Drinking too much water

Are you drinking too much water?

Millions chugging 'excessive' two litres a day are wasting their time

Companies with 'vested interest' promoting idea we need eight glasses a day
Coffee, tea and food contribute to our fluid intake


Millions of people drinking the recommended two litres of water a day could be wasting their time, researchers have found.

Our daily fluid intake is topped up by water found in food and supposedly 'dehydrating' caffeine-based drinks, according to experts from Victoria, Australia.

Companies with a vested interest in encouraging shoppers to buy their products have perpetuated the idea, the scientists claim, with plastic bottled water becoming a 'fashion accessory'.

Dr Spero Tsindos, from La Trobe University, says we are now 'drinking copious amounts of water' without any valid reason.

He said that official guidelines calling for people to drink eight glasses of water a day were unhelpful - especially as this can partly can be met through tea, coffee and food.

'We should be telling people that beverages like tea and coffee contribute to a person’s fluid needs and despite their caffeine content, do not lead to dehydration,' said Dr Tsindos.

'We need to maintain fluid balance and should drink water, but also consider fluid in unprocessed fruits and vegetables and juices.

'Thirty years ago you didn’t see a plastic water bottle anywhere, now they appear as fashion accessories.

'As tokens of instant gratification and symbolism, the very bottle itself is seen as cool.'

He also criticised claims that drinking water can assist weight loss, pointing out that eating food with a high water content is likely to be more helpful than simply drinking water in its place.

'Drinking large amounts of water does not alone cause weight loss. A low-calorie diet is also required', said Dr Tsindos.

'Research has also revealed that water in food eaten has a greater benefit in weight reduction than avoiding foods altogether.'

He points to a study from 1976, where anthropologists noted that Saharan nomads drank half as much water as Europeans living in the same area - one of the driest regions in the world.

'Given that even in a harsh environment the consumption of water can be minimal, why do we insist on drinking such large volumes of water every day?' asked Dr Tsindos.

He said that the recent tendency to promote the ‘health benefits’ of drinking large amounts of water can be traced back to 19th-century ‘hydropathists’.

He added: 'In today’s western society there is an accepted popular view that the moment one feels thirsty one is dehydrated. Consequently, the only way to avoid this high risk situation is to consume copious amounts of water.'

This can have little greater effect than diluting the urine, he said.

'Humans need to maintain fluid balance and need to drink water when required but should also consider fluid in unprocessed fruits and vegetables and juices.

'There is further evidence that water and a well balanced diet does far more than water alone and this type of research should not be ignored.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2154878/Are-drinking-water-Millions-chugging-excessive-litres-day-wasting-efforts.html#ixzz1wxZgCP1o