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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To say you don't need to drink a certain amount of water every day to be healthy

97 replies

marymarkle · 07/02/2019 08:02

How much water your body needs varies depending on how hot it is, how active you are, the food you eat, and any medical needs. The idea that you need to drink a certain amount of water every day was dreamt up by a beauty magazine and has been repeated so many times since, that a lot of people believe it is true.
Unless you have medical needs, drink when you feel like a drink.

OP posts:

MajesticWhine · 07/02/2019 13:55

Agree OP. I generally rely on natural thirst to have a drink and definitely don't strive for 8 cups of water a day or anything. Sometimes I am too busy at work to have a drink though and I do need to remember to make time to go and make a cup of tea.

ChipsAreLife · 07/02/2019 14:04

I love water! Drink loads of it, even drink a pint throughout the night. I am always getting complimented on my skin and told I look younger than I am.

Who knows if there is a link but I would imagine one glass a day probably isn't great for your kidneys.

QuimReaper · 07/02/2019 14:48

For those who never drink water... My husband quite often doesn't drink water for ages, or wakes up and leaves the house without water, and it makes his voice sound really dry-mouthed and claggy and gross. Just something for you to look out for

Bubastes · 07/02/2019 14:52

My skin looks its best when I drink a lot of water.

PhilomenaButterfly · 07/02/2019 14:54

I was so upset when DS2 broke my water bottle, I had to buy myself a bottle of water so I can reuse the bottle. If he can break a plastic water bottle, there's no way I'm drinking out of a glass near him.

AngelaHodgeson · 07/02/2019 16:00

Unless you have medical needs, drink when you feel like a drink.

Is never feeling thirsty a medical need? I will often go though an entire day at work with nothing to drink at all because I'm not thirsty, then get home and realise I should really drink something.

I'm not a fan of "everyone must have 8 glasses a day", but equally "just drink when you are thirsty" is nonsense advice for a lot of people.

Roussette · 07/02/2019 16:10

On my dad's death certificate, cause of death was put as 'deyhydration'. Yes he was very elderly but the tablets he was on exacerbated the dehydration and we just could not get him to drink more water.

And I was with a friend when she collapsed with dehydration. It was similar to an epileptic fit. She had to be rushed by ambulance and attached to a drip. Admittedly it was a hot country but still.... it started off with cramp in her leg.

I don't think it's very responsible to say people don't need to drink unless they feel thirsty. In fact it's downright dangerous if people take that to heart

gamerchick · 07/02/2019 16:48

Yeah considering being thirsty is a sign of imminent dehydration. Should rarely let it get to that point where you get thirsty. But then a lot of people mistake that for hunger so the body can't win really sometimes. It just gets fat instead while rolling it's eyes

Like I said, people seem to think their bodies deserve to run on the minimum and they seem proud of it to boot.

ALongHardWinter · 07/02/2019 17:43

I can honestly say that I don't drink much water on it's own. I drink tea and coffee and sugar free soft drinks,but I really only drink water on it's own when it's very hot. My skin is fine,and I never get urinary tract problems,or headaches,so I certainly don't stress about getting enough water.

ALongHardWinter · 07/02/2019 17:48

Meant to add,has anyone else noticed that their sensation of thirst has diminished as they've got older? My late DM used to say to me,from the age of about 60 onwards,that she rarely felt thirsty,unless it was very hot,and that she had to remind herself to drink quite frequently. I admit that I thought she was exaggerating,but now at the grand old age of 55,I have noticed that I don't feel thirsty as often as I used to.

Bubastes · 07/02/2019 18:01

Yes that's why older people often get dehydrated, they simply don't recognise that they're thirsty.

Popc0rn · 07/02/2019 18:03

I can easily forget to drink much during the day, especially at work. But I try to remind myself to drink about 2 litres a day, and find that now I'm in the habit of drinking more, I feel more thirsty than I used to, if that makes sense?

Sipping your way through 1.5 - 3 litres throughout the day isn't going to do the average person without medical problems any harm, whereas not drinking enough might do.

FruminousBandersnatch · 07/02/2019 18:15

“It's almost like the amazing built-in feedback system known as thirst has got this shit nailed.“

This. The weird fear people have now of getting thirsty is bonkers. It’s easy to tell if you are dehydrated by the colour of your urine, but people are still chugging water obsessively to reach some arbitrary goal.

cardibach · 07/02/2019 20:05

Fiona you wouldn’t go off advice from a doctor or healthcare practitioner about your health?
People who think we will damage ourselves if we can’t drink 2l of water in Northern Europe - how do you think we managed to evolve inAfrica/Middle East?

Joysandsorrows · 07/02/2019 22:25

My cardiologist recommended I drink 3 liters of water a day. He said the heart is the first organ to suffer from dehydration. I did for a while & I felt great. My skin definitely looked better and so did my energy levels.
Hard to keep it up permanently but i’m going to try it again. Must be something to it!

floribunda18 · 08/02/2019 11:06

People who think we will damage ourselves if we can’t drink 2l of water in Northern Europe - how do you think we managed to evolve inAfrica/Middle East?

I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer to give my body optimum conditions rather than subsistence or survival levels.

Thecreosotekid · 08/02/2019 20:03

ZanyMobster that chart is up on th wall in the urology dept I go to.

WorraLiberty · 08/02/2019 20:09

I drink roughly 1.5 ltrs of actual water a day and a few cups of tea on top, because I like it.

When I don't, I 100% notice the difference in my skin and scalp after a couple of days. It's all very dry.

RedPanda2 · 08/02/2019 20:12

I drink 4 litres a day and don't go to the loo that often, I've got used to it now. It has definitely made me feel better and my skinis clearer.

pangolina · 08/02/2019 20:28

I've drunk 2-3l a day since I was 15, I can't imagine not drinking that much. I definitely notice if I go below that level, and feel dry eyed and headachey.

adaline · 08/02/2019 20:40

I do wonder how much of it is what you're used to, though.

There are people on this thread who say they barely drink plain water but have never had any health issues, and some who say they need 3-4 litres to feel healthy.

JacquettaW · 08/02/2019 22:39

I don't drink water but I do consume a lot of fluids. I tend to have 3 or 4 big mugs of coffee and 2 refills of my 800ml bottle in squash at work. When I get home, it can be 4 more big glasses of squash. I tend to average about 3 litres a day, not by concerted effort, I just drink when I'm thirsty or hungry waiting for dinner

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