Don't Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day
You know you don't actually have to drink eight glasses of water a day, right? (Not from physical cups, at least.) Slate looks into the history of the "drink eight glasses of water a day" myth.
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12 Comments:
Ugh thank God. Can't stand trying to choke down water everyday.
LRS3445 at 12:15PM on 04/08/08
But Robyn, how many am I supposed to drink?!?
Raphael at 12:18PM on 04/08/08
Puh-leeze! I'm 55 and I take diuretics!
RichardCrystal at 12:26PM on 04/08/08
Raphael: Eat fruit.
roboppy at 12:29PM on 04/08/08
I'd been hearing for a while that it was myth. Not far off from the myths based on the U.S. government's food pyramid, created not to guide us nutritionally, but to help sell beef.
RheaB at 1:12PM on 04/08/08
Who ever believed that? I mean, maybe 1 out of 20 people actually drinks that much water. Are the other 19 wandering around dehydrated and confused all day? Why do we even need an article examining what anyone with common sense can see?
People need to think about what they're told instead of believing whatever is repeated often.
And Rhea, beef doesn't need the food pyramid's help. It sells itself. :)
FatBastard at 1:46PM on 04/08/08
I always drink that much water .... after making it into coffee.
srhcb at 5:39PM on 04/08/08
I don't seem to have a problem drinking 64 oz of water a day...been doing it for many years and, if nothing else, my skin looks kinda great.
bessfour at 5:57PM on 04/08/08
@srhcb AMEN!
huney_bumper at 8:40AM on 04/09/08
I am one of the "maybe 1 out of 20 people" who actually drinks that much water- I just really like like water and don't drink sodas or iced tea. It's good for people who have a hard time drinking that much water to know that they don't really 'need" to, but it won't hurt me to continue doing so, right?
FatBastard- I agree about beef selling itself, but a catchy number like "Pork: the Meat of Kings" could only help!
amber at 8:50AM on 04/09/08
Does it make sense at all that how much water an individual person needs to consume to stay properly hydrated is partially contingent upon how much that person weighs? Given that a certain percentage of our bodies is water, a 200-lb person would need to consume more water to keep everything in balance than a 110-lb person would need to consume.
MelsDiner at 1:08PM on 04/09/08
I'm with you, bessfour--soda is expensive and fruit juice upsets my stomach, so I drink water throughout the day and my complexion is generally good.
A good rule is just to drink when you're thirsty. I don't think the average healthy person needs to force liquids, but thirst should never be ignored.
Robyn is right too; a fruit is a charming addition to any diet. Also a nice salad.
annien at 4:51PM on 04/10/08