Thursday , March 28 2024
Scottish doctor Mary McCartney calls this recommendation "nonsense" and cites that there are no clear studies or convincing evidence to support this claim.

Don’t Drink the Water: 8 Glasses a Day Theory Questioned

According to a report in the British Medical Journal, it is not necessary to drink 8 glasses of water a day for good health. Scottish doctor Mary McCartney calls this recommendation “nonsense” and cites that there are no clear studies or convincing evidence to support this claim made by the organization Hydration for Health.

I don’t know about you, but I drink more than eight glasses of water a day, especially in the summer. Of course, in the back of my mind I have that “eight glasses a day” thing, but I also find water to be the best thirst quencher. I also prefer to drink water with my meals rather than soda, juice, or coffee. This is a personal preference, but I know as I drink water I always think it is a healthier practice than imbibing drinks loaded with sugar or caffeine.

McCartney points to the motives behind Hydration for Health’s call to drink water and notes that they are supported by the French company Danone, which just so happens to own Evian, Volvic, and Badoit water bottlers. Obviously, it is no coincidence that this group promotes good health through water.

I am sure if Pepsi and Coca-Cola supported some group to tout the benefits of drinking soda, we would all see it as a sham, but since water equals healthy in most people’s minds, we don’t think twice about it.

Dr. McCartney is not suggesting we stop drinking water, and she does note that drinking more water can be a good thing for patients who have a need for it, like “those with current kidney stones or polycystic kidney disease.” She also notes that the eight glasses theory doesn’t make sense for everyone; children and the elderly certainly will not need to drink as much as adults and so on.

Another thing that stands out for me is the bottles. There are millions of plastic water bottles being tossed away every year, many of which never make it to recycling. That has to bother people as much as the fact that some water companies even admit that they bottle tap water. Why pay for something that you have coming into your home that is much cheaper?

I must say that I use some pre-packaged bottled water when I have no other options, but for the most part I use tap water that has been filtered. I make four half gallon bottles a day and use most of it up. I have also picked up reusable water bottles (available in many stores) and take them to the park and beach.

In the end it will be an individual choice to drink water or other beverages. There is no question that I push water on my kids because there is so much sugar in juice and soda. It is a rare treat when they get to have soda, and juice is only allowed once a day at breakfast. Milk is in the mix too, but on these hot summer days they have been asking for water much more than anything else.

Do you drink 8 glasses of water a day? Will you continue doing so? I know that I feel healthier drinking water, so I am not changing anything. In fact, I am enjoying a glass of cold water right now. Cheers!

 

About Victor Lana

Victor Lana's stories, articles, and poems have been published in literary magazines and online. His new novel, 'Unicorn: A Love Story,' is available as an e-book and in print.

Check Also

Book Review: ‘Found, Near Water’ – A Suspenseful Mystery by Katherine Hayton

Whenever it comes to missing and exploited children there is always that painful feeling, for there is an innocence lost when a child disappears. The edginess of Found, Near Water begins right from the beginning and the missing are threaded together into a strange and eerie nightmare of questions and answers.