Water

Your body needs water or other fluids to work properly & to avoid dehydration.
This article explains how much we need to drink, how to spot the signs of dehydration & how to choose healthier non-alcoholic drinks. For advice on alcohol, see our Alcohol section.
Water makes up about two-thirds of the weight of a healthy body.
Most of the chemical reactions that happen in our cells need water in order to take place. We also need water so that our blood can carry nutrients around the body & get rid of waste.

How much should we drink?
To stay healthy, it's important to replace the fluid we lose when we breathe, sweat or urinate.
We get some fluid from our food but most comes from drinks.
The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women should drink about 1.6 liters of fluid & men should drink about 2.0 liters of fluid per day. That's about eight glasses of 200 ml each for a woman, & 10 glasses of 200 ml each for a man.
However, the amount a person needs to drink to avoid getting dehydrated will vary depending on a range of factors, including their size, the temperature & how active they are. So, for example, if you're exercising hard in hot weather you'll need to drink more.
All drinks count, including hot drinks such as tea & coffee, but water, milk & fruit juices are the healthiest. It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.
Try to avoid sugary, soft & fizzy drinks that can be high in added sugars. These can be high in calories & bad for teeth.

Sports drinks
Sports drinks can be useful when you're doing high-level endurance sports & need an energy boost.
However, they are no different to any other sugary soft drinks, which means they are high in calories & contribute to tooth decay.
Unless you're taking part in high-level endurance sports, water is the healthier choice & the best way to replace fluids lost through exercise.