Do You Really Need 8 Glasses of Water a Day?
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008I was reading Emilia Klapp’s blog today and she sparked my curiosity about the standard advice to drink eight glasses (8-oz each) of water a day.
It turns out there is little, if any, scientific support for the advice. Note carefully that the “8×8″ skeptics have a particular population in mind: healthy adults living in temperate climates who have sedentary lifestyles. If you make a living digging ditches with a shovel in the hot sun in a dry climate, you will need much more than eight glasses.
There may be particular people with medical problems who will benefit from higher-than-average water consumption. Follow your personal physician’s advice.
I noticed immediately when I moved from humid Florida to the dry Arizona desert that I was thirstier and needed to drink more water. Listen to your body and use common sense.
If you are watching your weight, be sure to avoid liquids with excessive calories. Zero-calorie water is hard to beat under most circumstances.
Steve Parker, M.D., author of The Advanced Mediterranean Diet: Lose Weight, Feel Better, Live Longer www.AdvancedMediterraneanDiet.com
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