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Original poster

Myth? You need 8 glasses of water a day

34 replies

golfergirl28 · 04/05/2014 23:08

Marie Claire states, " 8 glasses of water is too much. Given the human stomach is the size of a fist it overloads and puts a strain on your gut. Constantly sipping acts like a diuretic and flushes the body of the vitamins it needs. Guzzling in short bursts can cause kidney strain".
Oh dear, and here was me congratulating myself on my water consumption!
My mother used to say drinking a lot of water stretched your stomach and made you hungrier. I thought she was talking nonsense but was she?

OP posts:
mousmous · 04/05/2014 23:12

you need as much water/liquid so that you feel good and your urine is not too smelly and yellow.
what that amount is us different from person to person.

OneLittleLady · 04/05/2014 23:13

I drink a lot, an awful lot in fact but I have constant dry mouth and throat due to medications so I have to drink a lot otherwise I end up with constant sore throats and my gums get sore because they are so dry. I do try and do things like suck mints or boiled sweets as well to try and lessen how much I have to drink but they are not as effective as a proper drink of tea/water. I have to say though, I do have pretty fabulous skin and zero wrinkles Wink

TequilaMockingbirdy · 04/05/2014 23:14

Your mother is talking nonsense Grin

Most of the recommended amounts are just guidelines. I remember reading that the 5 a day is just a number they plucked from the air as it seemed reasonable.

No-one drinks 8 glasses of water in one sitting so this strain on the gut is nonsense. There is a risk of imbalancing the bodies sodium levels but this is quite rare and wouldn't happen because of 8 glasses of water.

This is an interesting read: www.scientificamerican.com/article/eight-glasses-water-per-day/

I think the 8 glasses of day just gives us something to aim for. Many people don't get enough water, so if this makes us drink more I don't see anything wrong with it.

PiratePanda · 04/05/2014 23:14

The 8 glasses of water a day thing is indeed a load of bollocks. 2L is how much fluid you should take in per day in total including all the water in food (about 70% of what we eat, drinks aside), tea, coffee, etc.

And I think these days they advise even less.

OneLittleLady · 04/05/2014 23:16

piratePanda is it actually harmful to drink more than 2L total? I absolutely drink way way more than that, plus water from food. I explained why above, I'm just wondering if it's actually harmful to me in any way?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 04/05/2014 23:37

Kidney consultant told us 7 glasses of water a day.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 04/05/2014 23:48

Apparently if you drink too much you get thirsty as a result?
But it's mainly athletes who sweat out their electrolytes that will suffer (well that counts me out)

I'm drinking more at the moment because I'm getting hot flushes (peri menopause) but I think - listen to what your body tells you, and my wee is 99% clear straw coloured except when I'm busy at work and no chance of a drink or wee

ErrolTheDragon · 04/05/2014 23:49

Onelittle - it's probably ok so long as you have enough electrolytes - some people both limit sodium and drink more water than they need. If you're drinking tea with milk, that may be better for you than drinking lots of plain water I'd guess.

The article tequila linked to is good - in addition to explaining where the myth arose from note ' "Water requirements depend so much on outside temperature, activity levels and other factors that there isn't one rule that fits everybody,". When I'm on holiday in the med, after sailing or windsurfing for a couple of hours I'll glug down about a litre of water at one go ... no way would I do that normally.

OneLittleLady · 05/05/2014 00:01

errol I don't deliberately limit sodium and I also don't do any strenuous exercise of any kind (can't, physically disabled) and I also don't feel ill or anything so I'm guessing I'm ok as I am

squoosh · 05/05/2014 00:03

I don't drink tea, coffee or juice so do probably drink 2 litres of water a day. I just love water.

EasterSundaySimmons · 05/05/2014 00:52

Hmmmm
www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2480491/How-drinking-litres-water-day-took-years-face.html

I couldn't physically drink 3 litres a day! Could I?

Maybe I should aim for two litres, that's only four small bottles of water.

burnishedsilver · 05/05/2014 01:18

Revolutionary new thinking on the subject..... drink when you're thirsty.
Why do we have to over complicate everything?

IDugUpADiamond · 05/05/2014 06:51

I drink at least 2 litres of water every day and for me, there's absolutely no doubt that my skin benefits from it. When I don't get to drink as much for whatever reason, I feel more tired and hungry. I have also had kidney stones so hopefully drinking so much helps me with that too. I am also a serial dieter and have always noticed that if I don't drink enough, I simply don't shed any weight.

MelonKim · 05/05/2014 07:55

oh fgs when will this skin bollocks stop being wheeled out.
its an UTTER myth. You might believe it but dont maintain its science.
excess water isnt stored. its pissed out

meditrina · 05/05/2014 08:03

It's a myth.

Your need for fluid depends on your metabolism, activity level and general state of health.

It doesn't matter what liquid it comes from (drink, soup, watery foods).

There is nothing magically health-giving about water compared to other liquids.

Excess is simply excreted. Your body doesn't 'flush' and additional liquid makes no difference to what the body takes for normal metabolism.

MelonKim · 05/05/2014 08:05

plus your kidneys filter out any crap. not water.

How does water mythically spot 'toxins" and take them with it?

TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain · 05/05/2014 08:24

Looking at that journal, thats only three 500 ml bottles every day. Sure I fecking drink that! Im thought it was way more!!

Then why am I so dehydrated and why is my skin so puffy?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 05/05/2014 08:24

I'll be sure to tell the consultant MN declares it a myth next time we see him.

meditrina · 05/05/2014 08:27

Please note my post referred inter alia to medical condition.

If something is up that requires consultant care and individual medical advice, then none of the reasons here apply to you.

Maria33 · 05/05/2014 08:33

You should only drink 2l of liquid a day - much more puts strain on your kidneys and can cause problems eventually. Obviously if you sweat a lot, you should drink more.. But 2l is average...

I was told this by a consultant urologist.

Hopefully · 05/05/2014 08:38

I drink to thirst, and some days I'm sure I only drink about a litre, other days it's probably closer to 3. I figure using thirst as a guide has kept us going for a few million years, it'll probably work for me!

TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain · 05/05/2014 08:38

This is actually a revelation to me-Im quite embarrassed about that!

Three regular bottles of water! Sure ive already drank one and Im only up an hour!

crescentmoon · 05/05/2014 09:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noddyholder · 05/05/2014 09:08

It isn't a myth I took part in trials as I had been on dialysis and had a new transplant and there are definitely effects on blood pressure weight etc. kidneys are v complex and are given their orders by various glands and hormones.

MelonKim · 05/05/2014 09:10

but you iz ill nod