Food - Drink
Having 8 Glasses Of Water Daily Could Be Too Much, According To A Study
By CLAIRE REDDEN
Water is essential for life; it covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and composes about 60% of the human body. Thus, it’s important to get enough water on a daily basis, but a new study has revealed that the old recommendation of eight glasses of water per day might actually be too much for the average person.
While drinking eight glasses of water a day won’t hurt you, you probably don’t need to; plus, it's best to conserve water where you can. New research which includes two major variables that were previously left out — the water content of food and how much water your body uses daily — suggests that most people only need about 6 to 7 cups of water daily.
However, if you’re eating a lot of water-rich foods like fruits or vegetables you probably need less, whereas if you’re in a humid environment, exercise a lot, or are sick you’ll probably need more. The best advice comes from professor John Speakman who recommends “that many people just ignore [these guidelines] and follow what their body is telling them.”