Do I Need to Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day?
Carrying around a bottle of water is a badge of healthy living, and we’re told to drink at least 8 glasses a day—however, this advice has more holes than a leaky bucket.
“Experts” urge us to drink water to flush out toxins and combat aging, but like so many health myths, the 8-glasses-a-day (or 2.5 liters) advice seems to have sprung from a misunderstanding. The US Food and Nutrition Board published advice in 1945 that a “suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily.” Had thirsty health-seekers not gulped down this snippet right away, they would have read the next sentence, which stated that most of this will come from food. Healthy adults, they advised correctly, ...
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