Are we drinking too much water a day?

[Love-A-Nurse]

are you drinking too much water? how much do you drink each day? i don't drink water as often as i should (according to the article that follows, it may be a good thing), however, i do eat cruched ice and consume my water this way and i drink tea sometimes too.

here is an article from the birmingham news "drinking 8 glasses of water daily seen as dubious advice" ("study finds myths on daily fluid levels")

by lauran neergaard (the associated press) washington (aug. 19) - ``drink at least eight glasses of water a day'' is an adage some obsessively follow, judging by the people sucking on water bottles at every street corner - but the need for so much water may be a myth.

fear that once you're thirsty you're already dehydrated? for many of us, another myth. caffeinated drinks don't count because they dehydrate? probably wrong, too.

so says a scientist who under-took an exhaustive hunt for evidence backing all this water advice and came up mostly, well, dry.

now the group that sets the nation's nutrition standards is studying the issue, too, to see if it's time to declare a daily fluid level needed for good health-and how much leaves you waterlogged.

until then, "obey your thirst" is good advice, says dr. heinz valtin, professor emeritus at dartmouth medical school, whose review of the eight-glass theory appears in this month's american journal of physiology.

it's about time for all the attention, says pennsylvania state university nutritionist barbara rolls, a well-known expert on thirst. "there's so much confusion out there." much of it centers on where you should get your daily water.

"there's this conception it can only come out of a bottle," and that's wrong, notes paula trumbo of the institute of medicine's food and nurtition board, which hopes to decide by march whether to issue the first official water -intake recommendation.

in fact, people absorb much water from the food they eat. fruits and vegetables are 80 to 95 percent water; meats contain a fair amount; even dry bread and cheese are about 35 percent water, says rolls.

that's in addition to juices, milk and other beverages. and many of us drink when we don't really need to, spurred by marketing, salty food and dry environments, rolls says. but the question remains: how much water does the typical, mostly sedentary american truly need? and what's the origin of the theory, heavily promoted by water sellers and various nutrition groups, that the magic number is at least 64 ounces?

valtin, who has spent 40 years researching how the body maintains a healthy fluid balance, determined the advice probably stems from muddled interpretation of a 1945 food and nutrition board report.

that report said the body need about 1 milliliter of water for each calorie consumed-almost 8 cups for a typical 2,000-calorie diet-but that "most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods."

that language somehow has morphed into "at least" 64 oounces daily, baltin says.

[Mkue]

Good thread Stephany.

Interesting Article.

I wish I drank more water than I do.

[Q.]

MEH.

On average, the American IS dehydrated. Caffeinated beverages probably DO count as fluid, more so than we think, but it is still a diuretic.

When I drink enough water, I don't have headaches, I lose weight, my skin clears up and my hair is healthier. As an OB nurse, I've seen countless women start contracting simply because they haven't kept themselves hydrated.

Everyone can do as they wish, but unless you are consuming a toxic amount of water, which is usually in psychogenic conditions anyway, it's beneficial. If you want to keep looking young, drink water.

:)

[live4today, RN]

Great thread, and I will comment on it more tomorrow as it is time for me to sign off and go to bed. So.....on that note.....sweet dreams everyone! :kiss

[Deucy]

This is a nursing board. In a stereotypical manner I will state that nurses inflict the worst nutritional travesties on their own bodies as much as any other evil-doer does to his body. Nothing has impressed me about how nurses nourish their own bodies when no one else should know better. Unlike doctors, nurses get education on nutrition that should alert them to the do's of good nutrition and the don'ts of bad nutrition. Doesn't seem to make an impact. Nutrition, water......whatever.......it all falls on deaf ears of the health care provider. I could never figure out why anyone who goes through the rigors to become a nurse doesn't have the will power to control what they eat and consumes the junk that nurses do, and once over 30 becomes more fat than any other profession (not to mention the stress).

I read the same article this morning about water. It is interesting how these health care gurus avoid a single word about physiology when addressing the subject. I thought that was what the entire issue of water consumption is all about....phsiology! Not a single mention about the need to flush the body of impurities......nothing about making the kidney's job easier with oral water intake nor the bowel's job easier to absorb water and the advantages therein. Yes, the body needs water, and the less you have to make it work to get that water the better it is for the body. In the same manner, proponents of juicing correctly state it is better for the body to benefit from the mecanically fresh juiced product than to consume 8 times that amount in volume of raw product to get the equivalent amount. It is all a matter of efficiency to allow the body to not have to work as hard. I will continue to suck water, thank you. Long live clear urine. Down with amber.

[OrthoNutter]

I'm with you on that entirely Deucy...:)

[melissa24]

80 oz. a day is what I aim to drink. I keep four 20 oz. bottles in the fridge daily. I usually drink at least 3 of them, if not all 4. If I don't, I feel different...not as good...thirstier. I used to swear off water, but now I love it.

[Tookie]

INtersting thoughts

I know l should drink more water - hang about it is 8.15pm here l am on sherry

I do agree with Suzy K though when l am disciplined - (rarely) and drink lots of water l am healther - scary thought - this thread is making me feel guilty

OH WELLL back to the ssssssherry

seroiusly - l wish l could be disciplined - wonder if they make it in tablet form?

[Tookie]

OK this is a good thread because it is really hitting home

l am NOT drinking enough water at the moment and l know l should be

[fedupnurse]

It never ceases to amaze me how the media get their hands on a study and draw all sorts of conclusions. How large was the study, how long was he study, was it replicated. I agree with you Suzy. I too find I feel and look better if I stick with water. Unless you have poor cardiac and/or renal function, this should really be a non-issue for most healthy people. Did you ever notice when you have a febrile NPO patient how their heart rate comes down after you start say NS at 150 cc/hr. HR comes down way before their temp!!!

[nakitamoon]

As far as, truly,,,,, scientifically,,,, what the body needs and what it is getting from other sources,,,, I don't know,,,, I have read all the information,,, out there,,,,

I do know as someone who can speak from both sides,,, used to never drink water,,,,, cokes,, coffee,, tea,,,, etc,,,,, & now from someone who only drinks water or coffee,,,,, occasionally a glass of tea,,,,, (I also have my choice of alcoholic beverage when I want it,,,,) I am much healthier,,,, feel so much better,,, with the water,,,,, When I havent' consumed enough I can tell,,,

Like someone posted above,,,, my skin looks and feels better,,,, my weight is easier to control,,,, my energy level,,, increases,,,

would like to note though,,, only drink filtered water,,, don't know what come out of tap!!!!! Nikita~~~

[delirium]

I'd like to point out that studies can be skewed to be resulted any way the researcher wishes, and without viewing this study, the controls, the data, yada yada yada, I simply cannot accept that it is accurate and I need not drink water.

I drink water for my kidney function, bowel function, to reduce the amount of UTIs.... and because its bloody hot outside. I have a 32 oz. rubbermaid chuggable spillproof bottle (ha! its really cool!) that I fill with water 3x/day. Usually I'm able to drink that much. Sometimes I taper off in the early evening.

I would like to read the article in the journal of physiology, though. Maybe I'll do that.