Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Eight glasses a day?

You don’t need to drink eight glasses of water a day.  You really don’t.  If you are a normal American eating and drinking normally, you will not dehydrate.  You will not die.

Aaron E. Carroll (Times, Aug. 25, 2015, p. A-3) examines the origin of the eight glasses myth.  It may have started with a 1945 Food and Nutrition Board recommendation that people need about 2.5 liters of water a day.  The following sentence has been completely ignored:  “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”

I am amazed at the number of people who carry water bottles with them.  You’d think we were in the Sahara.  Of course, companies like Deer Park and Poland Springs want you to purchase water at a high price in plastic bottles which will end up on landfills or in the ocean.


So remember, unless you have some terrible stomach flu accompanied by a high fever, or you are working outside in the 100 degree heat, or you are a marathon runner, you won’t dehydrate.  Step away from the water bottle.

2 comments:

  1. I do carry my own filled water bottle. It goes back home with me for a new re-fill. I eat regularly and do consume a lot of water because its a good drink.

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