Surely you know by now how important water is to keep your body healthy. Water flushes out toxins and salt and other substances that are harmful when they build up in your body. It also plays a role in transporting important substances throughout the body. In fact, all living things need water in order to survive. However, because of the utter importance of water to one’s health, some statements about drinking water may have been a bit exaggerated and have diverged from the truth. Here you can find out whether some of the statements you’ve heard about water are myths or facts.
1. Drink Eight Glasses of Water Every Day
Myth. This is probably the most common statement about drinking water you’ll hear. There is actually no clear fact as to how drinking eight glasses of water every day can benefit your health. There are mixed opinions about the standard amount of water that each person should drink daily. Some say that you should drink a total of eight glasses of any fluid, not just water, each day. Some say that you should drink 1 mL of water per calorie that you burn every day. While some say that you should just drink water when you’re thirsty.
2. Drinking Water Flushes Out Toxins From Your Body
Fact. Some say that water does not actually help in flushing out toxins from the body. That is the myth. Water does, in fact, play an important role in toxin excretion. The kidneys filter the toxins from the bloodstream but these toxins will not be excreted through urination if you don’t drink enough water. Water makes up 95% of urine while the remaining 5% are the waste products. Without sufficient water, the body will hold these metabolic wastes or toxins instead since the kidneys won’t be able to efficiently work to expel them.
3. You Can Only Get Water By Drinking It
Myth. This is most definitely not true. All beverages have water in them which your body can absorb and use the same way as the glass of water you drink. However, because of the sugar and other additives in most beverages, they are not as healthy as plain water. Also, the food you eat gives you some amount of water as well. In fact, you can get an equivalent of seven glasses of water from food alone.
4. Drinking Water Can Help You Lose Weight
Fact. Drinking water will not actually trigger weight loss but it is a helpful tool in the process. Water has no calories, unlike most beverages, so it won’t contribute to too much calorie intake or overeating. It can also help you eat less at each meal by making you feel fuller. Also, drinking cold water was found to help speed up your metabolism thereby aiding in weight loss.
5. Thirst Means Dehydration
Myth. Although being thirsty is headed in that direction, thirst does not necessarily mean that you’re already dehydrated. People starts getting thirsty when the concentration of substances in their blood rise by less than 2% while dehydration is when that concentration has risen up to 5%. There are also other factors that can contribute to thirst such as eating a heavy or dry meal. Excessive thirst can also be a consequence of some form of disease such as diabetes.
6. Don’t Reuse Plastic Bottles
Fact. Although reusing plastic water bottles is very eco-friendly, it may have adverse effects to your health. These plastic bottles leach chemicals after multiple uses which may contaminate your water. It can also harbour bacteria from your mouth if it’s not properly cleaned. Thus, it might be better to find other uses of plastic bottles instead of as a water bottle again.
7. You Can’t Drink Too Much Water
Myth. There is such a thing as Water Intoxication (WI) and you can die from it. Over-consumption of water is especially risky for people with health conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney conditions, heart conditions, and edema.
8. Don’t Drink Too Much Water During Meals
Fact. Drinking too much water during meals dilutes your stomach acid thereby causing digestion problems.
