Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

We all know that water is important but

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

And

*Research shows that exercisers tend to replenish only about 50% of the fluid lost during a typical workout.

*As little as 2% dehydration can cause endurance to drop by 6-7%.

*Exercisers who drink fluid may last up to 33% longer per session than exercisers who don't drink anything.

*An active adult needs 10-12 8oz servings of non-caffeinated fluid per day. Figure a gulp is equal to about 1oz

*People tend to drink more fluid when water is lightly flavored.

(Source: Int J Sports Nutr; Perspectives in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine; J Sports Science; O J Appl Physiol)