It’s generally recommended to have 4 to 6 cups of water each day. The amount of water a person should drink varies based on activity level, environment, health and food intake. Exercising makes you sweat, so you need extra water to replace lost fluids. Hot, dry or humid weather can increase your need to drink water. If you’re feeling sick, your body needs medicine and more fluids to help you recover. Certain foods, like fruits and vegetables, can help you stay hydrated, while salty foods can make you thirsty.

Drinking more water helps your body run smoothly, including helping with digestion, improving your mood and helping you exercise. Drinking more water helps prevent dehydration, which can cause headaches, bad moods and trouble focusing. Drinking more water helps your body make saliva, digest food easily and reduce the likelihood of constipation. Drinking more water keeps you hydrated so you can regulate your body temperature when using fitness equipment, exercise machines, exercise balls or weights.

Unopened commercial bottled water is safe to drink for a long time if it’s stored properly. However, some water bottle manufacturers recommend drinking it within 2 years for the best taste and quality. While water itself doesn’t spoil, the plastic bottle can degrade over time, which affects the taste. Keep water bottles in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight and heat. If you’re looking for alternatives to bottled water, you can use water dispensers, water filters and reusable water bottles.

Most bottled water is not distilled. Instead, it goes through other purification methods like reverse osmosis or is taken from natural sources. Commercial bottled water like Dasani or Aquafina may use reverse osmosis or deionization to remove impurities, with minerals added for flavour. You can also get spring bottled water that comes from underground sources and is bottled with its natural mineral content rather than going through purification.