According to Hydration for Health, an initiative to promote drinking more water, "recommending 1.5 to 2 liters of water daily is the simplest and healthiest hydration advice you can give." (1)
Because of their smaller size, children can be at greater risk than adults for feeling the effects of not drinking enough. Reports made by the BBC in 2000 claimed that increased water intake in children led to an improvement in test results. (2, 3) Since water intake is age and weight dependent in children, be aware of the mineral content and the amount of liquids they are drinking. (4)
Elderly people often have a decreased sensation of thirst, which can lead to a higher risk of dehydration [and] evidence is increasing that even mild dehydration plays a role in the development of various diseases." (3) These diseases include polycystic kidney disease. Increased water intake suppresses antidiuretic hormone, which then decreases the risk of development of cysts in people with a genetic risk.
The mineral content of the water you drink is important as low mineral content can adversely affect bone health, (5) muscle growth and digestive function (6). Reverse osmosis is a common household method of purifying water. This process removes particulates which include impurities but also vital minerals. Typically, one part of this filtration process adds back minerals but only a minimal amount. Municipal purification often involves chlorine and occasionally aluminum which can block essential mineral absorption and, over a lifetime, cause health concerns such as breast cancer (7) and dementia (8).
For those who exercise or work out in the heat, electrolyte supplementation has been shown to help maintain body mass and speed recovery time. (9)
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REFERENCES:
(1) McCartney, M. (2011). Waterlogged? BMJ : British Medical Journal (Online), 343
(2) Hyrdration for Health. We don't drink enough water. www.h4hinitiative.com/about-healthy-hydration/we-dont-drink-enough-water/
(3) Water improves school test results. BBC News 2000 Apr 27.
(4) Chouraqui, J., Thornton, S. N., Seconda, L., & Kavouras, S. A. (2022). Total water intake and its contributors in infants and young children. The British Journal of Nutrition, 128(3), 531-541.
(5) Huang, Y., Ma, X., Tan, Y., Wang, L., Wang, J., Lan, L., . . . Shu, W. (2019). Consumption of very low mineral water is associated with lower bone mineral content in children. The Journal of Nutrition, 149(11), 1994.
(6) Jang, K., Kim, J., Purvis, N., Purvis, J., Chen, J., Ren, P., . . . Kim, S. (2018). Supplemental effects of chelated trace minerals replacing inorganic trace minerals in sow diets on production performance, DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and gene expression in muscle and intestinal tissues of progeny. Journal of Animal Science, Suppl.Supplement 3, 96, 288.
(7) D Argo, ,Joan, & Thornton, J. (1993). Breast cancer: The chlorine connection. (). Washington: Greenpeace USA. Retrieved from Research Library Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/reports/breast-cancer-chlorine-connection/docview/211516504/se-2
(8) Igbokwe, I. O., Igwenagu, E., & Nanacha, A. I. (2019). Aluminium toxicosis: A review of toxic actions and effects. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, 12(2), 45-70.
(9) Choi, D., Joon-Yong, C., Jung-Hoon Koo, & Tae-Kyung, K. (2021). Effects of electrolyte supplements on body water homeostasis and exercise performance during exhaustive exercise. Applied Sciences, 11(19), 9093.