The one myth that won't die: You need 8 cups of water

freeoscar

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/you-dont-need-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

Quite simply, there are no known benefits to drinking water beyond quenching thirst and making sure you aren't dehydrated (usually easily monitored by checking the color of your urine). I'm not sure why so many on here insist that drinking 8 cups a day is necessary for health or effective weight loss, when the scientific evidence says otherwise.
Does it help satiate? Perhaps for some, but that puts it in the same category as 'you need to eat several small meals a day' type of thinking. Is it a good alternative to sugary drinks because it is calorie-free? Absolutely, but then we are getting into the whole 'sugar is evil' debate.
In short, drink to avoid dehydration and quench thirst, but no need to force yourself to drink copious amounts of water for spurious health or weight loss benefits. Of course, this does not apply to those with specific medical conditions which require substantial water intake - as always follow your doctor's advice there.

DeguelloTex

Yeah, I don't think drinking a lot of something that's zero calorie rather than something that's 150 calories per 12 ounces has to do with sugar being evil.

I've had about 10 cups of water with Mio already today. That's 1000 calories of Dr Pepper as opposed to 0. I like me some DP and some sugar, but not at that price.

Asher_Ethan

Water has helped in my weight loss more than anything else. When I'm hungry I ALWAYS drink a cup of water first then reevaluate my hunger cue in 30 minutes.... 9 times out of 10, I'm just thirsty. I will say my 29 weight loss is thanks to water (to aid my calorie deficit) and I wish I would have known about it sooner than listening to dumb articles that said we don't need water.

smotheredincheese

I drink water after exercising but other than that I drink mostly tea. I don't have sugar in it, and a mug of tea contains the same amount of fluid as a mug of water, so I don't see how drinking plain water would benefit me over drinking tea.

maroonmango211

If I didn't drink 10-12 cups worth a day at least, I WOULD be dehydrated..... I move, I sweat, I digest and my system depends on that much H2O to function at its best. I'm assuming that the 8 cups is an estimate where most people would sit for getting properly quenched. I also wouldn't consider 8 cups (8 oz each) a "substantial" amount. Thirst is one of the final signals of dehydration along with dizziness and fatigue, you shouldn't let yourself get there ideally. No offense I'm not going to go to the bathroom and observe my urine before assessing if I need a glass of water or not, I'll just drink it anyways.

For me that's not even taking into account that water would be replacing other drinks that might be higher in calories, though I think for many that yes that plays a huge part in aiding weight loss.

yopeeps025

freeoscar wrote: »

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/you-dont-need-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

Quite simply, there are no known benefits to drinking water beyond quenching thirst and making sure you aren't dehydrated (usually easily monitored by checking the color of your urine). I'm not sure why so many on here insist that drinking 8 cups a day is necessary for health or effective weight loss, when the scientific evidence says otherwise.
Does it help satiate? Perhaps for some, but that puts it in the same category as 'you need to eat several small meals a day' type of thinking. Is it a good alternative to sugary drinks because it is calorie-free? Absolutely, but then we are getting into the whole 'sugar is evil' debate.
In short, drink to avoid dehydration and quench thirst, but no need to force yourself to drink copious amounts of water for spurious health or weight loss benefits. Of course, this does not apply to those with specific medical conditions which require substantial water intake - as always follow your doctor's advice there.

It is better for weight loss because it is calorie free. It has nothing to do with sugar intake.

Funny. My doctor orders were keep doing what I am doing because he has taught me nothing for weight loss.

ninerbuff

Need. Probably not. Would drinking 8 hurt? Probably not.

It's like static stretching. Doesn't NEED to be done, but it doesn't hurt to have it in one's regimen.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

sixxpoint

This is not really a myth (or a rule); it is an attainable and logical guideline. More people are dehydrated in the world than water-logged. Consider all the people in the world, not just yourself. If you take diuretics, consume caffeine or other drugs, workout/sweat a lot, have a high sodium diet or regular alcohol intake, live in a hot climate, etc. then it would be wise to also ensure you're appropriately hydrated.

And you cannot always go by clear urine color; case in point, if you take vitamins.

I regularly get 8-12 cups of water (including black coffee & unsweetened tea) per day with extreme ease.

EvanKeel

I guess I've been missing all the posts where people are whining about having to drink *so* much water. And as far as my personal experience goes, I easily go through 120oz/day + just by having a sip whenever it strikes me to do so. It's certainly not something I force myself to do.

BeesmaMFP

There are many studies the support drinking water--especially prior to eating a meal--and conclude that it does aid in weight loss. It's no magic bullet, but as others have said, it certainly doesn't hurt. Eight eight-ounce glasses in a day isn't that much, and I drink much more than that even when I'm not in weight-loss mode.

Unknown

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Need2Exerc1se

It's just a general recommendation, not a rule. Chill out.

jaga13

I can easily drink over 140 oz of water per day. I'm just really thirsty all the time! Do I NEED it? I don't know, I just want it.

snickerscharlie

There's nothing wrong with being hydrated.

Raysie1

I don't think OP is saying hydration is bad, just that it doesn't have to come from water. We actually get a lot of what we need just from our food.

Unknown

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LiftAllThePizzas

On the bright side, that's the only myth related to diet/fitness.

jaga13

EvanKeel wrote: »

I guess I've been missing all the posts where people are whining about having to drink *so* much water. And as far as my personal experience goes, I easily go through 120oz/day + just by having a sip whenever it strikes me to do so. It's certainly not something I force myself to do.

haha, exactly. There really isn't a need for a debate on this "issue".

NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner

I drink 7 cups or 9 cups a day... I'm edgy like that

freeoscar

sunn_lighter wrote: »

And then some other studies say water can speed metabolism:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/20040105/drinking-water-may-speed-weight-loss


As far the article you linked to, why take nutrition advice from an economics professor?

Because the folks over at 538 are experts in statistical analysis, which makes them a great reference for evaluating the meaning of studies. It's not as if they are basing their evaluation on 'common sense' or 'things I've heard' or witchcraft. They are using the scientific method.

LovingLife_Erin

smotheredincheese wrote: »

I drink water after exercising but other than that I drink mostly tea. I don't have sugar in it, and a mug of tea contains the same amount of fluid as a mug of water, so I don't see how drinking plain water would benefit me over drinking tea.

This is pretty much me. I may have some Robinson's low cal squash with water at times, but other than water when I'm working out/out and need a cool drink, I pretty much only drink tea with no sugar. Yummy yummy tea!

smotheredincheese

LovingLife_Erin wrote: »

smotheredincheese wrote: »

I drink water after exercising but other than that I drink mostly tea. I don't have sugar in it, and a mug of tea contains the same amount of fluid as a mug of water, so I don't see how drinking plain water would benefit me over drinking tea.

This is pretty much me. I may have some Robinson's low cal squash with water at times, but other than water when I'm working out/out and need a cool drink, I pretty much only drink tea with no sugar. Yummy yummy tea!

Are you also British by any chance? I'm guessing tea plays a bigger role in hydration for us than it does for most American posters on here!

NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner

I'm a Brit... I can't be doing with drinking tea all day. Much prefer water.

snickerscharlie

Although I agree that drinking water, in and of itself, doesn't directly do much of anything for true weight loss, drinking water when you think you're hungry *can* help prevent you from mindlessly consuming calories when you were actually just thirsty instead. If I feel hungry at a time that seems unjustified, I'll have some water, first. And a lot of the time, that's done the trick. If I'm still hungry fifteen minutes later, though, I'll have something to eat instead.

Unknown

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Need2Exerc1se

asflatasapancake wrote: »

So, drink water? Don't drink water? More flare? Less?

If you feel that the bare minimum is enough, then okay. But some people choose to drink more and we encourage that, okay?

shinisize

Can you survive on less than 8 cups of water a day? Obviously. Will you be healthy? That depends on your definition of healthy and the metrics you use. I survive just fine on less than 8 cups, but even as a petite woman I need more like 12 cups a day for my body to properly hydrate. When your skin is always dry and your lips never seem to stop being chapped (without obvious reasons like licking them), you are not getting enough water, and for every person that is going to be a different water intake. The 8 cups was designed as a general guidline to help keep people (of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and states of health) from having basic health complaints associated with dehydration (many of which can turn into serious health complications if unresolved), like constipation, skin problems, kidney and bladder infections, mucus membrane irritations, etc.

smugleafx

Lol everyone is different..

lemurcat12

sixxpoint wrote: »

More people are dehydrated in the world than water-logged.

I don't really care about the 8 cups a day guideline, but it's true that sometimes drinking huge amounts of water is elevated as some special diet magic, and that's silly.

I find it hard to believe that any significant number of people are dehydrated, assuming liquid is available to them. Seems like one would have to be extremely dysfunctional to not just naturally drink as much as one needs (insert thing about urine color being the best way to check here) ;-).

So great, drink your water, but don't stress about it or think that if you don't get at least 8 cups of pure water per day that means you can't lose or some silliness.

Disclaimer: I have always loved drinking (that too, sadly, but here I just mean anything thirst quenching) and I've never liked drinking calories, so guzzling lots of water throughout the day (without counting it) is just something I've always done, and it's always amazed me that people can eat a meal without having water or something else to drink too. So maybe some people really let themselves get dehydrated (when not in hot weather or engaging in athletic activity) but I can't really understand how that would be a common thing such that we have to actively try to drink water and count it.

That said, I usually do count my water at least up to the 8 cups, since it's an easy way to check something off and I like checking things off. The importance just seems oddly inflated, especially when people start insisting that tea can't count or some such.

lemurcat12

freeoscar wrote: »

Is it a good alternative to sugary drinks because it is calorie-free? Absolutely, but then we are getting into the whole 'sugar is evil' debate.

I don't agree with this. I don't think sugar is evil and if someone really, really loves soda, I think they should find a way to fit it in on occasion, but I think it's just good sense not to drink calories, and if one is simply thirsty going to beverages that satisfy that without extra calories is a great option.

Of course, I've never understood how people can not like water. I love it, especially when it's cold.

Jasmunr

I love to drink water.

I notice the difference when I don't. My lips get chapped, my face gets dry etc. It does have benefits. But I tend to be dehydrated based on my urine if I don't drink it, no matter what I eat.