How much fluid should we drink?

When our bodies don’t have enough water we become dehydrated and this can lead to serious health implications If left untreated. One of the first signs of dehydration is feeling thirsty.

To stay healthy, it’s important to replace the fluid we lose when we breathe, sweat or urinate. Even if you are not active you still need to drink fluids!

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid per day. That’s about eight 200ml glasses for a woman and 10 200ml glasses for a man!

All drinks count, including hot drinks such as tea and coffee, but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest.

Signs of dehydration

If you think you or the person you care for may not be getting enough fluids, check whether you/they have any of these other common signs of dehydration:
• dark urine and not passing much urine when you go to the toilet
• headaches
• lack of energy
• feeling lightheaded
• Feeling confused

If dehydration is left untreated it can become severe, See your GP if symptoms continue despite drinking fluids.

Make sure you and the person you care for live well.