Eight glasses of water a day mantra dismissed as nonsense - Herald Sun
Organisations with vested interests, including the makers of bottled water, reinforce the "eight glasses a day" message. Source: AFP
WATER may be the elixir of life, but the "six to eight glasses a day" mantra has been dismissed as "nonsense", in an article in the 'British Medical Journal'.
Its author, Scottish GP Margaret McCartney, said there was no high-quality published evidence to show there was a benefit from drinking increased amounts of water.
Dr McCartney said organisations with vested interests, including the makers of bottled water, reinforced the "eight glasses a day" message.
"It would seem, therefore, that water is not a simple solution to multiple health problems," she said.
Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council, said total fluid intake for adults was 10 cups of liquid a day for men and eight cups a day for women. This includes plain water, food, milk and other drinks.
Melanie McGrice of the Dietitians Association of Australia's said the "eight glasses a day" rule was a general guideline.
An individual's water requirements depend on how much they are exercising, how hot it is, how much they weigh and their diet, she said.
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