I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this question, since water isn't exactly nutrition, but here goes.

I've heard that you should drink at least 8 cups of water a day, or enough so that your pee is clear. I've been drinking about 2.5-3 liters of water per day, which is well over 8 cups, but my pee is still never totally clear. Does this mean I should be drinking even more water, or is it that when they say "clear" they don't mean totally clear?

I'm not an expert, but I think if your water intake is sufficient, your urine will be clearer than usual (not dark yellow), but I don't think it can be entirely clear (like water) because when the water you ingest passes through your system, it'll pick up other substances to expel (i.e. sodium, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium). But I guess you can always ask your Doc to get a professional medical opinion...

Also, depending on what you eat -- including vitamins -- will impact the color. Focus on drinking enough water (8 8-oz glasses + 8 oz for each 25 pounds overweight you might be)

I've always thought that by clear, they just mean not cloudy (sign of trouble) and not clear as in colorless. I could be wrong, though.

The subject of how much water we need seems to be widely debated and even the experts don't agree.

On a recent episode of Oprah, Drs. Roizen and Oz (authors of YOU: The Owner's Manual) said we really do need 8 glasses of water a day because it helps keep our bowels healthy and moving right along (8 glasses of water plus 25 grams fiber daily)

On an episode of 20/20, nutrition myth busters, they said we DON'T need that much water, and in fact we can get most of our water from the food we eat. Bread, for example, is 30% water. Fruits and vegetables can contain as much as 90% water. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/st...=692388&page=4

The only sure thing is that everyone disagrees and everyone that has an opinion usually has a strong opinion

I personally think you should do what feels right to you. If you're thirsty, drink more water. Sometimes you may need more, such as after a high sodium meal. Choose water over sugary drinks that add excess calories. Eat foods with high water volume, such as grapes instead of raisins, because they offer the added bonus of helping you feel fuller on fewer calories.

I always look for a light yellow, as opposed to the "concentrated" dark yellow you get overnight. But frankly, I depend more on not being constipated to judge if I'm getting enough water. I always have plenty of fiber, but will occasionally not drink enough liquid. And btw most liquids can substitute, doesn't have to be all water.

Thanks for all the input! I think the amount I'm drinking must be fine then. It's usually pretty pale yellow, except for first thing in the morning. I never notice constipation, probably because I used to drink so little water that I was constipated most of my life! But I will start thinking about that too. Thanks again!

Here's some interesting reading on drinking water and hydration:

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/water.htm

The most interesting bits for me are these:
And especially this one...

I've always gone on Nancy's theory of 64oz plus another 8 oz for every 25lbs you are overweight. that said, I should be drinking 96oz water a day and I drink about 136 on any given day and my urine is NEVER totally clear. Granted I take supplements but on days where I have forgotten them, I still never have totally clear urine. Very close but not clear.

Kim

While there are mixed message about how much water you may need, drinking lots of water really does help keep your skin looking better. As you age, that's a real plus!