It Is Important to Stay Hydrated, Even During the Winter Months—Here’s How

While it seems easy to stay hydrated during the hot summer months, it’s important to drink the same amount of water during the winter, too.

According to Ernestine A. Wright, M.D., FACP, a board-certified primary care doctor and geriatrics expert with Mercy Personal Physicians Downtown in Baltimore, women need eight glasses of water each day, on average. For men, the average number rises to 12.

Dr. Wright noted that around 20% of that water actually comes from food, such as fruits and vegetables.

“I think with women, women find it harder to recognize dehydration, and that’s because if you think about the menstrual cycle during the latter phase, or luteal phase, when progesterone increases, it does tend to cause fluid retention. So, women may find it difficult to find that they are dehydrated during that time, because they may feel that, because of their fluid retention, they’re actually hydrated when they’re not,” Dr. Wright said.

Some studies show women feel the effects of dehydration more than men, and that is because men usually have more muscle mass, which contains water. Don’t overdo it, though. You can over-hydrate.

Women should start the day with two glasses of water, even before breakfast, Dr. Wright explained. That can help women stay on top of getting all their water in for the entire day.

Some beverages do contain water, while others, like coffee, actually lead to dehydration. It is important to watch the sugar content in drinks that contain water because they can end up being unhealthy.

View Mercy primary care physician Dr. Ernestine Wright’s interview regarding the importance of staying hydrated, even during the winter months.