8 Glasses of Water A Day: Truth, Myth, or Scam?

Should you drink 8 glasses of water a day? This is good advice, but only if you’re a flounder. If you’re human, it’s a silly health myth that refuses to die. Regardless, dieters follow the eleventh commandment: “You must drink water three times a night until you wake up to pee.” » »
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Not long ago I was watching Sanjay Gupta interviews a muscular man about a diet book he “wrote” that “shows the best way to lose weight very quickly.” (Note: The old “lose weight fast” meme is a great way to sell tons of diet books without actually helping anyone.) In the interview, Mr. Lunk (that may not be his real name) presented his theory: People should drink a large glass of water before each meal and drink significantly more water throughout the day to stay hydrated. For him, 8 glasses of water a day was the absolute minimum.

This is a wonderful suggestion if you’re riding a camel in a caravan of desert nomads, but not if you live in, say, Seattle.

Sanjay Gupta is one of the smartest media librarians we have. He deserves his respect, but in the section on increasing water consumption he said, “We are chronically dehydrated in our society. ” Pardon? You don’t have to be a zoologist to know that with an adequate, safe water supply, it is impossible to keep a large group of intelligent mammals dehydrated for more than ten minutes. Evolution over time has eliminated our ancestors who ignored thirst The Cambrian period. And yet, authorities around the world continue to claim that we don’t drink enough water, without any evidence.
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So who invented the principle of eight glasses of water a day? According to Chris Gayomali in an intelligent article he wrote for This week“The idea of ​​a “minimum water requirement” is relatively new; She first appeared in dietary guidelines published in 1945 by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy incorrectly suggested “2,500 ml”. [2.6 quarts] “A certain amount of fluid should be consumed daily,” although primary clinical studies have never been cited. Translation: Someone guessed it.

In a word: no. Regardless, the myth persists and is supported by organizations such as: B. kept alive Hydration for health. His advice to health experts is simple, direct and repeated around the world: “Recommending 1.5 to 2 (liters) of water per day is the simplest and healthiest hydration advice you can give. » According to the British Medical Journal“Hydration for Health has a direct interest: it is sponsored and developed by the French food industry giant Danone, a major manufacturer of bottled water (Evian, etc.).

The people who brag about how wonderful it is to drink eight bottles of water every day are the people who sell us bottled water.
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And what about studies that say hydration is essential for health? Either they were misquoted or they were bad studies. Also from the BMJ: “In 2002, Heinz Valtin published a critique of the evidence in the American Journal of Physiology. He concluded: “Not only is there no scientific evidence that we should drink that much, but the recommendation could be harmful…” Dated June 2008. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology “There is no clear evidence of a benefit from drinking more water…There is also no clear evidence of a lack of benefit. In fact, there is simply a lack of evidence in general.” (2008)

Large bottled water dispenser Danone took an old popular myth and turned it into a very profitable scam. (FYI: Danone is better known in the United States as the maker of Dannon yogurt.)

However, if you’re studying for your degree in a dark, cool university library, drinking that much water is a really bad idea. Best case scenario, you’ll spend half your day going to the bathroom. Worst case scenario, you’ll end up in the hospital Water poisoning. It’s even less fun than studying for your final exams in a dark university library.

Of course, it’s a good idea to drink water rather than sugary juices or sodas. Drink labels must display a skull. However, an increase in fluid intake per se is not necessary. This will help improve some end results; It will not improve your health. However, although tea and coffee are common and have a dehydrating effect, this is not the case. The mild diuretic effects of caffeine are outweighed by the sheer volume of water in a cup of coffee. So if you want to waste your money on a $7 double almond latte at Starbucks, don’t feel guilty. About caffeine.