Drinking water: How much is enough for your body?

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Do you know that the human body consists of about 60% to 70% water and cannot function properly without enough water every day? Water is our body's principal chemical component. Every system in our body depends on water. Water flushes toxins out of our vital organs, carries nutrients to our cells, and provides a moist environment for our eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. Every day we lose water through breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. The factors that influence water needs are: exercise, environment/weather, illnesses/health conditions, and pregnancy/breast-feeding. Lack of water can lead to thirst, dehydration, dry and scaly skin, chapped lips, cracked skin, fatigue, headache, muscle weakness, dizziness and even formation of kidney stones. However, drinking too much water or at every opportunity can cause serious problems such as "water intoxication". When the water content of the blood increases, the salt content is diluted. Consequently the amount of salt available to body tissue decreases, which can lead to problems with the brain, heart and muscle function. So how much water does your body need? For the average sedentary person, the recommended standard is 8-12 glasses per day and for the physically active, they should drink approximately 1 gallon every day. For more info, please visit: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html