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Even though water is considered to be a kind of elixir of life, something without which not a single day can go by, it is not always easy to determine how much water should you drink during the day and use all benefits it provides …

Many of us have grown up with the belief that it is necessary to drink eight glasses of water a day in addition to other beverages of choice. Some of the recent references indicated that we no longer have to worry about the necessary amount of water we should drink, and we can simply satisty our thirst with any other drink.

Other drinks can replace water

It is most certainly true that clean, refreshing and calorie-free water is the best choice. Studies have also shown that when it comes to hydration, you can use some healthy, fresh fruits or vegetable juices or make some refreshing lemonade. What puts water in the first place are the claims of some people that water also helps dealing with excess weight.

To truly verify claims for this type of health support, experts from all over the world gathered to witness the powerful effects of this fluid that nature gave us.

Drink when you are thirsty

A study published in 2002 in the American Journal of Physiology investigated the reliability and effectiveness of the old recommendation which pointed out how necessary and healthy is to drink 230 milliliters of water eight times a day.

After a thorough examination of this claim one of the researchers, Dr. Heinz Valtin, concluded that there was insufficient evidence that healthy people who live in areas with temperate climate and do not practice any complicated daily activities need more water.

Dr. Valtin advises average physically healthy people to drink water only when they are thirsty. He also noted that even caffeine drinks are good as additional alternative when it comes to satisfying thirst.

Special rules for people with health problems

What is important to say about this study is that in 2004 the International Medical Institute gave the public new recommendations which agree with the findings of Dr. Valtin.

Namely, the latest recommendations exclude the old routine of drinking eight glasses a day, and present a different way to determine the necessary amount of water which can satisfy our thirst.

This recommendations exclude individuals who suffer from certain medical conditions that require fluid intake control, then athletes and individuals who participate in physical activities that last longer or those living in extreme living conditions.

Different values for men and women

However, in the final report of the IMI it is not clearly established which is the basic amount of water you should drink daily. Still we have to mention that this report outlined some general recommendations based on the research that resulted in the theory of drinking 2 liters a day (about 11 cups of water a day) when it comes to women and 3.70 liters (about 19 glass of water a day) for men.

You should keep in mind that these quantities are related to the total water intake -- taking in consider both drinks and food. Also, approximately 80 percent of the total fluid intake come from water and other beverages, and we receive the remaining 20 percent from the food we eat.