8 Glasses of Water Per Day: to Drink or not to Drink

We’ve all heard about this long standing advice “drink 2 litres of water per day,” right? You have probably even met a medic who told you that you need to drink 8 glasses of water every day to keep adequately hydrated. Even more propelling are the documented Critical Nutrition Practices (CNP) of Kenya which categorically state that every individual should drink at least 2 litres of water per day, which goes back to the 8 glasses. But do these medics take to account the climatic variations, the level of activity, age or gender?

Just as you get worried about the practicability of such a scenario, let me calm you down; there is no such a scientific study that has been conducted to determine what would constitute a healthy daily ‘dose’ of water. So where has this ubiquitous advice mysteriously originate from? Blame it on the hydropathists! Back in the mid-1880s, these alternative medicine practitioners advocated for lots of water intake, as a universal remedy. This water ‘cure’ led to the establishment of sanatoriums in Europe, Australia as well as the US, recommending drinking of approximately 1.7 litres of water every day.

The initial literature that highlighted on this topic was written by Dr. Irwin Stillman in 1967, who developed the widely publicized ‘Stillman Diet’. According to Stillman, a minimum of 10 glasses of plain water were required by the body each day. His specious biological argument was that, this dose of water is the minimum requirement for the kidneys to use in getting rid of fatty acids as a result of the breakdown of fats. He later clarified that this function is not fully comprehensible.

After Stillman’s argument failed miserably, Dr. Fredrick J. Stare came up with another argument in 1974. He estimated the dose of water as approximately 6 to 8 glasses per day, adding that the estimation is because the body self regulates itself through various physiological processes. However, he concluded that there are other great sources of water in addition to drinking plain water such as tea, coffee, milk, beer, soft drinks as well as fruits and vegetables. Conversely, the selective mind picked the ‘6 to 8 glasses of water per day’ bit and thrashed the rest of the statement.

So that being clarified, why do we still think the body would still need 8 glasses of water per day in order to optimally function? In a bid to clarify this issue, 2 researchers Dr. Valtin and Dr. Tsindos investigated extensively on this subject and published literatures in 2002 and 2012 respectively. Both reports denied there being any scientific evidence to validate the need for the 8 glasses dose of water. That leads me back to my question…is drinking 8 glasses of water per day overrated? My answer is yes!

While regarding all factors that come into play, athletes and people who live in hot climatic regions would even need more water than the 8 glasses per day. However, an average adult would need to replenish the amount of water lost through bodily excretions such as sweat, exhaled water vapor, urine and faeces. According to the US National Academy of Science’s Food and Nutrition Board, the adequate water intake fluctuates with age and gender. Their range is quite wide…for men aged 51-70, 1.9 litres in total is specified; while women within the same age bracket 2.0 litres of water in total is indicated, this includes water ingested in all beverages and foods. However, their data being derived from a survey is a depiction of how much water people consume as opposed to how much they ought to consume.

Therefore, always ensure that your body is adequately hydrated, because dehydration is as dangerous as is over-hydration. Dehydration can cause seizures which are attributed to brain damage and subsequent death. Besides, minor dehydration can worsen conditions like UTIs and constipation, and lead to the development of dental problems due to lack of saliva in the mouth! On the other hand, over-hydration could result in a rare condition called hyponatremia. This condition is as a result of electrolyte imbalance attributed to water and sodium loss through normal body excretion processes, followed by replacement of excessive amounts of water only, leading to low sodium levels in the body. This could result in a serious brain swell and later death. This condition is commonly witnessed amongst athletes and the army troops drinking plenty of water during endurance trainings.

The bottom-line is, unlike vitamins and minerals that have Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) determined; water has no set minimum intake. Let your body guide you through the inbuilt hydration meter: your urine. Healthy urine’s usual color is normally light yellow, and should be clear enough to see through it. In case it is dark orange or has a distinctive odor, you might be dehydrated. Lastly, don’t stress yourself drinking lots and lots of plain water, your body will make good use of water from any source be it foods, soft drinks or beverages.