I drink lots of water daily and the new report on the health benefits of water being oversold will probably not sway me to stop sipping it hourly. 
The study found that there really are no health benefits to drinking the often recommended eight glasses of water a day; there is no evidence to the lack of benefits either. Interestingly enough, the researchers could not pin point the origin of the recommendation to drinking 64 ounces of water a day. It seems to be a benign urban health myth.
Here is a short list of things drinking eight glasses of water will not do for you:
- It does not help remove toxins from the kidneys.
- It doesn't help improve skin tone.
- It doesn't ward of headaches.
- It will no improve organ function.
- Lastly, water doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss. Since water contains no calories, it is more of a weight loss strategy for keeping your mouth busy than for filling you up. Sometimes the body mistakes hunger and thirst cues, so drinking adequate water can help stave off this bodily confusion.
The take home message – drink when you are thirsty. Everyone's need for water differs. If you exercise and sweat you will need to replenish your lost fluids and if you live in a dry, hot climate you will need more water as well. Listen to your body!
Anna Sui
Pineapple
Airness
i feel so healthy when i have 2-3 litres a day!!
1yes i read about this last night ..... everyday they say another things
2i disagree about the headache stuff because headaches can often be due to dehydration and im pretty sure that water helps with dehydration
3and i agree with Bahar, they change their mind every day... tomorow they will probably say water gives you cancer.
4I hate that the results of this "study" even went out to the public! If waters only benefits are to quinch your thirst, keep you hydrated and keep you from drinking other high calorie drinks then thats the best benfit of all.
5This is good to know.
6I love my H2O.
7I disaggree with this study... water makes me feel better... detoxifys me, gives me less headaches.... I guess I dont mind the extra trips to the ladies room!
8I drink lots of water everyday. I feel and look so much better when I do (I average 60-80 ounces - measured with my 20 ounce glass).
I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if I didn't.
Bahar is right.
9i agree with lightheaded. water just makes me feel better and i always get compliments on my skin. i am sure just being hydrated has something to do with it.
10I think the problem is people often don't drink enough water to stay hydrated. During the week at work, I'm sipping water all day, so I end up drinking usually 8-10 glasses. On weekends I usually drink around 4 because I'm so busy. I definitely feel more tired and blah on the weekends.
I don't think water does much for my skin though. I always seem to break out the same amount no matter what I do.
11mmmm interesting study I'd say...
12I disagree with it as well. Water makes me feel better, and does alleviate headaches due to dehydration.
Also, if you are getting enough fiber, but not enough water, that can back things up in your intestines, making you sluggish and feel bad, not to mention grumpy. Water flushes things out and that inadvertently leads to small weight loss. At least for me! And I believe, but cannot confirm, that when your digestive system works well, everthing else works better.
13B..S..
14I believe that also Kris...a healthy digestive system is extremely vital to good overall health.
15I believe that also Kris...a healthy digestive system is extremely vital to good overall health.
16I'm pretty sure my skin does actually feel oilier when I'm not drinking a lot of water and I do actually feel I do need lots of water, well around the amount people have said before that we need. I especially need it when it's warm out.
17I totally disagree with this! I know that I feel so much better (not to mention my skin looks better and I feel skinnier) when I drink my 8 a day.
18Funny, I believe the article I read said there is a tiny amount of research that drinking 8 glasses of water a day may pose some benefits to keep headaches at bay. I also believe the article mentioned that it was some little document in 1945 that made the recommendation of 8 glasses of water per day. I suck at remembering details obviously!
Personally, I don't drink 8 glasses of water a day and I feel great. Meh!
19who knows what to do anymore....one research says this, and another says that...ugh!!!
20My husband is a scientist and even when we were just dating I started to get more sceptical of studies. Basically, there's a study out there that can support pretty much any proposition.
I feel better when I drink a lot of water. I feel like it flushes out my system and I know for a fact that ice cold water helps when I have a headache. If all of that's just a placebo effect, then so be it. At least I feel better.
21You don't have to be an MD to see the benefits of drinking water. When your urine is clear it means your kidneys aren't working as hard to filter it out. When your cells are nourished, it means they are healthier, and yes, look healthier too. When you are hydrated, you are healthier, period. Your body needs water to live obviously, but keeping it hydrated makes it thrive.
22Hmm interesting. I'll still drink my water. I'm with the other posters, I think it still has plenty of benefits!
23Amen ElissaM!!
24i disagree with this study too. drinking lots of water during the day definitely keeps me from getting headaches. i'm not sure about the others but yeah, i agree with kellyim, there's a study supporting everything imaginable. you have to do what works well for you and drinking 8 - 10 glasses of water a day is what works for me!!!
25It doesn't matter how good this study may be, or how little evidence there is that drinking 8 glasses a day is beneficial, the readers on this site are going to insist it's good because they KNOW they feel better. Most likely, you all feel better when you drink a ton of water because you think it is healthier and detoxifying, power of suggestion and all.
Obviously we all need to drink enough water to stay comfortably hydrated, I'm not anti-water or anything, but I just don't get some of the responses on here. "They say something new every day!" Okay, so who is "they" and what study is this study refuting? Other than being somewhat of a "well-known" diet tip, where is the study that says that 8 glasses a day of water is necessary?
This site is getting kind of pointless because right now it's a basic rehashing of "common knowledge" diet and fitness tips, with a bunch of comments along the lines of, "I DO THAT EVERYDAY!!" I mean, take stretching for example. It's common knowledge you need to stretch to prevent an injury, but where are studies saying this? There are more studies saying that stretching is not beneficial at all? While it may improve flexibility, there is no reason why this is even a desirable trait unless you are a gymnast. In fact, it is hurtful to distance runners to be too flexible because that makes it harder to keep form!
Oh well, at least some kudos to Fit for pointing out an unpopular study. Yes, there are studies for every point of view, but not all studies are created equal, so dismissing a study on the basis that it is a study without further examining the methodology used (even if your husband is a REAL scientist!!) is kind of stupid.
What I should have said:
"Omg this study is so dumb, like obviously drinking water is so good for you I no cuz i can just tell cuz I am so smart and like i know some scientists and someone who haz a degree in nutrition or somethinglike that at least a certificate i think!!!"
26Actually, this isn't even a study. It's an examination of all the studies done on drinking water, so actually this isn't even a study refuting other studies, it's a report showing no studies exist that show that drinking a lot of water leads to better health.
I guess that makes a bunch of these responses even funnier.
27Water is absolutely important even if it doesn't cure these random ailments. Aren't people 70% water or so? Our bodies use up about 3 litres or water every day so even if water doesn't cure headaches or whatever, it's needed to actually survive!
28I always feel better when I drink a lot of water. I think my skin really does look better when I get enough water and I know that it helps move things through my digestive tract better.
29oh pleez! Most people are under hydrated and rely on sugary drinks for their liquid consumption. Humans need water, and 8 glasses a day isn't a lot. Studies like this are ridiculouso!
30aaahhh that was great snowbunny. i agree.
everyone should just do what feels good to them.. if you want 15 glasses of water a day.. go ahead. some might lose elecrtolytes doing that, others wont!
31if you only need one big glass and youre good... so be it.
Drinking 8 glasses may not ward off headaches but being dehydrated can cause headaches.
According to the May Clinic website:
A few of the symptoms of dehydration are:
* Muscle weakness
32* Headache
* Dizziness or lightheadedness
I majored in nutrition and health science so hopefully you will trust me slightly(LOL) The average stomach can take ABOUT a quart of water in one sitting. One quart = 4 cups = 32 ounces. Also I believe this 8 glasses a day(that is 8 x 6oz or 8 0oz glasses) came from the fact that you need to space out your fluids as to not overload the stomach capacity all at once. And yes, there ARE numerous studies that PROVE proper hydration is essential to overall digestive health as well as weight loss and muscle growth. So keep drinking! I do.
33To help out a little, gigill is on the right track. Without going into a full-fledged document search I believe she is about correct. The timing of the article seems a little late; I recall late '30s. I also recall the publication as being the New England Journal of Medicine. The important part of this response is the original article said we require 8 glasses of water per day (or 64 oz) AND goes on to say that most of this is acquired through the food we eat. The second part has, for the most part, been ignored.
Sooo, that is where this water requirement stuff came from.
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