your body causes water and sodium to collect in your organs. Drinking fresh water flushes out the old water, the excess salt, and other fluids that are collected unhealthily in your body. Many individuals notice that their scale registers about a five-pound loss the first week they fully hydrate.
Instant improvement in skin health offers another benefit of drinking plenty of water each day. Some people avoid cellulite treatments by properly hydrating each day.
Your Pet Needs Water, Too
Instead of asking “Is 3 water bottles a day enough?” for your dog or cat, you might ask “Is 3 water bowls a day enough?” Every type of pet differs in its water needs. A hamster needs a different amount than a dog. Both need different amounts of water than a cat. Let’s consider the cat and dog question since those two animals populate the highest number of American homes.
A feline needs to drink between 3.5 and 4.5 fluid ounces per five pounds of body weight. That means your 12-pound cat needs to drink the equivalent of about one and a half glasses of water each day.
Dogs drink more water than humans as a weight ratio. Your canine needs to consume one fluid ounce of water per pound of body weight. Yes, that means your 100-pound German Shepherd needs to drink 100 ounces of water per day to remain hydrated. That’s why the bowl always stays empty. Large breed dogs that weigh about 100 pounds need the equivalent of 12 and a half glasses of water per day.
Like humans and illness or injury, if you take your pet to the animal doctor due to ill health, you’ll probably hear that your pet needs to drink more water. The extra water refers to while they undergo treatment, including any pet physical therapy they need. Water provides the same functions for animals that it does for humans, so fill their bowls with fresh water when you grab a glass or bottle for yourself.
You May Go to the Doctor Less Often
Is 3 water bottles a day enough to help reduce the number of times you need to visit the doctor? If you drink three 33.8 fluid-ounce bottles of water a day, it could be. When you consume at least 64 ounces of water each day, you maintain your ideal hydration. That hydration improves your health.
If you read the blogs of some Medicare insurance agents, you’ll find out that as you age, the body requires additional water. Older people’s bodies regulate temperature differently, requiring additional water. Their need also increases for water to avoid heat exhaustion, muscle pain, and fatigue.
A 2015 study by researchers at the United Kingdom National Institute for Health Research revealed that 37 percent of adults aged 65 years and older were dehydrated when admitted to the hospital. Even in the hospital, most of these individuals did not consume enough water to rehydrate. When checked 48 hours after admission, 62 percent of those dehydrated at admission remained dehydrated.
Drinking adequate water for your age group every day can improve your health. That could improve your medical billing, too, since you won’t need to visit the doctor as often. How much water should you consume based on your age?
Use a daily water intake calculator found online to calculate your body’s water needs. These calculators consider your age, weight, height, gender, activity level, and the season. For example, a 54-year-old female, who stands 5’7″ and weighs 125 pounds, requires 100 ounces of water per day when moderately active during the summer, but only 90 ounces per day during winter. Conversely, a 45-year-old male, who stands 6′ 4″ and weighs 195 pounds, requires 138 ounces of water when moderately active during summer. His water needs reduce to 124 ounces per day during winter.
When Is 3 Water Bottles a Day Enough?
Children aged eight years and younger need less water each day than an adult. Babies up to six months of age only need about 32 ounces of water. At six months, their needs increase to about 40 ounces. That doesn’t increase until a child reaches the age of four years. At that point, they require between 40 and 64 ounces of water every day. In their ninth year, children’s water needs increase to at or near an adult’s.
In their baby bottle year, a child might obtain their necessary hydration in just three bottles of milk or formula. Their mother’s breast milk provides the top source of nutrition and hydration, though.
Once a child reaches toddler age, they consume water from sippy cups and can grasp a small water bottle. Two and a half bottles of eight ounces of water provide all they need at this age.
An older child, aged four or more, needs up to 64 ounces of water per day. They still probably drink best out of sippy cups, but by the age of six you can typically hand a child a 33.8-ounce bottle of water, and they’ll nurse it for hours. Eventually, they finish one, and you can provide them with a second one. Using a sugar-free drink mix infused with vitamin C can further improve the efficacy of their water intake.
Drink Your Water!
In conclusion, your water needs change from birth to older age. Your activity level and vital statistics also impact your water needs. Staying hydrated helps keep you healthy and can help you more quickly recover from many illnesses. Drink at least 64 ounces a day, and add a couple of glasses to that if you feel tired or thirsty.
To get your water on the go, either grab two 33.8-ounce bottles of water or four 17-ounce bottles of water. Make sure you drink at least two glasses of tap water each day if you reside in the US, so you also get the fluoride your teeth need.