Water is considered the elixir of life. So it’s hardly surprising that liquid forms the basis of a healthy diet. But is there an additional benefit if you double the recommended amount you drink? FITBOOK author Beke Enderstein tried it out.
In order to find out what effects drinking 4 to 5 liters of water a day has on my well-being, my motto for my self-experiment for a week is: water march! At FITBOOK I describe my impressions – and give tips for imitators!
How Much Water Should I Drink Per Day?
There are misunderstandings about the right amount to drink. While some believe that they need at least three liters of liquid, others consider two liters to be sufficient. But what does nutritional science recommend?
According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), adults should drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid per day. Although this amount seems rather small, this recommendation for drinking amount can be explained as follows: As part of a healthy diet, which is quantitatively based primarily on vegetables, salad and fruit rich in water, the body is already supplied with an average of almost 900 milliliters of water.
Foods rich in water
Vegetables such as e.g.:
- cucumber
- tomato
- radish
- asparagus
- zucchini
When it comes to lettuce, lettuce and lamb’s lettuce are far ahead. Fruits such as berries (especially strawberries), grapefruit or watermelon are also suitable as vitamin-rich water dispensers – just like fresh herbs. The fact that these foods are «on top» rich in cell-protecting antioxidants (secondary plant substances), micronutrients and fiber makes vegetables and co. figure-friendly foods with a high nutrient density. But there are also relevant amounts of water in other foods such as dairy products or fish.
The daily fluid intake is supplemented with approx. 350 milliliters of oxidation water, which is produced during the metabolism of food at the cell level.
Fluid intake at a glance
- beverages
- Food (especially vegetables, salad and fruit)
- oxidation water
Increased water requirement
Due to higher temperatures, the demand for water increases in summer. The body needs more liquid to compensate for water loss through sweating. The same applies to a strenuous workout, which can lead to water loss of up to one liter.
In addition, the fluid requirement increases with fever, diarrhea and vomiting. Last but not least, «water predators» such as dry, cold air, high salt consumption, increasing energy expenditure and a protein-rich diet ensure a higher water requirement.
Also interesting: How much should you drink when exercising?
Infusion Water and Co.
If tap or mineral water is too boring for you in the long run, you can fill up your fluid reserves with unsweetened herbal teas or infusion water (water naturally flavored with herbs, fruit or vegetables). Generously diluted apple spritzers – at least 2 parts water to 1 part naturally cloudy juice – are also recommended as a thirst quencher.
Also interesting: Tap water or mineral water – which is healthier?
Speaking of thirst: If you already feel thirsty, you already have a fluid deficit. In order to prevent headaches, dizziness, tiredness and a lack of concentration from occurring in the first place, preventive fluid intake is essential. Also interesting in this context: Since thirst can be confused with appetite, a large glass of water should be drunk when you first feel hungry.
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What is the point of trying to drink 4 to 5 liters of water a day? I hope that drinking a large amount of water will improve my well-being on various levels. I am particularly interested in the revitalizing effect that is so often described, as I often feel tired and lack energy despite a healthy diet.
In addition, I would like to see whether the dehydrating effect sets in: As soon as the body receives a signal that sufficient water is available for vital processes, tissue water is no longer retained – at least that is the theory. Last but not least, I’m curious to see whether my natural feeling of satiety will improve thanks to stomach stretching and whether I might even lose some weight as a result.
Also interesting: If you want to lose weight, you should drink a lot of water
In order to be able to assess at the end of my experiment whether it makes sense for me to pay more attention to drinking a generous amount, I will keep the following aspects in mind.
Aim for increased drinking:
- increased efficiency
- less tiredness
- draining effect
- «Detox» effect
- plumping effect for the skin
- easy weight loss
My drinking plan for a week
I have made it my goal to drink 3 to 4 liters of mineral water or home-made sparkling water per day. The rest consists of herbal tea, ginger infusion and infusion water (water with lemon and mint). In addition, there are 3 to 4 cups of green or black tea throughout the day.
Drinking plan (4 to 5 liters):
- a large green tea in the morning (= 300 ml liquid)
- a cup of sage tea in the morning (= 200 ml liquid)
- 1.5 liters of mineral water until noon
- a green tea at noon (= 200 ml)
- 1 liter of mineral water until the afternoon
- in the afternoon a black tea and 1 infusion water (= 400 ml)
- 1 liter of mineral water until the early evening*
*Tip: To avoid having to go to the toilet too often at night, I will try to drink as much as possible by the afternoon.
Still water or sparkling water? Although it is often recommended to prefer still water, I only drink sparkling mineral water: the more fizzy, the better! I find sparkling water much more refreshing, I just can’t get used to still water and I don’t see any disadvantages for me either.
Coffee: Green or black tea can also be replaced with coffee. Personally, I don’t like coffee that much and only drink it when I need an intense caffeine kick. Although these popular hot beverages are often criticized as water stealers, this effect is manageable with moderate consumption of up to four cups.
Also interesting: coffee alternatives that also wake you up
Soda and Wine: Since I occasionally can’t resist an ice-cold «Coke Zero», I will sometimes replace the mineral water with a soft drink – true to the motto: Small sins are part of it! The same applies to one or the other glass of red wine in the evening, which I will not count as part of the amount of liquid.
My summary
Within two or three days I noticed that an extra portion of liquid is good for me on different levels. Although I found the more frequent «needing to go to the toilet» annoying, especially at the beginning, the advantages clearly outweighed the disadvantages. In order not to jeopardize my night’s sleep due to a full bladder, my plan to fill the majority of my water reserves in the first half of the day was worth its weight in gold.
Halfway through, I lowered my drinking amount from 5 liters to 4 liters because my gut feeling and body feeling signaled to me that my well-being would not benefit from the additional liter of water.
Benefits of high drinking I felt:
- Goodbye tissue water: Since I often struggle with annoying water retention on my ankles – probably because of my autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis – this point was particularly important to me. What initially sounds paradoxical is plausible. Anyone who drinks a lot gives their body the signal that excess tissue water can be excreted. Even if the topic is very complex, a sufficiently high liquid intake in addition to a low-salt diet is the be-all and end-all to dehydrate. By the end of my drinking experiment, my feet and legs were actually less swollen.
- Vitalizing effect: I wouldn’t say I «uprooted trees» from the high hydration, but from day 3 of my self-experiment I felt less tired. During my «drinking week» I didn’t even have a slight headache, which subliminally appears again and again.
- Weight: I wasn’t expecting big miracles in a week, but mixed with high-fiber foods like veggies, lettuce, legumes, and whole grains, I always felt comfortably full from day 1. Due to the high stomach volume – thanks to the water itself and the swollen fiber – this result is not surprising to me and can be explained physically or nutritionally. The stretched stomach wall sends the message «I feel full» to the brain. At the end of the week I was about a kilogram lighter – whether it was mainly due to the draining or satiating effect cannot be clearly judged after such a short time.
- «Detox» effect: Drinking more water supports the kidneys in their function of eliminating unwanted substances such as toxins, metabolic waste products and other harmful substances. Just as with the slight weight loss, however, no meaningful assessment can be made within a week. The same applies to a plumping effect: I did have the feeling that my facial skin was a little pinker and my shins a little less dry, but my wrinkles didn’t completely disappear.
Conclusion
After my self-experiment, will I continue to drink 4 to 5 liters of water every day? Not quite. I will continue to make sure that I drink enough in the future, but I think about 2.5 to 3 liters of drinks are completely sufficient. In order not to become dehydrated, I will always have a bottle of water «to go» with me in the future. On days when I swim or go to the aqua gym and then to the sauna, I can do a bit more.