How much water does your body require?
How much should people drink?
Official recommendations give guidelines for daily requirements.
Table: Dietary Reference Values for water¹
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The most recent official recommendation about water requirement has been published by the European Food Safety Authority in 2010¹.
This extensive scientific review has enabled the definition of adequate water intakes, based on European fluid intakes, desirable urine osmolarity and energy intake. The reference values assumed a moderate climate and moderate level of physical activity.
These values include water that originates from both consumed fluids and food. The European Scientific Authority has also stated that the contribution of food to total water water intake represents about 20% in adults.
On this basis, it means that male adults should drink 2 L per day, and female adults 1.6 L.
No maximal tolerable intake level has been set by EFSA. This is justified by the great ability of healthy individuals to excrete excess water intakes within a large range of observed intakes. In healthy subjects the kidneys have the ability to excrete up to 0.7 to 1L/hour.¹
