8 glasses of water per day - fact or myth?

There are many threads on these forums where people struggle and challenge each other to drink 8 glasses of water per day -- or more. But it isn't necessary.

This common recommendation to drink 8 glasses of water per day is based on misunderstanding.

In an article in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Dr. Gabe Mirkin writes:

Why do so many people believe this rule? The number originally came from the National Academy of Sciences of the United States Food and Nutrition Board, which publishes recommended daily allowances of nutrients. The 1945 edition of the Food and Nutrition Board said "A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters (about 8 cups) daily in most instances." This amount is based on the calculation of one milliliter of water for each calorie of food. HOWEVER, the Board also noted that most of the water you need is in the food you eat....

"A reasonable amount for a healthy human is one cup of water or any other fluid with each meal. If you have a problem with constipation you may not be drinking enough water, but if you are not constipated, you are getting plenty. "

http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9942.html

I've always been pretty bad about my water intake, but when I realized that my other beverages and even FOOD count as water, I wasn't so bummed that I could only choke down 1 bottle a day.

I actually never got enough "water" as a child and had reoccuring bladder and kidney infections. 

I still drink plain teas, a little coffee, juice, milk/soy/rice, fuze, and diet sodas such as hansens.

Oh, that's interesting. I never used to drink much water, but then I heard it can help increase metabolism, so I started drinking a bunch, specially during the summer, over 2 litres a day. Now, even in winter I drink about 5 or 6 cups a day. It might not be necessary but it definitely makes me feel better.

I think the point of it is to clean you out of the water retained from drinking and eating things with sodium (diet coke, biggest culprit). I agree, that I could lose weight without drinking all that water, however, I also didn't drink anything that had sodium in it that would make me retain either. I drink like 1 Diet Soda a week (if that even). Unsweetened Iced Tea is better choice for me.

You may be right in that most people do think Americans are "water obsessed" and I know we get the majority of our water from our food sources.

However, I can tell you personally that when I started to increase my water intake from perhaps 1 glass or less a day (this obviously does not include other drinks) up to 1.5-2L a day (6-8 8oz glasses) I felt SOO much better. Plus my weight started to slide off I assume because I wasn't as perpetually hungry (sometimes thirst disguises itself as hunger). Also, it enabled me to give up caffeine nearly entirely as I now substitute my coffee with water.

Studies have shown that those who drink 64 oz water a day are less overweight than those who don't (and I don't have a reference for this but I read it in prevention magazine). It's probably a better consciousness of health - a mindset, a lifestyle if you will. Sort of like those who use view simple exercises as opportunities rather than chores are less overweight than those who don't - it's a state of mind.

Plus 64 oz cannot hurt you, it can only help, so why not???

Better skin, better mind, better body.

Original Post by nycgirl:

Studies have shown that those who drink 64 oz water a day are less overweight than those who don't (and I don't have a reference for this but I read it in prevention magazine).

 That's interesting. The missing piece of information is what the people who *aren't* drinking water *are* drinking.   Are they drinking sugary soda instead?  The typical US diet includes lots of sugary soft drinks.  People who drink water will be less overweight than people who drink soda.

Whether fact or fiction, I also feel much better when I drink water/liquids.  Even when I'm not thirsty, I want to hydrate my body and flush toxins.  I agree - why not?  The 48 or so ounces that I drink daily aren't poison!   (LOL) 

Original Post by alevin:

Original Post by nycgirl:

Studies have shown that those who drink 64 oz water a day are less overweight than those who don't (and I don't have a reference for this but I read it in prevention magazine).

That's interesting. The missing piece of information is what the people who *aren't* drinking water *are* drinking. Are they drinking sugary soda instead? The typical US diet includes lots of sugary soft drinks. People who drink water will be less overweight than people who drink soda.

Good point for sure. You should be a scientist as I like your critical thinking!

However, my point remains which is 64 oz of water can only help, it won't hurt so I suggest everyone drink up!

I drink more than eight glasses of water a day, not because anyone tells me to, but because I'm thirsty.  I've always been more of a drinker than an eater and would get most of my calories growing up from tall glasses of milk rather than hammin' down on a pork chop.

I replaced my milk/soda/apple juice drinking with water and wouldn't dream of giving it up.  I consider getting up to pee every ten minutes a great form of exercise and I pay a lot less for all the water I can drink than I do for enough soda and milk to sustain me a week.

I don't really count them, but I drink about 12 glasses of water a day because I get thirsty quickly and also I just love water!

Neat. For folks who enjoy drinking the water, it's an excellent and healthy thing. 

The message for those of us who don't enjoy drinking large quantities of water, is that you don't need to force yourself to do it.  Personally, I enjoy water with lemon in the morning and evening, maybe some sparkling water during the day, and a cup of coffee in the morning. I also eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and don't feel the need to drink more water in addition. I do need to make an effort not to dehydrate when I'm running or cycling. Sometimes an apple or  orange hits the spot, and it's good to know that that liquid counts, too.

For those of us who don't enjoy lots of water, it's good to know that the extra water isn't necessary. Especially for people who are struggling to down all that water by adding crystal light, herbal tea, and various other tricks to drink more than they want or need. 

This is why I posted this article earlier.  Too much water can be harmful.

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/761 30.html

 

AJ

I've wondered the same thing about water and why ppl in our society are always walking around with a water bottle in their hand?  What did they carry, if anything, before bottled water became the rage.

altho I personally do try to drink 8 glasses a day myself and become thirsty if I don't.  This wasn't true in the past, before becoming more heath conscious as I was drinking coffee to keep my energy up, and diet soft drinks, which I avoid now in my effort to eliminate artifical sweetners.  I used to drink a lot of juices, thinking that were healthy, but discovered that was extra calories and less benefit than eating actual fruit.  Also I am sensitive to salt and want to flush out excess.

Also, I use the theory that a couple of glasses of water may help curb my appetiate.

I've heard that some nutrition guidelines are very old and I assumed this (drinking water) was a more current scientific fact.

I have a hard time drinking my water but I FEEL so much better when I drink at min 3 16.9oz bottles of dasani, but I usually go for 64 oz each day. It's amazing at how much water your body retains when you're not drinking enough.

I think one of the best benefits of drinking water is how full it makes you!!! It's a great way to fill you up in between meals and I also like feeling as though I'm cleaning myself out. Plus I've heard it's good for your skin .... ????

No matter what - it's definitely something I will continue to do and also advocate.

This has always interested me as some people say it has to be pure water yet others (diet programmes such as Rosemary Conley) say it can be just fluids containing no sugar.

I believe that we get alot from the food we eat and that if we are thirsty we should drink water, also if we are exercising, but im not over dramatic about 8 glasses a day. Its always seemed an awful lot to me and when i've done it it just makes me pee constantly! 

Original Post by alevin:

"A reasonable amount for a healthy human is one cup of water or any other fluid with each meal. If you have a problem with constipation you may not be drinking enough water, but if you are not constipated, you are getting plenty. "

This is actually a dangerous statement, in that some people who read this may feel justified to drink little or no water a day and feel that coffee, tea, sodas or fruit drinks are equally as good to hydrate the body.

However, let's note that coffee and tea (not herbal) actually dehydrate the body. Please note that both coffee and tea actually do have health benefits in and of themselves, but should not be relied upon as sole fluids, but actually additional water should be consumed for every cup of coffee or tea you drink. (by the way, I drink both, but I also drink sufficient water to compensate)

Sodas have a lot of sodium and sugar (or chemicals for diet soda) and should have additional water consumed to flush these out of the body, and should not be relied upon as fluids alone.

Fruit juices are excellent to drink, though even in their completely natural state have high amounts of sugar, and while drinking juices is beneficial for most people, it is beneficial to also have some water to help with the sugar content.

As far as constipation goes, many people do not understand what constipation is. Many people think "regular" is once every two days, which is erroneous. A diet replete in fiber, both soluble and insoluble and enough fluids will allow for regularity twice every day, although some people may be content with their health at once per day.

To rely upon diet plus one cup of water to get enough fluids is fine only if you are eating almost entirely raw foods, and fruit, nuts, etc. If you are eating a typical north american diet of packaged anything, cooked everything, sodas (diet or not), juices, coffee, tea etc, then you cannot get enough fluids from diet alone.

Water intake is ultimately a personal decision, but please don't recommend that "one cup of ... any other fluid" is sufficent. Otherwise, the kidneys and liver have a harder job to do and over time that can lead to reduced function or disfunction in these organs. IMHO, why take that risk?

There's always a debate about stuff like this.  Red Wine, Eggs, 1 or 2 beers a day, etc. etc. etc.  Studies come out saying one thing, then more come out saying the other.  Friend or foe?

Here's what I know about myself--I've been doing two gallons of water a day for a while now.  After the first week or so, it stopped being a chore and my body started craving that much--at first it seemed like it was impossible to pour that much into myself, even with lifting 7 days a week and cardio 5 days a week--now, if I don't drink that amount in a day, I find myself thirsty and missing it.

Speaking for myself, that level of water intake was crucial to break my weight loss plateau.  I was stuck at 185 for a long time, and since I ramped up my water intake, I'm down to 178.  I feel a heck of a lot better, too.

I say go with your gut.  If you feel like you're getting enough, run with it.  My kidneys SEEM fine so far, the only downside is that they're working almost TOO well.  You haven't lived until you've had to dynamite the brakes of your squad car in the middle of a dark street and run for the bushes because you just couldn't make it another mile without tinkling.

I drink when I'm thirsty, I drink before I eat, I drink after I eat, I drink while I eat, I drink when I want a snack, I drink when I work out, I drink before bed, I drink first thing when I wake up.

I don't count. I just drink when I'm thirsty. I keep a big bottle at my desk, and take a sports bottle to the gym.

I think it's a bit suspect that this whole 8 glasses thing gained strenght after the big companies started bottling it (therefore giving them reason to push it on us).

But I will say, when I'm hungry, water usually does the task of eliminating that hunger. And if I don't drink enough water, I feel cranky and get head aches and feel like crap.

I have also heard that we're wired to get most of our necessary water from the foods that we eat.  We are obsessed with water as a culture (personally I think it has a lot to do with the fact that water is becomming quite the commodity, and in parts of the worlds, wars are being faught over it.  We're stockpiling, as it were.) and probably don't need the whole 8-10 cups per day thing.  Also, thirst is very sensitive - you won't be near dehydration, but your body will be telling you that you need water.  Again, just an evolutionary thing that saved our ancestors butts so we could be here today.

But I also think that modern life, in general, dries us out.  Heating systems, air conditioning, processed foods, dirty air, and all that other wonderful stuff that you can't get away from take its toll on your body.  That's why I drink lots of water, just to keep stuff moving in me.  I feel better when I do.

Also not sure if someone already mentioned this, but water fills you up, therefore you eat less, and eating less causes weight loss...

 I enjoy drinking water because as mentioned before it makes you feel better...