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8 glasses of water a day keeps the doctor away… right?!? 🤔
Staying hydrated is vital, but drinking 8 glasses of water per day… not so much (1,2). Here is why (1,3,4):
- You can drink other beverages than water* to stay hydrated.
- You can also get water from your food!
There is also no scientific proof that drinking more water than you need will help your kidney detox your body, make your skin wrinkle free, or make you live longer (5,6,7).
Staying hydrated is important, especially in warm weather. If you are dehydrated, you will, of course, feel thirsty, but you might also have dry mouth and lips, a flushed skin, have a headache, feel dizzy or like you could faint, dark urine, low blood pressure and/or increase heart rate (8). As long as you are hydrating when thirsty, you don’t have to force yourself into drinking more water (1,9,10).
However, during really hot weather, you might lose more water and faster than you usually would. It might be a good idea to keep a beverage or a watery snack (e.g. watermelon, cucumber) with you and make a proactive effort to stay hydrated (1).
*While you can stay hydrated drinking a variety of beverages, water remains the healthiest beverage option (2,11). If you don’t really like drinking water, try giving it some flavor by adding some fruits and herbs (ex. Blackberries and mint, Raspberries and cucumber, Strawberries and basil) (11).
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8 glasses of water a day keeps the doctor away… right?!? 🤔
— ScienceUpFirst | LaScienced'Abord (@ScienceUpFirst) June 28, 2023
Staying hydrated is vital, but drinking 8 glasses of water per day… isn’t a requirement, because:
1. You can drink other beverages than water
2. You can get water from your food#ScienceUpFirst
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