According to new research, the common belief that we should all be drinking eight glasses of water a day is probably wrong. A study from the University of Aberdeen has shown that the recommended intake of two liters of water in a day barely matches our body’s true needs and in many instances, is also too high.
The study stated that men aged between 19 and 30 years old need 3.6 liters of water per day while women in the same age group need 2.8 liters a day.
Dr. Heinz Valtin, a professor emeritus of physiology from Dartmouth Medical School in the U.S., said that humans do not need to drink eight glasses of water per day and that it is “no more necessary than it was 20 years ago when it was first recommended by some health authorities” Drinking more water than the body needs can be harmful, a study by University of Birmingham scientists has found.
Prof John Speakman, who led the research published in the Journal of Physiology, said, “Our kidneys are remarkably good at regulating our fluid levels but they cannot distinguish between liquid comings from food, liquid from drinks, and liquid we generate ourselves through metabolism. So drinking too much water is just like eating too much – it can make us gain weight.”
The team found that drinking more than two liters of water a day can be fatal. Excess fluid in the body dilutes vital minerals such as sodium and potassium, which are important for controlling how your heart beats and how well your kidneys function.
Prof Speakman said, “It is very difficult to determine how much fluid we should drink each day because it depends on many factors, including metabolism, activity levels, and environment. We need to be careful when following advice to drink plenty of water, as this can lead to consuming too many calories.”