water water this myth unveiled

glenbabe
glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
just feel i have to blow this water myth wide open it is a proven medical fact that there is no need for water to be consumed in order to be a healthy person. We do need liquids to be healthy but the form that liquid takes is unimportant.Obviously we cannot drink sugar loaded versions but other than that anything goes.Also it is important to ensure you remain hydrated But normally a healthy person would do this anyway[when thirsty we drink].Too much water is actually very bad for your health and excessive quantities can even kill you.This myth about water was actually created by bottled water companies to increase their sales.There was a television programme about it the other day but this is not my only source of information.Please feel free to research this as i know loads of you out there are making yourselves quite miserable by forcing yourselves to drink water.Its fine if you like it but also fine if you dont just wanted to get this message out there
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Replies

  • sykin
    sykin Posts: 1,676 Member
    I didn't see this program you're talking about, but I had heard somewhere that there is no way to trace back to where 8 glasses of water is normal. Some doctor made it up. Which is why I don't feel bad when I can only drink 6 in a day.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    just feel i have to blow this water myth wide open it is a proven medical fact that there is no need for water to be consumed in order to be a healthy person. We do need liquids to be healthy but the form that liquid takes is unimportant.Obviously we cannot drink sugar loaded versions but other than that anything goes.Also it is important to ensure you remain hydrated But normally a healthy person would do this anyway[when thirsty we drink].Too much water is actually very bad for your health and excessive quantities can even kill you.This myth about water was actually created by bottled water companies to increase their sales.There was a television programme about it the other day but this is not my only source of information.Please feel free to research this as i know loads of you out there are making yourselves quite miserable by forcing yourselves to drink water.Its fine if you like it but also fine if you dont just wanted to get this message out there

    Would be good if you quoted real research. But I have to say I agree with you overall with one caveat, and that is if you are supplementing with psyllium. Granted you don't HAVE to so water, but chugging 8-16 ounces of anything but water tends to be uncommon, and for psyllium you do need all that liquid.
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

    Yeah, the 8 glasses thing is absolute and utter b.s. I don't know why people can't get it through their head....
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
    I actually log my zero calorie sugarfree drinks as water too. I don't always drink 8 glasses of "water", but I sure do feel better when I do. I cleans the toxins out of your body. It is the only pure, (if you drink it out of the ground of course) drink in the world.
  • WifeMomDVM
    WifeMomDVM Posts: 1,025 Member
    I'm always interested when people want to bust myths. Can you point me to your peer reviewed journal articles that support what you are saying?

    Of course, I agree with you, TOO MUCH water IS detrimental, but that's INSANE amounts that most people can't (and won't drink) even if they try.

    As far as the bottled water companies starting the "myth" that we need to drink alot of water - I have yet to see that too. I drink lots of water - from my tap. I never buy bottled water because I don't feel it's a good value, but that's just my personal preference.

    I have found for me personally, that drinking 12-14 eight ounce glasses of water in 24 hours has given me tremendous benefits.

    Edited to add: I noticed that the Snopes article provided showed their "research" came from a couple of books and numerous newspaper articles. Awesome.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    yeah - I'm definitely in the drink when thirsty boat. I was told that too much water dilutes important nutrients in the body, and just the way I feel when i force myself to drink glass after glass of water just for the sake of it, tell me its wrong.

    Everyone is different, :blushing:
  • Galathea
    Galathea Posts: 420 Member
    There are days when i drink 15 glasses of water. And it doesn't make me feel miserable at all. Actually i know that days with a high water amount are actually my best.
    But to each their own.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I don't even know what to say.
  • GypsyRose25
    GypsyRose25 Posts: 407
    That's not completely true. The amount of water needed daily depends on the specific person, When we sweat, we lose water. Same as when we lose other...uh...bodily fluids. Water consumption should, at the very least, make up for what was lost. It's true that way too much water can kill, but it is extraordinarily rare. The amount of water that would need to be consumed for that is extreme.

    If you could link the research you read, I would appreciate it.
  • OregonCountryGirl
    OregonCountryGirl Posts: 53
    My midwife has said that water helps flush out toxins in the body and that it helps with energy and helps you feel fuller so you don't over eat..... I love my water and actually feel like crap if I don't drink enough. I also get headaches when I don't drink enough. I believe that we are all made diferently so are bodies all need different things!!!!!!

    Thank you for sharing!
  • Sparrow_Feet
    Sparrow_Feet Posts: 76 Member
    I don't think we can say one way or the other without taking into consideration the rest of a person's intake (food and liquid). Everyone is different! For example, high caffeine lighids would be counter productive due to their diuretic effects. Additionally, someone eating a lot of water based foods like salads is very different to someone just living their life by consuming high salt, high fat, fast food. Most people, and I say that with caution, would not be nutritionally educated to know what water content is in different foods and therefore guiding people to drinking fresh, clean water is a good thing.
  • Inkedsquid
    Inkedsquid Posts: 42
    Sooooo glad this myth was finally debunked- we naturally get water through MANY sources (fruits, vegetables, etc) 8 more glasses in addition to that is unnecessary for most people, unless of course your body tells you so. :)
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    On the other hand, numerous studies have proven that dehydration, especially chronic dehydration, can have severe consequences to your metabolism and even your brain function. Whether you get your fluids through water, milk, juice, whatever, the fact remains that your body is made up of mostly water, so you really need to make sure you're not getting too little. Eight 8-oz servings really isn't that much over the course of a day; most restaurant-size glasses are 16 or 20 ounces, so 3 or 4 of those and you're good.
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
    Its not that drinking water is bad..... its more the myth that you somehow HAVE to drink 8 glasses of water a day to be healthy. Water is in everything you eat or drink... that should all count toward the magical 8 glasses of water mark if this were actually based on some sort of fact.

    http://calorielab.com/news/2006/05/28/8-glasses-of-water-a-diet-urban-legend/

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

    I don't even know why people quote this stupid 8 glasses thing in the first place. To the person that wanted to see clinical studies as to how this myth is absolutely false.... just do a little digging... there are MANY MANY clinical studies on how weak this urban legend is.
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
    Here is an article from the Mayo clinic on water needs: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283
  • DropsOJupiter
    DropsOJupiter Posts: 131
    Excessive water drinking, polydipsia, is a disease in which the person is driven to over consume beverages and yes it is physically detrimental in depleting electrolytes.

    http://www.bettermedicine.com/books/the-diagnostic-approach-to-symptoms-and-signs-in-pediatrics/polyuria-and-polydipsia

    Depending on who you choose to listen to, depends on the amount of water/liquids you need to consume. I choose to do what is the best for me, i.e., I drink a gallon of water per day plus coffee, tea and milk. The reason I do is that FOR ME it has kept me less hungry and hydrated. I have not had any issues with lab work (done last month and everything WNL). So, as with most things, we have to determine and choose what is best for us to sustain a healthy lifestyle. I agree that no one should be miserable forcing water down and should do what works best for them. Thanks for the discussion and good luck all on your journey! :drinker:
  • kayp1
    kayp1 Posts: 39 Member
    That's really interesting cos I force myself to drink water, something I never do but keep trying for these 8 glasses a day!
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
    wikipedia enter drinking water
  • M_lifts
    M_lifts Posts: 2,218 Member
    I'm always interested when people want to bust myths. Can you point me to your peer reviewed journal articles that support what you are saying?


    Edited to add: I noticed that the Snopes article provided showed their "research" came from a couple of books and numerous newspaper articles. Awesome.

    exactly this?! so much for research! give me a couple of double blind randomised controlled trials and then maybe i'll start paying attention.
  • M_lifts
    M_lifts Posts: 2,218 Member
    wikipedia enter drinking water

    seriously? that is your source? oh dear ...
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
    wikipedia drinking water
  • M_lifts
    M_lifts Posts: 2,218 Member
    urban legend? hmm- dont think so! i think we all ought to have some concrete evidence before we go to 'bust' myths! Unless you are medically qualified and know what you are talking about then id probably take this a bit more seriously! for now i'll just say 'pzzzz' as my two year old would say when she hears something utterly rubbish
  • missionwtls
    missionwtls Posts: 14
    I drink when thirsty. It usually comes out to about 64 oz a day (8 glasses). I'm sure everyone is different, it's absurd to think 8 8oz glasses of water is ideal for everyone. But I also believe it's probably a good idea to drink lots of fluid-- and water is a logical choice since it's what we're made of. Live and let live, I say... and don't hate on the water. :)
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
    wikipedia enter drinking water

    seriously? that is your source? oh dear ...

    You asked for peer reviewed sources.... here's a start....

    http://dms.dartmouth.edu/news/2002_h2/08aug2002_water.shtml

    Here's the actual science journal article: http://dms.dartmouth.edu/news/2002_h2/pdf/8x8.pdf

    No reason to write off wikipedia, either.... they have sources cited there.... check the citations out if you don't believe.
  • ivansmomma
    ivansmomma Posts: 500
    My nephrologist (kidney doctor) has told me, and I have passed this on so many times to other people (not here on MFP, until now). When I asked him about drinking 64 oz. of water a day, he told me it does not have to be all water. As long as it is not caffeinated or alcohol (which will dehydrate ), not full of sugar, etc., it is fine to drink other fluids besides water. This includes decaf coffee and tea, decaf, sf drinks, etc. He has also explained to me that foods which are converted to fluids in your body can also be counted; such as ice cream (in moderation, of course) and jello.

    To me, if someone is comfortable drinking just water, that's their choice, as long as they don't overdo it, as stated in some of the above posts. But, if someone wants to drink other fluids besides just water, that also counts. These "rules" are not concrete for everyone, and we all need to use a bit of common sense and listen to our bodies to know what is right for us.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    Nothing new here, everyone who has researched this issue, even superficially, has come to the same conclusions; needs vary by individual circumstances, and by the time H2O reaches the kidneys, the body has no way of knowing in what form it entered the body.

    The only real surprise is that some people still hold onto the myth that H2O has to be consumed as "water" and that there is anything specal about the figure of eight glasses of water a day. It's disappointing that this site, which is excellent in so many ways, perpetrates this dangerous* myth.

    But I really don't know why I'm bothering posting to this thread, in real life I gave up banging my head against this particular brick wall years ago. Whether other people believe in the tooth fairy or the magical healthy "eight glasses" makes no difference to me.

    Wondering whether you're dehydrated? Just look at the colour of your piss. That's official! :bigsmile:

    *Yes it is dangerous. Requirements vary dramatically, for some people (eg labourers or athletes performing in extreme heat) eight glasses a day is dangerously low.
  • nerdyandilikeit
    nerdyandilikeit Posts: 2,185 Member
    wikipedia enter drinking water

    I'm sorry, but when someone says 'check it out on Wikipedia' I do not count that as reliable. It's cool for general curiosity on a subject, but I wouldn't find you more credible for sourcing it.
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
    Quit drinking alcohol over 25 years ago, have had less than 5 soft drinks in the last five years, only drank FF milk on cereal, which I no longer eat, so what’s left? Water. I drink it when I am thirsty and until my urine is white, which for me, is about 100 oz day.
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
    wikipedia enter drinking water

    I'm sorry, but when someone says 'check it out on Wikipedia' I do not count that as reliable. It's cool for general curiosity on a subject, but I wouldn't find you more credible for sourcing it.

    Like I said.... you don't need to believe Wikipedia, but at least check out the citations in the Wiki article before writing it off. I'm sorry, If you're going to scoff at the credibility of Wikipedia, you must also discredit all citations in the given article... its the nature of the beast.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    yeah - I'm definitely in the drink when thirsty boat. I was told that too much water dilutes important nutrients in the body, and just the way I feel when i force myself to drink glass after glass of water just for the sake of it, tell me its wrong.

    Everyone is different, :blushing:

    Water dilutes nutrients?

    I must say, I've seen a lot of BS on these boards, but I think that one is the cake topper.

    No disrespect to you -- more to whomever told you that.
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