Drinking water – explained simply

Drink water It sounds trivial – and yet there are plenty of questions: How much do I really need? Does coffee count? Is sparkling water bad for your teeth? On this page, you’ll find the answers from the German Nutrition Society (DGE), the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) and the Consumer Advice Service – explained briefly and with links to our detailed guides.

How much water should you drink each day?

In Germany, a good guideline is around 1.5 litres per day for adults. Individual requirements depend, amongst other things, on age, weight and state of health. The DGE provides precise guidelines for water intake through drinks:

The rest comes from food: a third of the water required is provided by solid food, particularly vegetables and fruit. Cucumbers are 96 per cent water, whilst strawberries and watermelons are 90 per cent water. In addition, the breakdown of nutrients in the body produces what is known as ‘oxidation water’.

You need more water in hot weather, during physical exertion, in dry, cold air, if you eat a lot of salt, and if you have a fever, are vomiting or have diarrhoea. If you eat very little – for example, if you’re on a diet – you’ll also be taking in less water through your food and should be particularly careful to drink enough. You’ll soon be able to estimate your personal requirement using our fluid intake calculator.

Drink more water: tips for everyday life

The most important thing is to pay attention to your own sense of thirst. According to the IQWiG, the following measures can also help:

• Link drinking to specific activities, such as eating, making a phone call or your lunch break.
• Pour your daily portion into jugs or bottles in the morning – that way you can keep track of it.
• Vary your choice of drinks.
• Make drinking more appealing, for example by using attractive glasses.
• Use fitness trackers or apps where you can log how much you drink.

The Bavarian Consumer Advice Service recommends keeping a record of your drinking habits for a day and spreading your fluid intake evenly throughout the day. If you find plain water a bit boring, our flavoured varieties contain 0 g of sugar and no sweeteners. Find out more under ‘Flavoured Water’; ideas for at home follow in the guide ‘Make your own flavoured water’. The ‘Morning Routine’ section shows you how to incorporate water into your start to the day.

Which drinks are suitable?

In everyday life, water and unsweetened, non-alcoholic drinks such as fruit and herbal teas or juice spritzers with a little juice and plenty of water are best. In Germany, you can drink tap water without any concerns. Drinking water is subject to the Drinking Water Ordinance. If it has been standing in the pipes for more than four hours, you should let it run until it cools down.

Soft drinks should only be consumed in moderation because of their sugar content. It is also best not to drink diet and sports drinks in large quantities, as they may contain substances that can cause nervousness or diarrhoea. Coffee and black tea contribute to fluid intake; however, according to the DGE, they should only be drunk in moderate quantities of 3 to 4 cups.

Our Still and Sparkling are available in 0.33-litre cans. The ‘Why Cans?’ page explains why we’ve opted for cans and how the deposit system works.

Fizzy or still?

According to VerbraucherFenster Hessen, sparkling water is, in principle, just as safe for healthy people as still water. Based on current knowledge, ordinary carbonated mineral water is not considered harmful to tooth enamel either, as carbon dioxide is a weak acid with a very low erosive effect. Cola, lemonades and energy drinks are far more problematic for teeth.

An exception is people who are prone to heartburn: when burping after drinking sparkling water, stomach acid can enter the oesophagus. If you have a sensitive stomach, still water or water with low carbonation is also recommended. Incidentally, there are no legal regulations governing how fizzy water should be – the carbon dioxide content can range from around 2.9 to 5.2 g per litre. Find out more in the guide ‘Sparkling or still’.

When are electrolytes beneficial?

When we sweat, the body loses not only water but, above all, sodium and chloride – between a few hundred millilitres and three litres per hour, depending on the intensity and temperature. For shorter training sessions, however, water is often sufficient; there is no need for special sports drinks.

Anyone exercising intensively for more than an hour should drink regularly during their session, ideally juice spritzers made from one part juice and up to three parts water: up to one litre per hour, in portions of 125 to 250 ml every 15 to 20 minutes. The term ‘isotonic’ is not defined by law. According to the Consumer Advice Centre, you can make your own isotonic drink by mixing two parts sodium-rich mineral water – containing around 600 mg of sodium per litre – with one part juice. After exercise, mineral water or diluted fruit and vegetable juices are suitable for replenishing fluids and electrolytes. More information can be found in the guide ‘Electrolytes no sugar’.

Myths about drinking water

“The more, the better.” Not proven. Recommendations to drink 2 to 4 litres a day for a slim figure and youthful skin are not scientifically substantiated. Spread out over the course of the day, large quantities are generally not harmful, as the kidneys are very efficient. However, consuming a lot of fluid in a short space of time can upset the electrolyte balance and, in the worst case, lead to water intoxication. Older people should spread larger quantities over several hours and drink no more than 0.7 to 1 litre per hour.

“Coffee dehydrates the body.” That’s not quite true. Coffee, black tea and green tea all help to increase fluid intake, as caffeine has only a slight diuretic effect. However, you shouldn’t rely on caffeinated drinks to meet your entire fluid requirements.

“If you’re thirsty, it’s already too late.” That’s an exaggeration. As a general rule, you can trust your sense of thirst. Thirst sets in when the body has lost around 0.5 per cent of its weight in water – around 350 ml for someone weighing 70 kg. Performance begins to decline at around 2 per cent, and dehydration is generally considered to have set in at around 3 per cent. However, children and older people cannot always rely on their sense of thirst.

“Pregnant women need to drink significantly more.” There is no increased fluid intake recommendation for pregnant women, whilst breastfeeding women should drink around 250 ml more each day.

Not drinking enough? Here are the signs

Mild dehydration often manifests as thirst, a dry mouth or a headache. If fluid levels drop further, symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, cramps or confusion may develop. Anyone suffering from heart or kidney failure should discuss their fluid intake with their doctor. We explain everything else in the guide ‘Not drinking enough?’; and what lies behind the buzzword in the article ‘Hydration’.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. German Nutrition Society: Reference values for nutrient intake: Water, 2000 edition, accessed 16 September 2026. dge.de
2. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), gesundheitsinformation.de: Drinking enough in everyday life: tips and advice, 18 October 2023. gesundheitsinformation.de
3. VerbraucherService Bayern im KDFB e. V.: Recommendations on fluid intake – a critical look, 25 August 2021. verbraucherservice-bayern.de
4. Bavarian Consumer Information System (Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, Ursula Haas): ‘What’s the truth about drinking enough?’ – The importance of drinking for human nutrition, 10 August 2021. vis.bayern.de
5. VerbraucherFenster Hessen (Hesse Ministry): More than just H₂O: Everything you need to know about mineral water as a thirst-quencher, 29 June 26. verbraucherfenster.hessen.de
6. Hessen Consumer Advice Centre: Specialised sports drinks are unnecessary, as at 27 April 2022. verbraucherzentrale-hessen.de
7. ACQUA REAPER: Product specifications, 14 September 26.
8. ACQUA REAPER: Product labels, as at 26 July.