Eight glasses of water bunkum
5:00AM
Friday April 04, 2008
By Jeremy Laurance
Less well known are the dangers of drinking too much water. Photo / Greg Bowker
It has become a deeply entrenched belief among the public - drink at least eight glasses of water a day to maintain health and well-being.
Bottled water companies often repeat the claim to boost their sales but it is bunkum. There is no evidence that drinking eight glasses of water a day improves skin tone, aids dieting or prevents headaches (except those induced by hangovers), scientists say.
US researchers who reviewed the evidence concluded most people do not need to worry about their water consumption, as they will be getting plenty of fluid in other ways - from tea, coffee and other drinks and from the food they eat.
The misunderstanding is believed to have arisen from a 1945 recommendation that adults should consume 2.5 litres of water daily, one millilitre for every calorie consumed, which was highlighted by the British Medical Journal in December.
The crucial part of the recommendation, however - "most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods" - is usually ignored.
