By
Jessica Ashley
How
much water do we really need? You may think six to eight glasses per day
because you have probably read many articles and had discussions with your
doctor to support that.
But a Scottish physician has blasted that standard in a
British Medical Journal article, stirring the debate about how much water we
should drink and how much is too much and bad for our health. Dr. Margaret
McCartney argues there is no quality scientific evidence to support the
recommendation, which she says can lead to over-hydration problems for some
people.
Here's
what you need to know to sort hydration hype from good health advice.
Don't skimp
The
eight-glass formula doesn't fit for everyone. It depends on your gender, size,
and level of activity, other studies note. The Institute of Medicine calls for
adult men to drink 13 cups of fluid daily (which totals three liters, or a
little more than four tall reusable water bottles) and women to have nine cups
(2.2 liters, or about the amount found in three reusable water bottles). That
number changes according to lifestyle. The more active a person is, the more
they will need to replace fluids. Larger people, pregnant and nursing women,
and those who take dehydrating medications also will likely need to account for
that by adding more water to their diet.
If
you are active, it's also important to account for your environment when
calculating how much fluid you need. If you are exercising in temperatures that
are very hot (likely leading you sweat more) or very cold (which can stunt your
ability to sense dehydration), are an endurance athlete, or are active in a
high-altitude area, you will probably need to up your water intake.
Don't overdo it
The
debate about how much water we really need to be drinking is centered around
the risk of hyponatremia, or taking in more fluid that the body loses while
sweating. It is a serious condition that occurs when there is not enough sodium
(or salt) in the body fluids outside of the cells. This can cause swelling,
including of the brain. Hyponatremia happens when a person sweats excessively
in one stint, does not eat, does not urinate enough, and drinks a great deal of
water. Symptoms include confusion, headaches, muscle spasms, vomiting,
convulsions, and fatigue. In the worst cases, hyponatremia can lead to
seizures, coma, and even death.
There
are exceptions for medical conditions and other situations, but athletes are often
watched for signs of hyponatremia, especially those participating in endurance
events like a marathon or triathlon.
Experts
advise taking in some electrolyte-replacement fluids in addition to drinking
water while you are exercising. However, you really only need a minimal amount
to keep your body in balance and give you an energy kick. For example, it is
recommended that runners out for 30 minutes to an hour take in three to six
ounces of fluid every 15 or 20 minutes, including one sports drink. There's
also evidence that simply taking sips or swishing a sports drink will do the
trick.
Don't get sucked in to the sports
drink hype
The
risks of hyponatremia are steep, but take the hype about over-hydrating with a
grain of salt. The multi-billion-dollar sports drink industry has pushed the
idea that most people need more than water when they are active. However, some
experts say that most people don't need a lot of sports beverages, and that
they often just add calories to diets. The CDC recommends choosing sports
drinks that do not have added sugar, which can total 38 grams in just one
bottle.
In
May, the American
Academy of Pediatrics
issued a report warning that children should not consume sports drinks except
when participating in lengthy sports competitions.
Consider
these other drinks that carry the same benefits of electrolyte-replacement
beverages but also have nutritional value or are less caloric:
Chocolate
milk beat out water, sports drinks and regular milk in a recent study of what
is the best post-exercise drink for our bodies. Lowfat milk has also been
touted as an ideal remedy for muscles that have been rigorously exercised.
Coconut
water is a nonfat beverage that has about half the calories of a sports drink
while being high in potassium and antioxidants. Coconut water works best for
average athletes.
Pickle
juice is packed with sodium and, if you can bear it, can be added to water or
made into popsicles for hot-weather workouts. There's also scientific and
anecdotal evidence that drinking a shot out of the pickle jar will help
alleviate muscle cramps faster.
Beetroot
juice has recently been recognized as a new "super drink" after one
study found it helped competitive cyclists cut down their times by a few
critical seconds. Not taking part in the Tour de France? Then keep an eye out
for more research on how this alternative beverage might help weekend warriors.
Count other drinks besides water as
fluids
It's
OK to include other drinks when you're measuring how many fluids you take in
per day. However, that isn't a license to subsist on soda, coffee, and sugary
drinks. Although caffeine in soda and coffee won't dehydrate you, they
shouldn't be used to quench thirst or as a substitute for water. Add them to
your fluid tally, but do reach for water more often than you pop open a can of
bubbly stuff.
People
who imbibe, particularly wine and hard liquors, should also be aware that those
drinks with a high alcohol content can be dehydrating. Beer, however, is less
dehydrating because it is predominantly water. Drinking a glass of water before
and after alcohol can't hurt fluid intake or the chances of avoiding a headache
the next day.
Eat your water
You
don't always have to sip to stay hydrated. Experts say that 20 percent (or
2-1/2 cups) of the water we ingest comes from the foods we eat. Choosing the
right water-rich fruits and vegetables will also add nutrients to your diet,
fill you up, and may even give some oomph to your exercise.
Fruits
like strawberries, cantaloupes, and peaches are packed full of water and potassium,
which is the electrolyte shed when your body sweats. Adding more to your daily
diet will help balance the fluids your body needs, regulate your heartbeat and
circulation, and tastes better than chugging an energy drink.
Selecting
foods that fuel your health while helping keep you hydrated will give you more
bang for your buck. Watermelon offers a vitamin C boost, broccoli helps fight
cancer, pineapple aids muscle recovery after a big workout, and yogurt ups
immunity. (Read more about foods that keep you hydrated and healthy here.)
Sneak in the good stuff
If
you're up to your ears in cucumber salad or can't manage to down another bottle
of water, work in little ways to stay hydrated. Add slices of orange, lime,
kiwi, or watermelon to a jug of water for a burst of natural flavor. Make a
regular old glass of tap water feel fancier by adding fizz with a counter-top
carbonator (sold for about $100 and marketed as home soda-makers, skip the
added flavors to make sparkling water in your own reusable bottles). Take 10
minutes once a week to stock your fridge, car, gym bag, and desk with water
bottles so it's convenient to grab water wherever you spend most of your
day. Finally, you can up your fluid
intake with one little step by simply adding a straw to your glass of water.
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