Almost everyone has heard the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day. It's true our bodies need water every day, but the eight glass rule has reached mythical status.
In reality, the body also can extract water from food, and although some purists say otherwise, juice, milk and any non-caffeinated or non-alcoholic drink also counts toward your daily water intake.
In her column in Toronto's C-Health, nutritionist Maye Musk says you shouldn't take seriously some of the exaggerated claims made for water drinking. These include:
- Plenty of water helps in weight reduction;
- Water flushes out mysterious unnamed toxins, and
- Most illnesses are caused by dehydration.
Musk recommends drinking enough fluids to avoid thirst, without forcing yourself to drink eight glasses. In an accompanying story, she lists the water content of some foods and mentions situations where drinking more water is advisable, such as during strenuous exercising, long flights or when any illness causes vomiting or diarrhea.
A report from the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that drinking water may be more important for the elderly because the body becomes less efficient at regulating fluids.
