How much water should you drink a day?

How much water should you drink a day? Getty A healthy body alerts us to dehydration by making us feel thirsty Whether you've had fatigue or even dry skin, you've probably been told to drink more water as a cure. Getty Many of us believe we should drink at least eight glasses of water a day Fuelling this appetite for water is the “8x8 rule”: the unofficial advice recommending we drink eight 240ml glasses of water per day, totalling just under two litres, on top of any other drinks. Drinking eight glasses of water a day – or about two litres – is actually more than our bodies need to stay hydrated, according to the latest research. As we age, our natural thirst mechanism becomes less sensitive and we become more prone to dehydration than younger people – Brenda Davy "The idea of carrying around 500ml of water for a 20-minute journey on the London Underground – you're never going to get hot enough to sweat at that rate, even if you’re dripping with sweat."