Eight glasses of water a day? No, says expert

[Hum]

Doggedly following advice to drink at least eight glasses of water a day is said to be of no health benefit to most people and only enriches bottling companies.

And it makes people go to the toilet a lot.

Public health researcher Rob Quigley said yesterday adults typically needed around 2 litres of fluids a day, but did not need to obtain all of this by drinking water.

"We get a lot of fluid from food. Fruit and vegetables are upwards of 90-95 per cent water. Eating an apple a day is a little bit like drinking a glass of water."

Australian university lecturer Spero Tsindos, who examines water consumption in the latest edition of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, said encouraging people to drink large amounts of water was driven by vested interests.

Pricier brands of bottled water can cost more than $3 a litre at New Zealand supermarkets.

A Pennsylvania University research review published in 2008 found no evidence that drinking eight glasses of water a day improved skin tone, aided dieting or prevented headaches (except those induced by hangovers).

A person's daily fluid needs, in addition to the quantities derived from food and plain water, can be supplied from tea, coffee and even moderate amounts of mildly alcoholic drinks such as beer - despite their mildly diuretic effects - and various other drinks.

"Out of all the fluids to drink," Mr Quigley said, "water is one of the best, then it's trim milk. Whatever you do, don't touch all the sugary drinks. Tea and coffee are fine; you've just got to watch your sugar.

"Your body is very good at thirst. Listen to your body's thirst mechanism. If you're thirsty, have something to drink."

But people who engaged in a lot of vigorous activity in hot conditions needed to ensure they drank enough, he said.

Excessive water consumption can be dangerous, causing the brain to swell. Two cases of fatal water intoxication associated with use of the illegal drug Ecstasy have been reported in New Zealand.

source

[Growled Member]

Doggedly following advice to drink at least eight glasses of water a day is said to be of no health benefit to most people and only enriches bottling companies.

Of course it enriches the bottling companies. Why else push it?

[Hum]

On a good day, I might drink a half gallon of distilled water .... 89 cents a gallon bottle. :shifty: Yes, I'm cheap.

[McKay]

I will continue to drink when my body tells it to, when I feel thirsty. The people who tell me "If you're thirsty, it's too late you're already dehydrated." I don't care.

[DocM]

Iced tea is my drink, about 1-1.5 liters a day - switching between black and green teas.

[Tomoko]

I stopped drinking soda last December, haven't had a single drink since. I used to never drink water but now I drink it all day.

[123456789A]

Iced tea is my drink, about 1-1.5 liters a day - switching between black and green teas.

No Long Island iced tea?

[rfirth]

On a good day, I might drink a half gallon of distilled water .... 89 cents a gallon bottle. :shifty: Yes, I'm cheap.

Drinking distilled water is bad for you... get the stuff that's labeled as drinking water. It's just as cheap for a gallon.

[Pam14160]

The nice thing about living in the mountains and having your own year around creek (does freeze to about a foot during the winter) is you always have fresh water. Also my well always produces some great drinking water. Thus the marketing of bottled water up here really has no effect on me or my long range neighbors.

[Judo]

I always switch it up. Some days water, some days tea, and one day some soda or two of em in one day.

[Growled Member]

The nice thing about living in the mountains and having your own year around creek (does freeze to about a foot during the winter) is you always have fresh water. Also my well always produces some great drinking water. Thus the marketing of bottled water up here really has no effect on me or my long range neighbors.

That sounds like the life. I envy you.

[Hum]

Drinking distilled water is bad for you... get the stuff that's labeled as drinking water. It's just as cheap for a gallon.

Has never harmed me :p tasty too.

[rfirth]

Has never harmed me :p tasty too.

Health risks from drinking demineralised water

World Health Organization, 2004

Of course, the gallons of water labeled as drinking water is often just tap water from a different city.

[dyreryft]

Drinking distilled water is bad for you... get the stuff that's labeled as drinking water. It's just as cheap for a gallon.

I couldn't let this go.... first of how is "distilled water" bad for you. Do you understand what distilled water is? Do you understand the distilling process?

Distilled water is just water that has been boiled, the steam collected, re-condensed back to water, technically distilled water is just H2O.

The more you know... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_water

[Hum]

^ Distilled can not be tap water, by Law.

I have also occasionally tested to see if it IS distilled.

(Pure water will not conduct electricity.)

I can also tell by the taste.

And the 'minerals' in most tap water are not healthy.

(Inorganic minerals can build up in your joints, leading to arthritis and bone degeneration.)

This is what the Powers that be, want you to believe.

Decreasing the Earth's population is their goal.

[rfirth]

I couldn't let this go.... first of how is "distilled water" bad for you. Do you understand what distilled water is? Do you understand the distilling process?

Distilled water is just water that has been boiled, the steam collected, re-condensed back to water, technically distilled water is just H2O.

The more you know... http://en.wikipedia....Distilled_water

Why don't you actually read the Wikipedia article you link to? The bottom of the article called "Health concerns"...

Or this Wikipedia article on "purified water".

^ Distilled can not be tap water, by Law.

Who said it was? I said drinking water. Next time you go to the store, take a look at what you're buying. Some of it is labeled as distilled water, and some of it is labeled as drinking water. Because distilled water isn't drinking water.

And I'm talking about the gallons. Obviously the expensive tiny bottles are all drinking water.

Distilled water:

http://www.walmart.c...-1-gal/10315382

Drinking water:

http://www.walmart.c...-1-gal/10315383

Last time I got the drinking water, it said that its source was some city's municipal water supply.

You can still drink distilled water, it's just not recommended. It causes increased diuresis and the elimination of electrolytes. It would be particularly dangerous if you're out in the heat working.

[Raa]

I stopped drinking soda last December, haven't had a single drink since.

My goodness, you MUST be thirsty... or talented! :p

I have about 2L of liquids in a day, but only because I am thirsty.

[DocM]

No Long Island iced tea?

No, can't stand it. If I want alcohol I open some Chivas Regal 18, Crown Royal Cask 16, 151 rum or Jack.

chiavez Real,

[:: Lyon ::]

"Whatever you do, don't touch all the sugary drinks"

Ouch :( hit me hard

[Marshall Veteran]

I drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. The water is brewed with barley and hops though. :)

[The_Observer]

On a good day, I might drink a half gallon of distilled water .... 89 cents a gallon bottle. :shifty: Yes, I'm cheap.

LOL i like to drink tap water! WTF would i pay 3$ NZD of bottle water!!!

[+devHead Subscriber²]

I will continue to drink when my body tells it to, when I feel thirsty. The people who tell me "If you're thirsty, it's too late you're already dehydrated." I don't care.

yeah, that's a myth. it's not too late! If it was too late, you'd have passed out from dehydration. I'm the same, when I'm thirsty I drink. When I'm really thirsty, I drink more (water).

[+devHead Subscriber²]

I drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. The water is brewed with barley and hops though. :)

Hey, that's a good idea! As Dave Barry once said, "Enjoy your liquid vegetables!"

[Stoffel]

During the summer I drink between 4 and 6 liters of water a day :)

Then again, I spend a whole day out in the sun on a dive boat

[HighwayGlider]

Aha, I'm forwarding this to the wife. It seems that I do not drink enough water everyday.