If you’re at all interested in fitness or nutrition, you’ve no doubt heard about the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. Popular media and even many medical professionals tell us that drinking 64 ounces of water each day is essential for our skin, weight loss, kidney function and more.
But in reality, there is a large body of evidence that shows that the vast majority of people do not need to drink eight glasses of water a day.
Aaron E. Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and author of several articles and books on medical myths, sums up the evidence in a recent column in the New York Times that is certainly worth a read.
Here are a few of the research highlights:
- A 2002 review found no scientific study that supported the consumption of 64 ounces of water daily.
- A review in the journal Clinics in Dermatology found no evidence that greater water consumption improves skin.
- And there is plenty of evidence that caffeinated beverages count toward your daily fluid consumption.
The bottom line is this: There is water in all of the beverages we drink, and many of the foods we eat. So our bodies are hydrated throughout the day, even if we don’t drink eight glasses of water. In addition, the evidence clearly shows that when people have access to water, their bodies give them the signal to drink well before they become dehydrated.
That means you can stop counting how much water you drink in a day. Simply drink when you feel thirsty.
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