We’ve all heard the advice that we should be downing eight glasses of water a day, but the latest claims from the medical field is telling us it’s ok to put back down that glass.
We’ve been led to believe that drinking 2l of water is important to prevent dehydration, but Aaron E. Carroll, professor of paediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, has rubbished these reports.
Referring to the original 1945 Food and Nutrition Board recommendation, Carroll states that the paper failed to complete the recommendation, which equated that of the 2l recommended: “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”
Writing in the New York Times, Carroll further adds to his dismissal of the medical myth saying that the water content in fruit, vegetables and regular drinks like tea and coffee are all hydrating and filling your daily H2O quota.
While Carroll makes a fair point, the original study was also presented at a time where people consumed less processed food than modern day society.
While we wouldn’t put the bottle of water down just yet (benefits to drinking water includes clearer skin and flushing out toxins), you can calm down on guzzling the litre bottles.
It probably won’t lead to dehydration.
H/T The New York Times
