metabolic processes and serves as a solvent for many bodily solutes. Health authorities have historically suggested at least eight glasses, eight fluid ounces each, of water per day (64 fluid ounces, or 1.89 litres), and the British Dietetic Association recommends 1.8 litres. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the average adult actually ingests 2.0 litres per day.
Distilled (pure) water is rarely found in nature. Spring water, a natural resource from which much bottled water comes, is generally imbued with minerals. Tap water, delivered by domestic water systems in developed nations, refers to water piped to homes through a tap. All of these forms of water are commonly drink, often purified through filtration.
Alcoholic beverages
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol, although in chemistry the definition of an alcohol includes many other compounds. Alcoholic beverages, such as wine and beer, have been part of human culture and development for 8,000 years.
Non-alcoholic variants:
- Low alcohol beer
- Non-alcoholic wine
- Sparkling cider
Soft drinks
The name "soft drink" specifies a lack of alcohol by way of contrast to the term "hard drink" and the term "drink", the latter of which is nominally neutral but often carries connotations of alcoholic content. Beverages like colas, sparkling water, iced tea, lemonade, squash, and fruit punch are among the most common types of soft drinks, while hot chocolate, hot tea, coffee, milk, tap water, alcohol, and milkshakes do not fall into this classification. Many carbonated soft drinks are optionally available in versions sweetened with sugars or with non-caloric sweeteners.
Hot beverages
Hot beverages, including infusions. Sometimes drank chilled.
- Coffee-based beverages
- Flavored coffees (mocha etc.)
- Hot chocolate
- Hot cider
- Glühwein
- Tea-based beverages
- Flavored teas (chai etc.)
- Herbal teas
- Roasted grain beverages (Postum etc.)
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