6 posts tagged “water”
The latest BLI newsletter (recieved via email this morning) offers a different take on the whole "drink your water" issue.
Have you had your "fluid" today? :p
Check it out:
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Water: 8 x 8
Dr. Chet Zelasko | June 24, 2008
Water has been in the news recently--drinking water, to be more specific. Two researchers from the University of Pennsylvania attempted to find the source of the long-standing recommendation to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day or 8 x 8, for short (1). They saw that the Internet was full of recommendations for drinking a lot of water, and they wanted to find out why. They examined all clinical trials on drinking water back to the 1970s, and they couldn’t find a single clinical trial to support that recommendation!
Next they decided to examine some of the reasons that are given for drinking 8 x 8--their reasoning was that the recommendation had to be based on science. Let’s see what they found.
Clinical Outcomes
The researchers found four reasons cited on the Internet for drinking more water:
- Eliminate toxins
- Improve organ function
- Help weight loss
- Prevent headaches, including migraines
They couldn’t find significant research to support any of those claims. I agree, for the most part.
Drinking more water to flush the body won’t eliminate toxins--it just adds more fluid to the body. You eliminate toxins by providing the liver with proper nutrients so it can neutralize toxins and then eliminate them through the kidneys, but more water won’t help that process. The right foods and supplements will.
Drinking water before eating to help with weight loss proved to be equivocal. Some studies support it, others do not. I think that it comes down to being consistent. If you drink 8-16 ounces of water 15 minutes before every meal, that will give your body the water it needs and may help you eat a little less. As the researchers suggested, because water is not patentable, the research to prove or disprove it will never be done. I would try it anyway because there’s no harm and it’s a way of providing nutrients--and water is a nutrient--to the body on a regular basis.
Drinking water to help organs such as the skin or the brain also doesn’t have much basis in research. Severe dehydration can affect the skin, but drinking more water doesn’t provide additional benefits. The sparse research on drinking water for migraines did show improvement, but it wasn’t statistically significant. The brain is almost 80% water and the muscles about the same. Lack of water can cause fatigue and contributes to muscle cramps; it wouldn’t be surprising if drinking more water did benefit headaches, including migraines.
Is 8 x 8 Justified?
Let’s get back to the original question of the eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Is it justified? As I said, the researchers examined clinical trials back through the early 1970s, but perhaps they should have picked up a basic physiology textbook instead, such as Guyton’s Textbook of Medical Physiology (2). If they had looked there, they would have found a section in the chapter on fluid balance that talked about how much water we lose every day under normal conditions:
- Skin (not from sweat)--12 ounces
- Lungs--12 ounces
- Sweat--4 ounces (without exercise)
- Feces--4 ounces
- Urine--48 ounces
- Total: 80 ounces per day. And remember, that’s without sweating due to exercise or high heat and humidity.
The recommended 8 x 8 would provide 64 ounces, and that means we would be 16 ounces short based on typical fluid loss, even before your daily exercise routine. That’s why eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day is still a good idea. Notice I said fluid. Tea, coffee, sports and energy drinks, soft drinks, juice--all fluids count toward that total.
The researchers focused only on drinking an additional 64 ounces of water per day. They picked a position and defended it from a strict clinical-outcome perspective. Normally that’s good practice, but in this case it just didn’t make any sense.
There’s one more thing that you’ll probably read somewhere and that’s the water in fruits and vegetables counts toward that total. I agree, but most of us eat only three or four servings of fruits and vegetables per day, if that. Let’s say you start your day with an orange; that’s four ounces of fluid. Later, with your dinner, you have a medium baked potato along with a cup of broccoli; that would add four ounces and three ounces respectively. Then let’s say you top it off with a banana--another three ounces. From the foods you ate, you got 14 ounces of water--you still need another 66 ounces. And that’s why eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day is still a good idea. Now you know why. Bottoms up!
References:
- Negoianu D, and Goldfarb, S. Just Add Water. J Am Soc Nephrol 2008; 19:1-3.
- Guyton and Hall. Textbook of Medical Physiology. 10th Edition. W.B. Saunders. Pps 264-5. 2000.
I am sooooooooooo pumped about this stuff finally showing up! This stuff ROCKs!!!!! woot! :)
After I got my fill of blossums, I did remember to take a few non-blossum pictures in the park!
There was some sweet blue flowers mixed in with the greenery. It was windy so it was hard to get a decent shot.
As I only got close-ups last time, here are some further away shots of the fountain.
And here is an even further away shot of the whole park. I took this one from the bridge and zoomed in a bit. The park is up from the marina.
I also got another shot of the water shooting up from the fountain but this time I was able to get the water with a clear blue sky behind which I think is cool. (The other shots had clouds and sky behind).
Moving on from the fountain, I took some interest in some of the boat reflections. Unfortunately only one turned out decently.
And before I completely left the park, I got some cool pinecone shots. A definite break from blossums. Pinecones aren't as pretty as blossums but they have a certain appeal.
Sorry it's taken me so long to post part 3 of my walk on Monday. I got a bit sidetracked and also couldn't decide which pictures to use.
Continuing on from part 1 and part 2, I continued on past the 2 private lagoons and had to take a detour around the marina parking lot. After the parking lot, I had a choice of continuing along the street or take some stairs up to somewhere. I saw bushes and trees at the top of the stairs and so I was intrigued to investigate.
What I found at the top of the stairs was a private little park that, according to the sign, was maintained for and by the residents in the area. It was beautiful, peaceful, and very clean....and I never knew it was here! It has lush green grass, lots of trees.....and one gorgeous fountain that is the focal point of the park. I was so entranced by the fountain that I didn't take any pictures of the park! Ha....well, its appears I will be back so I will get some next time! :)
The design of the fountain in this park is unusal, for this area, as it is large and it looks almost like a Mayan temple. It had 3 large spouts of water shooting out the top and then it is surrounded on all four sides by stairs into a huge pool. It is quite a stunning fountain. And since it was sunny, I thought it would be a neat idea to try and get some shots of water shooting up into the sunny sky.
I have a thing for taking shots of water, especially moving water, so these may be a bit boring or obsessive for you, but I had a great time trying to get some neat shots.
Here is one side of the fountain:
Shots of water against the sky:
Trying to get shots of the water splashing down the steps:
Moving westerly from the Granville Island lagoon, I walked along the seawall walkway which I have never walked before. I have walked the seawall on the other side of the water but never on this side. And I found out that there are 2 semi-private man-made lagoons surrounded by townhouses. Very cool! Some of the townhouses even had decks right on the water! I only took pics of the first lagoon because the second one wasn't as blessed with as much nature and I felt I got a lot on the first one. The second one was larger, though.
I say these are semi-private because you can't walk around them (private property for residents only) but you can see them and sit by them on the seawall side. When the weather is warmer and more consistently sunny, I may come over and sit on these benches to read. Its very peaceful and picturesque.
I love this one with the branches waving in the wind and the rippling water.
Our bodies are mostly water, and so this ongoing intake of water is essential to our every function. Drink the appropriate amounts, and everything is much more likely to function at optimal levels. Don't drink enough water, and over the short term you will experience routine fatigue, dry skin, headaches and constipation; over the longer term, every body function will degrade more quickly. It really is as simple as that.
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Everyone has heard at one point or another that they should drink more water. Most people give a shrug of their shoulders and a knowing nod of their head, pour themselves a glass of water, and forget about it until they're thirsty. Feeling thirst is NOT the first sign that it's time to have some water…it's the first sign that you are dehydrated!
In the dietary arena, water is an important addition to a successful weight loss program. The main reason for this is the involvement of water in the metabolism of protein and carbohydrate. Without sufficient water, the human body starts slowing down important water-consuming processes in an attempt at “water rationing”. These processes are a large part of what constitutes your metabolic rate. If you decrease your metabolic rate, you will find it MUCH more difficult to lose fat.
Some quick tips:
Drinking soda (and this includes diet soda), coffee, tea, etc., DOES NOT count as drinking water. Some of these can have a diuretic effect and cause you to LOSE water. Keep in mind that losing even a pound or two of water weight may be enough to trigger many of the symptoms of dehydration!
Drinking tap water is better than drinking no water at all. Without getting into the tap water versus bottled water debate, it is much healthier to have SOME drinking water when feeling thirsty than to have NONE and wait to buy some bottled water later.
Drink water consistently throughout the day. The recommendation of eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day is reasonable for people weighing up to 150 lbs. Larger individuals should add 8-oz of water for every 15lbs over the 150 pound mark. Make sure that the drinks are spread out fairly evenly throughout the day, as drinking a large quantity of water at one time is just going to send you to the restroom in a short while. Make a habit of having one glass of water with each meal. Realize that you may need to drink significantly more water if you live in a hot environment and/or exercise very intensely.
If you feel a headache coming on, drink some water. Many times, headaches are simply a symptom of dehydration. Most of the “headache effect” of a hangover is due to dehydration.
Drink water before having any other drinks and before brushing your teeth. Putting fluid in your mouth, even if you don't drink it, can trick your mind into perceiving that you've had water. That's why boxing cornermen squirt water into a boxer's mouth and have them spit it out (a bad practice based on outdated thinking, in any case). Rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth can be very similar.
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Thank you to my friends at DNA Fitness for that awesome info!!!
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I find that I feel best when my water consumption is up. I generally feel better with less headaches and much less muscle and back pain. That is huge for me since I have a very bad back. If I have a lot of muscle pain, I will stop and think how much water I have been consuming and its usually not been good. And if I get a lot of water in that day, the next day I am fine. I have tested this a few times and now am convinced.
A lot of people tell me that they just forget and its hard to remember. I share the same weakness. So in knowing my shortfalls, I tested a few ways to develop a habit that worked for me. For me, its all about being a habit. When I work out, I drink water no problemo. Its the rest of the time.
I have 2 water bottles. One is 1 litre (32 oz) and the other is a bit smaller. I needed to make it convenient so I don't have to think about it since I always forgot. If its there on my desk, I will drink it. Drinking from a large bottle means that I have a large amount right there. It means less trips to the kitchen which I may not make if busy. And if I am really busy, I keep the second bottle handy so I have even more. With this method, I will drink 2-3 litres a day, sometimes 4. Without it, I would be lucky if I got in 1 litre.
If I am going to be out for the day, and depending on whether I am walking or taking the car and the length of the trip, I plan accordingly. I will take at least one bottle with me, both if I am in the car. If I am out all day, I make sure to buy some bottled water as well. Or if I have some extra at home, I will bring them along. The more I plan for myself, the less chance I will either not drink or will drink something else. It used to feel wierd but now its totally a habit and done automatically.
Adding a lemon slice works too, if you get bored with plain water.
Find what works for you and go for it!
