Water is necessary to life. People have survived weeks and even months without food, but perish without water in a few days. It aids digestion and many other functions of the body.

The recommendation for water consumption for men is 2.6 and women 2.1lt a day; it’s proportional to bodyweight. However, this includes water from food and beverages. Most vegetables and fruits are at least 80% water, so that if you consume 450g vegetables and 300g fruit daily (as recommended officially), you’ll get at least 600ml of water from those alone. Red meat is about 75% water, though of course the longer it’s cooked the less water will remain. And of course dairy is also part of it, with yoghurt and milk and so on. All in all, if the other dietary guidelines are followed, the person should get at least one litre of water from their food each day.

Our recommendation is to have three cups (250ml each) of water a day; this should be seen as being in addition to other beverages, whether milk or coffee or whatever. The recommendation to have at least three cups (3x 250ml) water with daily – or one cup with each meal – will be, if not sufficient, then at least a good start.