You probably already know ― because people like me repeat it to our loved ones at least twice a week ― that you really don’t need to stick to eight glasses of H2O a day.
After all, we’ve all got different health needs, body sizes, diets, exercise levels... I could (and do) go on.
“Most healthy people can stay hydrated by drinking water and other fluids whenever they feel thirsty,” the Mayo Clinic writes.
But if you’re still not definite you’re getting the perfect amount for your body, Dr Stuart Galloway, an associate professor in physiology, exercise and nutrition at the University of Stirling, says the answer may lie in your loo.
More specifically, the amount of times you pee per day can reveal whether you’re under- or over-hydrated.
How many times a day should I go?
As with water, it does vary a bit from person to person.
But speaking to BBC Science Focus magazine, Dr. Galloway said: “A rough rule of thumb would be four to six visits to the toilet to pee during a typical day, if adequately meeting your water requirements.”
If you’re struggling to make it to four pees a day, you might want more water. If you’re regularly well over six, you could be overdoing it, the doctor said.
Of course, while the test is easy, it’s more of a “rule of thumb” than a true trial of health, the professor told the BBC.
“This approach can have some shortcomings, such as impacts of any alteration in kidney function with age, certain medications, or different beverage compositions that all affect urine concentration and volume,” he said.
Are there other signs I’m over- or under-hydrating?
“Getting your daily intake of H2O is a good thing, but not when you’re flushing all the electrolytes out of your body,” they warn.
You may start getting into the dehydrated range with dark yellow pee, and are definitely in need of some water if your urine is very dark (though it can also be a sign of other conditions, especially if it’s brown. Red pee needs medical attention).
The ideal colour for healthy individuals is a sort of pale straw hue, the clinic shared. Again, though, everyone’s different.
Who know your bladder held so much knowledge?