April 24, 2003 – A new study confirms that drinking eight glasses of water a day contributes to good health.
This daily consumption of eight eight-ounce glasses of water (the equivalent of 2L) would lead to optimal hydration of the body. Conversely, and contrary to popular belief, consuming only half of this amount could cause mild dehydration.
The researchers asked ten university students to drink, alternately, four, eight or twelve glasses of water per day for four days. After each cycle, students had to undergo various tests in addition to answering a questionnaire on their general well-being.
When they consumed only four glasses of water a day, the students exhibited some signs of dehydration. Thus, their blood plasma volume (a measure of their hydration level) was 5% lower than that of students who drank eight, and who had a normal volume. Their urine was also more concentrated. The students who drank 12 glasses a day had a blood plasma volume 10% higher than normal.
The most surprising finding, however, is this: Students who drank only four drinks a day said they had more difficulty concentrating and less energy than when they drank more. The link between the two phenomena is not explained.
The results of this study were not published but rather presented at a scientific meeting in San Francisco.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters Health, April 21, 2003.
