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Do We
Need All That Water?

Back
to page 1

There's no medical evidence that Americans
are chronically dehydrated, says Dr. Robert
Alpern, dean of the University of Texas
Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and a
kidney specialist.

Any extra water you consume doesn't flush
your system or make your skin glow, but simply
passes through your body as urine, Alpern says.

"Your body has a very good way of telling you
when you're not drinking enough water: You get
thirsty," he says. "The thirst mechanism is very
sensitive. It kicks in long before there are any
health problems related to dehydration."

Also, says Barbara Rolls, a nutrition
professor at Penn State University, drinking
water will not curb your appetite by making you
feel full. In fact, she says, the thirst and
hunger mechanisms are separate.

However, eating water-rich foods can help you
feel satisfied when eating fewer calories, says
Rolls, who's also author of the book
Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan.

Water, of course, is crucial to the body. It
makes up 70 percent of the body's tissues and
plays a role in nearly every body function, from
regulating temperature and breathing to
digestion and removing waste.

But we generally get all the water we need
through food, Rolls says.

Many foods, in fact, consist mostly of water.
Soup, for example, is 95 percent water, she
says, while fruits and vegetables range from 85
percent to 90 percent water, and meat generally
is between 45 percent and 65 percent water.

In a published study, 24 healthy women had a
chicken and rice casserole with a glass of water
for lunch. The next day, they were given soup
made with the same ingredients as the casserole.
On the first day, they consumed an average of
392 calories each. The soup they had on the
second day had 100 fewer calories, but the women
said they felt just as full, says the study,
published in 1999 in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.

"The premise is that, if you drink just
water, it doesn't help to control hunger," Rolls
says. "But when you incorporate it into foods,
it helps satisfy you with fewer calories."

So how did water gain its reputation as a
diet and beauty aid?

Nearly three-quarters of all Americans have
heard the mantra that adults should drink eight,
8-ounce glasses of water a day, according to a
study by the International Bottled Water
Association. But doctors who say it's not
necessary to drink that much water are baffled
by the rule's origins.

"I don't think there is any physician who
knows where it came from," Alpern says.

Of course, not everyone agrees that people
get plenty of water through their diets.

Barbara Levine, director of the human
nutrition program at Rockefeller University in
Manhattan, says the typical American diet does
not contain many water-rich fruits and
vegetables. And too many people drink too many
sodas and high-calorie beverages, she says.

Americans drink an average of six glasses of
water a day, according to a survey Levine
conducted for the bottled water association.
Questioning 2,800 people in 14 cities, the
researchers found that about 34 percent drink
eight glasses a day, and fewer than 10 percent
drink no water at all.

But besides water, Americans drink an
abundance of caffeinated, sweetened and
alcoholic beverages, the study says: 3.7
servings a day of soda or sports drinks; 3.2
servings of coffee and tea; 1.9 of juice; 1.7 of
milk; and 1 serving of alcohol a day.

Drinking so many caffeinated beverages is
leaving many of us dehydrated, Levine says.
Caffeine acts as a diuretic, she says, causing
fluid loss.

While severe dehydration can affect blood
pressure, circulation, digestion and kidney
function, mild dehydration can be blamed for
some of the fatigue, dry skin, headaches and
constipation that plague people today, she says.

"Water is so pure," Levine says. "There is
nothing wrong with telling people to drink it.

"Why not encourage consumption of a beverage
that does not contain sugar, caffeine or
calories?" she asks. "It's a no-brainer."

But Alpern says that, while it's true
caffeine is a diuretic, drinks such as soda and
coffee are mostly water -- meaning the net
effect is increased hydration, not the other way
around.

"I would tell people to drink when they're
thirsty," he says. "And, other than that, don't
worry about it."

What To Do

To read more about water's role in the body
visit the American
Dietetic Association or the Mayo
Clinic online.

Or, you might want to read previous
HealthScoutNews articles on water.

"I would tell people
to drink when they're thirsty, and other than
that, don't worry about it."

-- Dr. Robert Alpern, University
of Texas Southwestern Medical School

SOURCES:
Interviews with Robert Alpern, M.D., dean,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School,
Dallas; Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., professor of
nutrition, Penn State University, State College,
Pa.; and Barbara Levine, Ph.D., director, Human
Nutrition Program, Rockefeller University, New
York City; October 1999 American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition

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Copyright ©
2001 ScoutNews, LLC.

Last updated
6/9/2001 8:00:00 AM

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