Can this actually be true?

Yes, it's true. I really can't believe that people still believe you have to drink plain water for health or weigh loss. I didn't really need any studies to tell me that since I primarily drink tea (iced or hot) but there is plenty of evidence that plain water is not needed out there for anyone that cares to take a minute or two to find it.

Honestly, I've never knew there were so many water obsessed people till I joined this site. It's crazy!

LOL, and I've never seen so many people so repulsed and opposed to water before coming to this site.:laugh: I don't get forcing yourself to drink gallons a day but why so much hate?

This guy is a professor at one of the best medical schools in the world and he specializes in kidney function. I'm sure that if we actually read the study that this guy published, it wouldn't be so controversial. Actually, if you're interested it's here: http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/19/6/1041.full

Can I have you puppy??? PLEASE???? c'mon Mikey.

All I know is, it works for me! I used to get horrible headaches on a daily basis, my doctor checked all the usual causes and suggested it was simply dehydration (I never used to drink water, it was about 1 glass of fruit juice in the morning and maybe a glass of coke at night!) 3 months ago, I started drinking no less than 8 cups a day and I rarely ever get headaches now.

Plus sugary drinks and those high in caffeine give me migraines, as well as being full of empty calories. Swapping to water usually benefits people trying to lose weight for that reason alone.

...consumption of diet soda at least daily was associated with significantly greater risks of select incident metabolic syndrome components and type 2 diabetes.

Nutr Rev. 2010 Sep;68(9):505-21.
Impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review.
Daniels MC, Popkin BM.
SourceDepartment of Nutrition, School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Abstract
The effects of consuming water with meals rather than drinking no beverage or various other beverages remain under-studied. This systematic review of studies reported in the English-language literature was performed to compare the effects of drinking water and various beverage alternatives on energy intake and/or weight status. Relevant clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, and intervention studies were identified and findings across the literature were summarized. From the clinical trials, average differences were calculated in total energy intake at test meals (DeltaTEI) for each of several beverage categories in comparison with water. The available literature for these comparisons is sparse and somewhat inconclusive. However, one of the most consistent sets of findings was related to adults drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) versus water before a single meal. In these comparisons, total energy intakes were 7.8% higher (DeltaTEI range, -7.5 to 18.9) when SSBs were consumed. Studies comparing non-nutritive sweeteners with water were also relatively consistent and found no impact on energy intake among adults (DeltaTEI, -1.3; range, -9 to 13.8). Much less conclusive evidence was found in studies replacing water with milk and juice, with estimated increases in TEI of 14.9% (range, 10.9 to 23.9%). These findings from clinical trials, along with those from epidemiologic and intervention studies, suggest water has a potentially important role to play in reducing energy intake, and consequently in obesity prevention. A need for randomized-controlled trials to confirm this role exists.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20796216

This article actually says diet soda is just as effective as water.

Do you believe everything you read? There are so many reasons it is wrong, but I'll just keep it simple... even if 8cups of water a day is a myth, when have you EVER heard someone say "8 cups of diet soda a day is good for your health"

I'm not saying I believe it. I drink over 100 oz of water every day.
I just thought it was funny that this is now a story.

This article actually says diet soda is just as effective as water.

Do you believe everything you read? There are so many reasons it is wrong, but I'll just keep it simple... even if 8cups of water a day is a myth, when have you EVER heard someone say "8 cups of diet soda a day is good for your health"

I'm not saying I believe it. I drink over 100 oz of water every day.
I just thought it was funny that this is now a story.

It's NPR. I didn't realize anyone took them seriously.

So what is the best thing to drink then if we cant have our dam water cause i was just getting used to it kinda

its true. You are supposed to drink kool-aid, beer or wine. Period.

I would read it, but I don't belive it, we are made of mostly water so I truely belive we need water, end of story!