Americans seem to be carrying bottled water wherever they go these days. In fact, it has become the second most popular beverage (after soft drinks). But water lovers were shaken recently when we heard that a new report found that the benefits of drinking water had been overstated. Apparently, the old suggestion to drink eight glasses a day was nothing more than a guide, which is not based on scientific evidence.
But don’t put your water bottle or glass down yet. Although we may not need eight glasses, there are plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking water (either plain or in the form of other liquids or foods) is essential for your health.
“Think of water as a nutrient your body needs, which is present in fluids, plain water and food. All of this is essential on a daily basis to replace the large amounts of water lost every day, ”says Joan Koelemay, RD, dietitian for Beverage. Institute, an industrial group.