How to live longer - the amount of water you should drink everyday to avoid an early death

HOW to live longer: Prevent an early death by eating a healthy, balanced diet, and by doing regular exercise. You could increase your life expectancy and improve your overall health by drinking plenty of water. But how much liquid should you be consuming every day?

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Eating a healthy balanced diet - including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day - could lower the risk of an early death, according to the NHS. You could also increase your lifespan by doing regular exercise. It’s the ‘miracle cure’ we’ve all been waiting for, it said. Making some small diet or lifestyle changes could help to increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death. It’s crucial that everyone drinks plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, which can make you feel tired, dizzy, and raise your risk of low blood pressure.

As we get older, staying hydrated becomes harder

Juliette Kellow and Dr Sarah Brewer

The human body is two-thirds water, so making sure you top up on water is very important, said dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.

It helps to transport nutrients around the body in the blood, while also removing waste produces in the urine.

But, we become more susceptible to dehydration as we get older, and the amount of water in the human body decreases from around 75 per cent at birth, to around 55 per cent in the elderly.

While the amount of fluids you should drink varies from person to person, it’s important to make sure you have at least two litres every day.

“Dehydration, at any age, can make you feel tired, weak, dizzy, and confused, affect your concentration and memory, and increase the risk of low blood pressure and urinary tract infections,” they said, in their book ‘Eat Better Live Longer - Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy’.

“But as we get older, staying hydrated becomes harder, so it’s vital to know exactly what and how much you should be drinking.

“Everyone’s requirements are different, depending on their weight, age, gender, level of activity, and the climate where they live.

How to live longer diet: How much water to drink

How to live longer diet: How much water you should drink to prevent dehydration (Image: GETTY Images)

“Added to this, what we eat can affect how much extra fluid we need to get from drinks.

“Research from the European Food Safety Authority suggests adequate daily intakes of water around about two litres [three and a half pints] for women, and two and a half litres [four and a quarter pints] for men.”

Your daily fluid intake doesn’t have to necessarily only come from water, they added.

Coffee and tea both help to lower your risk of dehydration, while also adding their own health benefits.

A daily cup of coffee could reduce your Alzheimer’s disease risk, while tea - particularly green tea - has been linked to protecting against cancer and cognitive decline, revealed the nutritionists.

How to live longer diet: Dehydration

How to live longer diet: Dehydration increases the risk of low blood pressure (Image: GETTY Images)

But, the best way to live a long and healthy life is to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day, and to do regular exercise.

Regular exercise is a crucial aspect to improving overall health, and helping you to live longer.

People that do regular exercise are up to 50 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes and some cancers, said the NHS.

It may even slash the chances of coronary heart disease and stroke by up to 35 per cent.

All UK adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

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