Thought everyone would like this rather interesting article about the myth's of water's benefits....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23921635/

Grymm

I heard this on the radio this morning. There are many issues with water that they are not raising. What about the "myth" that sometimes we eat because we are in fact thirsty?

How about the fact that water helps dilute toxins in the bladder which could have a harmful effect? They may not "clear" them, but diluting them must be advantageous.

I may just be a scientist in training, but I do believe the 8 cup of water a day is to replace the water one perspires and urinates during the day. Sure one can get the water via food, but I don't believe that is the smartest way.

I'm inclined to agree with the study authors based on my own personal experiences. The only thing pushing fluids ever does for me is make me pee more. I do find that I will get a headache when I get dehydrated, which of course is corrected by drinking more fluids, but that's different than saying that water reduces headaches in the larger sense. When I rowed the marathon last year, and against the advice of almost all articles on rowing marathons, I just drank just ~8 oz of water before starting and another 4 oz at the end of each hour and I was fine. I was trading off the potential risk of dehydration with the near certainty that I'd have to stop midway to pee if I drank any more.

I am kind of amazed nowadays (did I really say that!) at how many people carry water bottles around, drinking at every opportunity. It's not just limited to when exercising, but even when just sitting around. We go to scout camp every year and you would not believe the number of people with camelbak hydration packs, sucking down water all day long. If I drank like that I'd need a second camelbak hooked to my..., well you probably get the picture. Dehydration is really a common problem at the camp, but what I find interesting is that just as many kids with camelbaks (percentage-wise) get dehydrated as those without; they just forget to drink, even when the hose is flopping around by their mouth.

In my latest halfhearted attempts to get healthy, I decided to start drinking the recommended daily requirements for water. I did have the problems with frequent restroom visits for the first few days, however once I started consistently drinking that amount of water, my body adjusted and I didn't need to go to the bathroom more often than before I started drinking the water. I guess it is one of those things where the good outweighs the bad.

I will say though, as a teacher, it is amazing how many students have a water bottle with them during the day. When I was a student, you were at the teacher's mercy for your hydration

I wrote about water at my healthy lifestyle blog last month:
http://advancedmediterraneandiet.com/blog/?p=16

You hear repeatedly that we need to drink 8 glasses (8 oz each) daily. Turns out there is not much scientific evidence to support "8x8." There are some exceptions, as discussed at my blog.

-Steve Parker, M.D.
author of The Advanced Mediterranean Diet

I have diabetes insipidus--"Water Diabetes." It was caused by a pituitary tumor, and basically my brain no longer makes the hormone that tells the kidneys when to hold onto water and when to let it go, so it just goes. Without medication my life would be nothing but drinking water until I feel like I'm going to pop, and then peeing every 10 minutes.

After I had the tumor removed the neurosurgeon said something that stuck with me in regards to water intake: Trust your hypothalmus. Drink when you feel thirsty, don't when you're not. Your body has the mechanisms to keep you from dehydrating, you just have to pay attention to them.