Medical Myth: Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day
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Drinking 8 glasses of water a day can actually be bad for you
I’m one of those people who drinks a lot of water, at least 8 glasses a day. I started doing it after I read about the alleged benefits. I mean somethings are hard and others are not so hard when it comes to best body practices, and how hard is it to drink water? Regardless I did find myself peeing constantly and at times this could be most inconvenient. So, it goes without saying that I was quite pleased to read the following story:
Are you one of millions of Americans who looks down with pride at the powerful stream of colorless, translucent fluid flowing out of your body every time your empty your bladder? Who takes great personal satisfaction in knowing you’ve downed enough bottled water in a single day to satisfy the hydration needs of your average circus elephant? Well, a new study suggests you might be wasting your time.
Chugging eight glasses of water per day, as many health professionals and nutritionists recommend, is said to do many wonderful things for your health — from preventing urinary tract infections to improving skin tone, promoting weight loss, regulating your digestion, and increasing concentration.
But a new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that not only does drinking eight glasses of water fail to deliver on those health benefits, but it can actually have detrimental effects — such as hyponatremia, a low-blood-sodium condition common to marathon runners. Margaret McCartney, the Scottish doctor who undertook the study, says those claims of health benefits are “thoroughly debunked nonsense,” and come from bottled water manufacturers themselves. (For example Hydration for Health, a research group backed by Volvic and Evian.)
“If you’re drinking excessively, if you’re drinking beyond thirst, if you’re drinking beyond comfort, your kidneys are actually having to work very, very hard,” McCartney said.
There are dissenters to McCartney’s paper, including a nutritionist from King’s College London who countered that McCartney “focused on the more wacky claims made for water,” and expressed concern that the results of her study would veer people towards caffeinated and sugary drinks instead.
So how much water should you drink? The Mayo Clinic recommends you drink enough fluids so that “you never feel thirsty,” and produce about six cups of “colorless or slightly yellow urine per day.” Get those Pyrex measuring cups out, people!
Thanks to Seth Abramovitch writing for Gawker
So please let us know what you think of this latest development. Do you drink enough water?
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Peter, I get concerned with these latest “health” studies. Medical researchers publish one article and lay people think the subject applies to everyone across the board. I don’t mean to offend you, but there is other research that contradicts this post. (Of course, medical research results always contradict medical research results.)
Drinking water does not “over flush” the kidneys. Water washes toxins out of the body so the kidneys do not work as hard. There was a time when medical researchers felt that more than 100 mg of vitamins A and D would cause toxicity because these vitamins were not water soluble. Now, medical research discovered that a vitamin D deficiency can cause, among several other health problems, cancer and hypothyroidism.
The term “excessive” is unclear. The amount of water one drinks depends on activity levels. A person who exercises vigorously and/or lives in an extremely hot climate may need more than 64 ounces of water per day. The amount of water needed varies for each person.
Beer? Drink up, Mike. Any alcoholic beverage drunk per day in moderation is good for you.
* Beer has vitamin B6 which reduces coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease
* Beer has loads of B vitamins: folic acid, B6, B12. These vitamins improve nerve health, reduce stress, aid energy production, improves immunity improvement, and has possible anti-cancer properties. The B vitamins also improve the central nervous system.
* The Osteoporosis Research Unit in Aberdeen (Scotland) found that dietary calcium and modest alcohol intake had a positive health benefits on women’s bone health. [3][4]
* University of Western Ontario have research studies that show beer may provide protection against diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and cataracts: One drink of beer a day increases blood plasma antioxidant activity. However, the lead researcher, cautions that more than three drinks a day actually increases these risks.
* Other health benefits? Increases good cholesterol (HDL), decreases blood clots, promotes sleep, and contributes to blood vessel dilation.
Ironically, beer is a diuretic which causes excess urination (as if you didn’t know). Beer can lead to dehydration. So how do those of you who enjoy a brew keep hydrated? Drink more water after drinking beer.
This article overlooked something, KIDNEY STONES. Although the minerals in water can contribute to stones. water is the best way to keep the kidneys flushed out. I’ve had three bouts with kidney stones, I’ll put up with excessive peeing if it keeps me from stones.
If you’ve never had stones consider yourself blessed. If you have had them, I’m sure you’ll agree with me.
Beer! 12 ounces of beer a day will prevent kidney stones from forming. At least that is what I was told by several friends who suffered, one who went to the Mayo Clinic for relief.