There is no scientific basis for drinking eight glasses of water a day? How much water should we drink every day?

Before the 19th century, people were not as free and comfortable about drinking water as we are today. First of all, we need to solve the problem of water source. Therefore, from ancient tribes to today's big cities, even if they are not close to the mountains, they need to be built near the water. But without piped tap water, you need to go to the river to fetch water according to the amount of water you need to use every day. What if there are no fresh water sources such as rivers? People usually dig wells for water. Today, many of our idioms have such meanings as thinking of the source when drinking water, never forgetting to dig people when drinking water, and so on. But in fact, most of the well water is slightly bitter because of its high mineral content. So in the past, Europeans would rather brew beer than drink water.





Times have changed. According to statistics, since the 21st century, adults have consumed more water. In the United States, the sales of bottled water recently exceeded the sales of soda water. Our generation has been taught from an early age that drinking a few liters of water a day is to keep healthy. Later, it gradually evolved into the "8x8 rule": unofficial suggestions suggest that we drink eight cups of 240 ml water every day, with a total water volume of less than two liters, above any other beverage.



However, the saying that eight glasses of water a day has been circulating for many years does not have any scientific proof. Why is there so much unclear information about how much water to drink? Most likely, it seems, is a misunderstanding of the two guidelines.

In 1945, the food and Nutrition Committee of the National Research Council of the United States recommended that adults should consume 1 ml of liquid for every recommended calorie of food, which is equivalent to 2 liters of water for 2000 calorie food. But in addition to drinking water, we get water, including most types of beverages - as well as fruits and vegetables, which have a water content of 98%.



Meanwhile, in 1974, nutritionists margaretmacwilliams and Frederick Starr wrote healthy nutrition, which recommended that adults drink an average of six to eight glasses of water a day. However, the authors write, this may include fruits and vegetables, caffeinated soft drinks, and even beer.