Does Milk Count Toward Your Water Intake?
When it comes to staying properly hydrated, many people rely on water as their main source of liquid intake. This makes sense — after all, water is essential for our body’s proper functioning and health. But does drinking milk also count toward your total daily water consumption?
The short answer is yes — in fact, although milk may not be your primary source of hydration, it can still play an important role in helping you meet the recommended daily amount of fluid intake. Milk contains more than 90 percent water, and often includes electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. In addition to providing these essential nutrients, milk’s water content also helps to keep you hydrated throughout the day.
How Much Milk Should You Drink in Order to Stay Properly Hydrated?
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, men are advised to consume 3 cups or 24 ounces per day and women 2 cups or 16 ounces per day. You can further increase your intake through other dairy products such as yogurt or cheese — ¾ cup of yogurt or 1 ½ ounces of natural cheese both contain around the same amount of water as one cup of milk.
However, if milk is not something that you enjoy or have readily available, then do not worry! There are a variety of other foods and beverages that will help you reach the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that men should get at least 15 cups (125 fluid ounces) and women 11 cups (91 fluid ounces) each day from fluids alone—including fruits and vegetables with high-water content such as cucumbers and celery. All types of beverages count towards total daily intake: tea, juice, soda… even caffeinated drinks like coffee (although too much caffeine is not good for health).
Overall then, drinking milk does indeed count towards your total daily water intake — no matter whether it’s low-fat skimmed milk or full-fat whole milk; lactose-free or organic; flavored or plain. It can be enjoyed by itself in a glass or incorporated into recipes like smoothies, milkshakes, and hot chocolates if desired! And while there are lots of healthy alternatives worth considering when trying to meet your daily fluid requirement (especially avoiding sugary drinks), adding a few glasses of milk here and there could definitely help you stay sufficiently hydrated throughout the day.
