Doctor reveals real daily water requirement for body and it’s not two litres, three litres or eight glasses a day

SHAH ALAM - Since childhood, people have been taught to drink plenty of water.

It is good for digestion and contributes to achieving beautiful skin.

However, how much water does a person need to drink in a day?

Columbia Asia Hospital emergency department medical officer Dr Malar Santhi Santherasegapan answered this question in a recent video posting.

"The amount of water your body needs each day is not two litres, not three litres and not eight glasses," she said in a video on her TikTok account @celotehdrmalar.

She said instead, the quantity of fluid a person needed to drink was based on the calculation formula of body weight in kilogramme (kg) multiplied by 0.03.

MINERALS

In addition to water, the human body also required several minerals for the organs and muscles in the body.

However, people often overlooked the need for minerals such as iron and zinc.

She explained that individuals who lacked both minerals were likely to experience anaemia, hair loss, brittle nails and dull skin.

"I do not recommend you to take zinc or iron supplements. Unless prescribed by a doctor," she said.

She advised people to obtain these minerals naturally through foods such as meat, chicken, eggs, green vegetables and nuts.

Furthermore, another essential mineral needed by the body was magnesium.

Dr Malar said a person required at least 300 to 400 milligrammes (mg) of magnesium per day.

Once again, she did not recommend people to take supplements.

She listed some foods that can be consumed to obtain this mineral.

Among them were dark chocolate, peanut butter and almonds.

A person who lacked magnesium will often experience muscle cramps, leg cramps, difficulty sleeping at night or insomnia and pain during menstruation.

The doctor also said the human body also needed silica, which is an essential mineral for collagen formation.

Do those who already consume collagen still need to take silica?

She said collagen is considered as the skeleton and silica is a component that strengthens the collagen and also provides elasticity.

"Silica is important for bone, joint, skin, hair and also strong nail health.

"Therefore, make sure to consume sufficient amounts of silica every day either from food or drinks," she said.

This mineral is recommended to be taken at about 10 to 25mg per day.

She said that silica can be found in mineral water or food sources such as bananas, brown rice and green beans.

Therefore, to ensure a healthy body, people need to drink enough water and ensure the intake of these minerals every day.

"I do not recommend taking supplements, it is better if we can obtain these sources through natural foods or drinks," she said.