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It is inevitable that at some point in people's lives they have heard someone tell them, "You have to drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day." People claim that water will assist in weight loss, in fitness, and in general health. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) this rule isn't quite as rigid as it always was.

To understand why there is no simple answer to, "How much water you should drink," a person must first understand the function of water within the human body. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Water is your body's principle chemical component, comprising, on average, 60 percent of your body weight."

The function of water goes beyond just filling space as Mayo added, "Every system in our body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells, and provides a moist environment for ear, nose, and throat tissue." What many people often forget is that the skin itself is an organ, and for many people being properly hydrated can even help to diminish the effects of troublesome acne.

When the human body doesn't have enough water to meet its daily functions, it causes a commonly known condition called dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration can be nausea, cramping, dizziness, and disorientation.

According to the Weight Loss Resources Company, several studies over the years have shown that a majority of people in mainstream society suffer daily from mild dehydration. Following this report, came reports of all of the negative effects dehydration could have on one's long term health.

The IOM joined the initiative recommending the popular eight glasses of water per day in addition to whatever beverages a person took in throughout the day.

This rigid rule failed slowly over the next several years, as the medical community began to face a different problem, "hyponatraemia or water intoxication," according to an article by the Weight Loss Resources Company, "As the water content of the blood increases, the salt content is diluted. Consequently, the amount of salt available to body tissues decreases, which can lead to problems with brain, heart, and muscle function."

Recently, the IOM found the flaw in the thinking as cited by WebMD, "…the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued new recommendations…The IOM report did not specify requirements for water but made general fluid intake recommendations of 91 ounces (that's 11-plus cups a day) for women and 125 ounces (15-plus cups a day) for men…" Because this recommendation is for total fluid intake, that includes food intake, which makes up 20 percent according to WebMD.

The problem lay in the assumption that other beverages, besides water, do not count in the total fluid intake for the day. As people consumed the same amount of beverages in a typical day, only to add eight glasses of water, they were actually over hydrating.

The fact is that even caffeinated beverages have to contribute to the total fluid intake according to IOM. Essentially, by keeping the same drinking habits and changing only the water intake, people were poisoning themselves with water.

On the other side of the issue, just because Gatorade, for example, counts towards people's total fluid intake, it does not mean that Gatorade is a better choice than water. If one chooses to ingest water, the person is receiving a vital bodily chemical with no extras. If one chooses to ingest Gatorade, the person is also receiving high fructose corn syrup, sucrose syrup, preservatives, additives, and food coloring. There is no benefit in any one of those additional ingredients; thus, a person is meeting the fluid intake criteria while polluting their body in another way.

The Mayo Clinic also adds that these rules must be changed depending on certain factors such as exercise, environment, and general condition of health.

The more a person exercises, the more fluid intake that person will need. Mayo Clinic recommends, "An extra one or two cups of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires additional fluid. How much additional fluid is needed depends on how much you sweat during the exercise, but 13 to26 ounces (or about two to three cups) an hour will generally be adequate, unless the weather is exceptionally warm."

It is also recommended that athletes consume a beverage with electrolytes, such as sodium. While Gatorade is a popular choice, a healthier choice would be Smart Water. Smart Water, unlike Gatorade, contains the electrolytes without the extra syrups and sugars.

A person's environment can also change the recommended fluid intake, "Hot or humid weather can make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime," explains the Mayo Clinic.

Finally, if a person is ill, doctors recommend that they increase fluid intake, specifically water. This will help remove toxins from the person's body, as well as replace any water lost through fever (sweating), vomiting, diarrhea, and various infections. When people are sick it is also recommended that they consume beverages with electrolytes, such as Smart Water.

With the human body it is hard to set concrete rules, as ideas about healthy habits are always changing with society and culture. The main idea when it comes to water is to drink when thirsty. If people chose to quench that thirst with other means, they cannot make up for it by ingesting extra water.

Every cause has an effect, and the next time a person finds himself or herself with a craving for a drink, the choice they make will determine the health of their body. The message of how much water to drink ends up amounting to a phrase from the Weight Loss Resources Company, "A clear message of do it, but don't overdo it"

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