Water, water everywhere, but no real need for it. Why do people not believe this?

[ElderLemon]

The evidence is clear that unless we are elderly, we can just drink when thirsty and be absolutely fine. The need for x litres per day is just made up bollocks. But I know from multiple threads over many years that many, if not most, people on here will down right refuse to believe this. Is it just that people don't like science? I don't know why it annoys me so much, live and let live etc. But when I see all the health and beauty articles repeating it I get enraged, I really do. Anyone else? www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/dec/09/is-it-true-that-we-should-all-drink-more-water?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Eh, I'm sure you have a point.
It works for me.

I’m not in the UK. The temperatures at this time of year vary from 30s to low 40s. I drink water during the day. My husband is a different generation and rarely drinks it at all. He seems to function perfectly well.

Yeah they lived but I'm guessing that most of us wouldn't want to live their lives or have their state of health. Modern medicine, clean water and advancements in our standard of living have given us a much better life expectancy and quality.

Well I don't know about you but I tended to keep my kids hydrated from birth and their dependant years.

Withdrawal from water like an addict is a new one on me like

My point was really did she only notice that she suffers from headaches when she drinks less than 2 litres after she started drinking 2+ litres a day? Or did she always have headaches and then have a moment of epiphany when she started drinking 2+ litres of water a day? Are her headaches due to not drinking enough (as she implies) or are they due to not drinking as much as her body is now used to?

And yes, whilst it might seem a strange comparison to make, it is absolutely like any addiction to a substance you put in your body. Your body gets used to the amount you consume and can cause unpleasant side effects when that amount is reduced. Obviously water is generally good for you (in the right quantities) in a way that cocaine, for example, isn't, but the principle remains the same. It's a new one on you because most people, as you have, automatically assume that addiction must involve an inherently harmful substance. It doesn't.

Obviously your reply was intended to be somewhat sarcastic but hopefully I've given you something to think about.

I have a medical condition that means I have to drink (not completely literally, food is included depending what you eat) 3l a day. I really wish I didn't, it's such a pain then having to rebalance salts!

@TheCompactPussycat it's pretty common knowledge that our bodies need water. I don’t know why this is debated?

Imagine sitting there and saying "oh no I don't consume food above 300 calories a day, because I believe that we don't need it. If you feel poorly if you don't eat, it's because you have a dependency on it."

We need water. Drinking less doesn't make you better.

Of course we need water. But most people don't need 2 litres of plain water a day on top of water from food.

People's water needs depend on many factors including temperature, exercise amount, height, weight etc.

Evian made up the 2 litre thing and you all drank the kool-aid

I don't often feel thirsty. On the rare occasion I do, it's because I'm really dehydrated and will likely feel a bit rubbish is other ways.

I always feel better when I make an effort to drink regularly as I can't rely on my thirst mechanism.

I'm not particularly unusual I don't think.

We need water, but our needs can be met without actually drinking it neat. Or drinking anything at all.

@smoosmedd but most people aren't eating food with that much water in it.

You didn't give me anything to think about.

Our bodies are marvelous Inventions and they can take a lot of abuse. More abuse I ever realised before they fail. We grow accustomed to feeling a bit rubbish day to day, whether it's from less sleep than we need, a heavily processed diet, not drinking enough etc. it's our normal.

When we take steps to get our bodies running with optimum efficiency, fueling and hydrating it the way it needs, our new normal of feeling good happens. Slip back and we're back to feeling rubbish. Except this time we really notice it.

To say water is like an addiction is weird.

Literally nobody gives a shit if anyone wants to run their bodies in a perpetual state of near dehydration. You do you. Just don't install that in your kids maybe.

You misunderstand. When we digest food, water is made as a by product of the various chemical reactions involved in the break down of the food

@smoosmedd if you say so, but if you go to any doctor and tell them you don't drink water, they'll tell you to start.

Well of course we need fluid! I'm not arguing that we don't. Surely to goodness you didn't read my post and actually think that was what I was suggesting!

Humans need fluid. They don't necessarily need 2 litres of water a day.

But for the hard-of-understanding...

• (Generic) you spend the first 22 years of your life consuming an adequate amount of fluid. You feel fine.
• You then read an article in a magazine suggesting you need 2+ litres of water a day so you buy a big bottle and chug water all day, every day. You feel fine.
• One day you don't drink your usual amount of water. You get a headache. That's because you have suddenly reduced the amount of water your body is used to. You've taken away a substance that it has grown to rely on. It's a withdrawal symptom. Your body is not dehydrated because you aren't drinking what a healthy human should. Your body is temporarily dehydrated because you aren't drinking as much as you have trained it to expect and expel. Ergo, it is a withdrawal symptom.

It's really not that hard to grasp (unless perhaps you've turned your brain to mush by over-saturating it on a daily basis - that's tongue in cheek for those tempted to misunderstand).

Yabu. If you eat a healthy diet you'll get some water from it. But not from a crappy cereal bar and mass produced wrap.
I have colleagues who have a cup of tea or coffee, no water, eat crap and wonder why they have a headache and feel crap at lunchtime.

I'll stick to my two big bottles of water a day. I'm active so drink before I feel rubbish.

This is the thing isn't it.

Juices, processed food and the like won't do much for you

Aren't they?

I wondered about this (while eating a pear with yogurt and nuts...that's undoubtedly mostly water and not particularly unusual) and googled 'how much water in a ham sandwich'. This found me a tool which gives a pie chart - it's apparently about 50% which is more than I'd have expected. Other wraps etc seem similar.

tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/783544/wt1

Drinking 2 litres of water is like walking 10,000 steps per day, or eating 5 portions of veg/ fruit per day. It's not bad advice; it will do most people good, but it's not a universal piece of advice that's equally true for all.

Water consumption will depend on your build, activity level and environment (temperature/ humidity). You might need to consume electrolytes to optimise your hydration level, particularly when sweaty. That doesn't neccessitate an expensive specialist product. Fruits, juices, salt in food can also do the job.

My intake depends on what I'm doing. Even with running, at this time of year I don't need to take water for an hour run- drinking before & after is enough. In the spring/ autumn, I might take a small bottle that fits in my pocket. In the summer, I might need a larger bottle/ bladder. 2l gym bro bottles amuse me, especially when there's water stations easily avaliable.

There can be a fashion element to drinking water. For a while there was brands of bottled water. Now it's trends of reusable water bottles such as Stanley Cups or Air Up. Some people do use drinking vessels as a (minor form of) status symbol.

The idea of a fixed, standard amount to drink day in day out is a bit weird to me because every one's needs are varied.

@ErrolTheDragon but how much is in the processed shit most people eat?

I don’t know why people just out and out refuse to do things for their health

I don't think it's the lack of water in 'processed shit' that is the problem with it!
Of course, too much salt may mean they'd probably need rather more additional water (be it from the tap, cola bottle, tea, beer or whatever their aqueous fluid of choice) than someone eating a healthier diet.

Not true. My daughter is a medical doctor and she says that any drink made with water will hydrate the body, even drinks with caffeine. Caffeine causes slightly more excretion than plain water, but most of the beverage is still water and will hydrate the body.

Exactly as the OP is saying, there is a lot of misinformation out there. A healthy person only needs to follow their thirst.

Hmmm I don't agree with this.

I never used to be a water fan and would always be on the pop. I always felt horrible, bloated, bad skin, wind.

I decided to try and just drink water so bought one of this huge flasks. Within a month my skin was clearer, I wasn't bloated, suffered less with my IBS, wasn't so tired, lost weight and just generally felt "better".

Scientists think we might not need too but for a healthier body I definitely think we do

If The Guardian says something I usually believe the opposite.

Lots of older people suffer from chronic dehydration and UTIs. They also often refuse to drink plain water and scoff at water bottle use.

So I’ll keep my big water bottle, thanks.