Glug! You may be drinking too much ... water

Glug! You may be drinking too much ... water By Dr. Judith Reichman "Today" show contributor Updated: 9:46 a.m. ET Feb. 8, 2005 It's become a popular health mantra: Drink a lot -- a lot -- of water. But, says Dr. Judith Reichman, too much is not a good thing : Q: I've heard you should drink eight glasses of water a day. This seems like a lot. Is it really necessary? A: No. Water is essential, but there's no need to mega-water our bodies. The body has a built-in way of controlling hydration and telling us how much we should drink. It's called thirst. An extensive review, published recently in the American Journal of Physiology, could not find medical evidence to support a need for those eight glasses a day. Drinking large amounts of water will not curb your hunger, "flush" away toxins or make your skin look moist and dewy. (Your skin will look dry if you become medically dehydrated, but no one is telling you to stop fluid intake. You will become thirsty long before you become dehydrated.) In fact, there are good reasons not to force yourself to drink too much water. Over-hydration can lead to wetting accidents as your overfilled bladder contracts before you reach the bathroom. And if you imbibe faster than your kidneys can process, you risk dilution of electrolytes and water intoxication, causing confusion and coma. If you exercise strenuously, you should drink enough to make up for the sweating and energy expenditure that will follow. Feel free to drink a glass or two before you become thirsty, but don't overload. If you are in the hot sun or extreme heat, you should also increase your fluid intake. But under normal cir****tances, you needn't walk around with a designer bottle of water, gulping down more than you need to quench your thirst. Dr. Reichman's Bottom Line: Drink when you are thirsty. The dictum to drink eight glasses a day just doesn't hold water. Dr. Judith Reichman, the "Today" show's medical contributor on women's health, has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for more than 20 years. You will find many answers to your questions in her latest book, "Slow Your Clock Down: The Complete Guide to a Healthy, Younger You," published by William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins. --------------------------------- HMMMMMM Not sure if I agree with this one or not? Thoughts????? Denise

Hi Denise, I've always heard that when you are thirsty you are already showing signs of dehydration. Also I know when I am hungry and waiting for dinner a glass of water will help with those hunger pains, although not for long One more thing I just remembered. My daughter loved water as a baby and my pediatrician said you CAN over hydrate. And of course there are medical conditions where water intake must be measured to prevent swelling. Kind of a tough call. Barb

Hmmmmm. I've also heard that if we don't get enough water, we will tend to retain water as our body's protection against dehydation... and I hate to have that extra water weight show up on my scale... I drink as much as I can by sipping all the time, but I'm still not able to get in the 8 glasses of water every day. I'm kind of stuck at about 4 - 5. I'd like to know more about the person who wrote this article, what kind of stances she takes on other issues. That might give us a clue as to what sort of weight to give to her advice... Thanks for sharing the article. Cheryl