In brief
Water helps your body get rid of waste products. How much you need depends on your food, age, the weather, exercise, health and metabolism.
- People with chronic kidney disease, heart failure or liver disease should ask their doctor how much to drink.
- One cup is about 250 mL.
- Your needs change with hot or humid weather, exercise and some medical conditions.
How it works
healthdirect gives a general guide of about 10 cups (2.6 litres) of fluids a day for men and about 8 cups (2.1 litres) for women, with another cup if pregnant or breastfeeding. About one fifth of your water comes from food, and there is no strict amount everyone must drink.
Signs of dehydration include thirst, dark urine, headaches, dry skin or mouth, tiredness, irritability, and light-headedness or fainting.
Food sources
From the AskBioMap food guide:
Connections
5 connections on the map. Select a topic to read its page.
Water and fluids is linked with
Not drinking enough water can cause headaches.
Sources: healthdirect Australia, Drinking water and your health; healthdirect Australia, Headaches
Tiredness is one sign of dehydration.
Source: healthdirect Australia, Drinking water and your health
Water and fluids supports
Water helps your body get rid of waste products, which the kidneys clear.
Sources: healthdirect Australia, Drinking water and your health; Pathology Tests Explained, Kidney function tests
Water and fluids can lower
Being often dehydrated makes kidney stones more likely, and drinking plenty of fluids every day helps prevent them.
Water and fluids can ease
Not drinking enough water can cause constipation, and drinking plenty of water and other fluids helps.
Lab tests
Medicines and supplements
General education only. Never start, stop or change a medicine without your prescriber.
Sources
Each connection above names its own source. See every source AskBioMap uses.
Summarised from healthdirect. Sources read on 13 October 2026. General education only, not medical advice. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us through the HuBu-Intel contact page.