‘Make sure you drink eight glasses of water a day’: it’s a message that’s been drummed into lots of us for as long as we can remember.
But it turns out that while this is definitely true for some people, it’s not the case for everybody.
And, more than that, you don’t necessarily have to get all of your water from drinking glasses of the stuff, since plenty of fruit and vegetables contain: yep, you guessed it – water.
With increased attention paid to ensuring we stay hydrated, many of us are far more conscious of when we’re thirsty or feel like if we hit a certain level of thirst, we must be dehydrated. But this isn’t necessarily true, either!
Basically, we’re all a little too hard on ourselves when it comes to hydration and there’s a lot of misconceptions floating around.
Is everything we know about drinking water wrong?
No, don’t worry. We really should be drinking water regularly and it is essential to our wellbeing that we regularly consume it.
However, there have been more than a couple of myths we’ve become used to along the way. For example, many of us believe that you can never drink too much water but “too much of a good thing” even applies to water.
There’s a condition called hyponatremia (often referred to as water toxicity), which anybody can get and, according to nutritionist Gregor Hultin, this condition occurs when the concentration of sodium in your body gets too low.
This causes the cells in your body to swell and can even be life-threatening.
However, while anybody can get this, people who have kidney failure, congestive heart failure, liver dysfunction, chronic severe vomiting or diarrhoea, Addison’s disease or those on antidepressants and diuretics are at a higher risk, according to Cleveland Clinic.
And the whole eight glasses a day thing? Kind of a myth, too. Like most personal goals, what one person needs will differ from another.
According to Hultin, “it’s based on many factors, including physical activity, your diet, and the environment that you live in, among others”.
It seems that this myth actually came from guidance way back in 1945 from the Nutrition Board of the United States National Research Council.
“A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 litres daily in most instances,” they wrote. But while that line has reappeared time and time again, it seems that we have forgotten the part that came next: “Most of this quantity is in prepared foods.”
Mayo Clinic notes that some produce — like watermelon and spinach — is nearly 100% water by weight.
They add that beverages such as milk, juice and herbal teas are composed mostly of water. Even caffeinated drinks — such as coffee and soda — can contribute to your daily water intake. And if you eat a lot of soup, that counts too.
So, how much water should we drink per day?
Ultimately, if you’re worried about your water intake, you should speak to your doctor to find out exactly what is right for you.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s a very hot day, you’re exercising a lot, or are recovering from illness, you’ll need to drink more than usual.
Some sure-fire signs you aren’t drinking enough include: if your wee is dark yellow, you’re urinating less, or you feel thirsty.
Aaron Carroll, a professor of paediatrics and co-author of the health book Don’t Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health spoke to the Telegraph about people’s concerns around hydration and said: “This idea you have to consciously force yourself to consume a certain amount of pure, unadulterated water on top of your normal diet, well… there’s no rational or scientific basis for that at all.”
He added: “The vast majority of people who are obsessing about this are living through the greatest abundance in human history. Yet we are more worried than ever that our bodies are going to collapse.”
Basically, drink water regularly and keep a healthy diet that incorporates fruit and veg and you’ll be fine.