That's been an interesting question thrown around the health circles. After doing some studies, some researchers don't think you need to drink 8 glasses of water. Here's a snippet via
scientificamerican.comThere's no denying that water is good for you, but does everyone really need to drink 64 ounces or more every day? According to Heinz Valtin, a retired professor of physiology from Dartmouth Medical School who specialized in kidney research and spent 45 years studying the biological system that keeps the water in our bodies in balance, the answer is no. Valtin says that for people who have specific health concerns, such as kidney stones or a tendency to develop urinary tract infections, drinking lots of water can be beneficial. But after an extensive search in 2002 for the origins of what is commonly referred to as the "8 x 8" guideline and a review of associated health claims, he reports finding no scientific evidence supporting the notion that healthy individuals need to consume large quantities of water. In 2008 Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb reviewed the evidence for the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. They came to a similar conclusion: "There is no clear evidence of benefit from drinking increased amounts of water."Are you surprised to hear this news? How many glasses of water do you drink per day? If you don't drink water, what beverage do you drink to quench your thirst?
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Comments (54)
I drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water a day.. And then a lot of tea.
I love being hydrated :D
i'm not really surprised, because really alot of the liquids we drink and foods we eat are made of water. it all adds up.
i dont drink 8 glasses, i think all the juice i drink makes up for it though
I try to drink as much water as I can. I stop (or trying to) drinking soda because of a new study that says soda can lead to paralysis, due to it lowering the potassium levels in muscles. I do drink alot of tea though.
I am slightly surprised at these news. I'd like to drink more water because of the health benefits of it. There are days where I do not drink a single cup of water and I can tell the difference between the days when I drink water and the days when I do not drink water. I have more energy when I drink water and feel much better. While we may not need to drink 64 ounces of water, we still need to drink water as it is healthier than sugary drinks.
thats what they say and i see the good in that but i would think just drink when your thirsty. i definitely dont drink 8 glasses a day but i dont drink any less either. i just...drink.
I've heard this before.
During swim season I usually drink two/three bottles (generally the 16 oz bottles)
but off season, i'm lucky to get one glass in.
I'm more of a soy milk/tea person.
Not that it's much healthier..but better than drinking my weight in soda.
I drink a lot of water... usually around 40 oz. but sometimes more... especially during the summer. it is very important to stay hydrated. it's good for everything. i get dehydrated quickly too so I love to always stay refreshed and cool off with a nice glass of H20!
I'm not sure how much I drink, but I know that during the school year, I'm almost always dehydrated. I almost never will drink enough, because I worry about having to use the restroom during class.
I'm not surprised by this at all. I've been saying the same thing for awhile now. Unless you're doing a lot of strenuous activity (like when you exercise) you can get most of the water you need from your food.
Harhar. My Spanish teacher pointed out once that if everybody who had water available to them drank eight glasses a day, there wouldn't be enough for those that didn't have a readily availabe for them. I drink like, two glasses a day...excluding fruit/food/blahblah all that good stuff.
it's been scientifically proven that drinking 8 glasses of water a day will improve your skin because it moisturizes it significantly in comparison to drinking 4 cups of water a day :] But that's all.Â
xdrink as much water as you can. the problem in america is primarily from how much soda we consume as a nation. atop of that, the coffee. we're an extremely caffeinated and dehydrated society. drink up, you'll feel better :D
About 2 liters of water per day.
I dink water to keep you hydrated..:)
HYDRATE OR DIE!
sorry, just had to get that out of my system
I knew the eight glasses was a myth
same with the one beer a day, one wine a day, one orange juice, two milks, an asprin,...
it can't really be that complicated to stay healthy
I work 8 hour shifts and when my manager decides to be lazy and sit in the back for 5 hours at a time, it's really hard to work in bathroom breaks.
@AmistadBaby@xanga - Same here. I feel like I spend half the day in the bathroom and I hate having to go in the middle of class >.<
I drink maybe 2 cups of water in almost every meal. If I'm not drinking water, I'm drinking tea or something sweet.
then there is the alcohol (soju) -_-
considering how much water goes to waste when I drink that much, not surprised at all. I drink when I'm thirsty, that's a good enough sign that the body needs hydration.
not surprised, because i've heard the 8 glasses a day been discredited before reading this. something along 6 glasses is enough on a normal day. only to drink more when physically active or during hot weather and stuff..
Well, since we are 98 percent water, and it is constantly evaporating and being peed out and lost, I think the research is heavier on the side for more water.
People are dehydrated which is often the root of many illnesses. I was constipated until I was well into my 30's and thought it was normal. Since I've understood the importance of water, my over all health has improved 100 percent!! My life is totally different for drinking water.
Of course money making industries like medicine and other drinkable liquids would love for people to stop drinking water.
Always look at who is funding the research..
And check out this book about hydration and health:
Amazon.com: Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life: You're Not ...
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I'm not surprised because the scientist is answering a specific question about whether you need 8x8 per day. However, I drink all day....water and other liquids....and truly believe, without any scientific basis, that it lowers the toxins in my digestive system (washing them out), keeps my skin from drying, and keeps me from eating more than I need to . I feel healtier drinking large quantities of water.
i feel great when i have 3 tall glasses of water in a day, but my diet includes tons of fruits and vegetables which are mostly water. and i drink tea like it's going out of style.
when it's hot though (now, for instance, ha) i drink like crazy (sometimes 5 tall glasses in a day). whatever feels right...
i never force myself to drink water to get in my daily 64 ounces.
Besides my one cup of coffee in the morning I drink water the rest of the day. Â Depending on where I eat I will drink probably somewhere between 40 and 60 ounces a day. Â Also, if I run I drink more because I'll drink water when I'm finished. Â When I'm teaching I only drink it at lunch (and after school), because I don't have time to go to the bathroom, but now during the summer I drink more. Â Â Â
We don't need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. That would be impossible for some people. How much water we need to drink a day depends on our weight, size and how hydrated we already are. For example when we urinate and it's clear that's a good sign that we're drinking a sufficient amount of water.Â