8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

[Vishenka69]

So this morning on NPR several doctors said that drinking 8 cups of water a day is an Urban Legend and doesn't have any special benefits for body, skin, hair or anything else. They said to drink if you're thirsty and not even necessarily water. :huh: One of the docs actually said that too much water is bad for your kidneys. So who to believe?

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I think you have to drink a lot of water before it is too much for your kidneys, right? I guess water seems like a better choice too since it is calorie free. :huh: I don't know if I drink 8 glasses/day. Probably not.

[Auspicious]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

Doctor Mama weighs in on this here:

http://doctormama.blogspot.com/2006/01/ ... myths.html

I think it's kind of an urban myth, but water is still good for you.

[Vishenka69]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

None of the docs on the radio said water was bad, but one did mention that 8 cups is close to falling into the too much water category, especially if that's on top the other liquids. They just wanted to point out that people shouldn't expect miracles when drinking water.

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I was surprised when I heard this, because I really feel that my skin is better and I feel better when I drink lots of water. Maybe it's some kind of placebo effect or psychological trick I play on myself...

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I was thinking bad for you as in dangerous. A long time ago, DH had a patient who nearly died from drinking too much water. I think that was a couple of gallons in a relatively short period of time. I happened to mention this to my dad and he was with his family and they didn't believe me that water could be bad for someone.

[DCJenn]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I had a client with a water obsession and we had to limit him to 2 oz. at a time. He would drink gallons because while your kidneys are failing due to the excessive water, the feeling is that of being completely drunk.

So, if you ever need a 'way out', drinking yourself to death isn't a bad one.

Jenn

[alison]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

Eeeeeeeeeks!

I drink so much water. I feel like my skin is clearer, but maybe it's really because of that drunk feeling after a tall glass of Perrier.

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I am surprised that they said 8 cups could be too much?!?
I definitely drink more than that, even when I wasn't in the desert. I just like water :huh:

[Phoebe]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I am late in seeing this. I saw a news report on this study. I didn't hear them speak about too much water being unhealthy, the story covered how it doesn't help clear up your face and keep you from getting headaches. I found this interesting because a migraines trigger for me is not drinking enough water. However, I hardly reach 8 glasses a day.

[poky]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

I saw something the other day that made a lot of sense to me. They said not to focus on how much water you're drinking, but the results: if you're peeing every few hours, and your urine is clear, you're getting enough fluids. :huh:

[Momo]

Re: 8 cups of water a day - Urban Myth?

Eeeeeeeeeks!

I drink so much water. I feel like my skin is clearer, but maybe it's really because of that drunk feeling after a tall glass of Perrier.

So off topic, but your post reminded me of the Smith's song I Won't Share You

"Has the Perrier gone
Straight to my head
Or is life sick and cruel, instead?"