Research debunks health value of guzzling water

[Guest guest]

Well we have all known this for a while now, nice that this info is reaching

everyone else now!

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The notion that guzzling glasses of water to flood

yourself with good health is all wet, researchers said on Wednesday.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb and Dr. Dan Negoianu of the University of Pennsylvania

in Philadelphia reviewed the scientific literature on the health effects of

drinking lots of water.

People in hot, dry climates and athletes have an increased need for water,

and people with certain diseases do better with increased fluid intake, they

found. But for average healthy people, more water does not seem to mean

better health, they said.

Their scientific review, published in the Journal of the American Society of

Nephrology, is the latest to undercut the recommendations advanced by some

experts to drink eight glasses of 8 ounces (225 ml) of water a day.

Dr. Heinz Valtin of Dartmouth Medical School in 2002 also put those

recommendations to the test, finding them to be more urban myth than medical

dogma and lacking in scientific basis.

Goldfarb and Negoianu examined what Goldfarb called " four major myths "

regarding claims of a benefit for extra water drinking: that it leads to

more toxin excretion, improves skin tone, makes one less hungry and reduces

headache frequency.

" Our bottom line was that there was no real good science -- or much science

at all -- behind these claims, that they represent probably folklore, "

Goldfarb said.

As far as facilitating toxin excretion, Goldfarb said that was not verified

by any sort of scientific study. 

" The kidneys clear toxins. This is what the kidneys do. They do it very

effectively. And they do it independently of how much water you take in.

When you take in a lot of water, all you do is put out more urine but not

more toxins in the urine, " Goldfarb said.

No studies showed any benefit to skin tone as a result of increased water

intake, they found. They also found evidence lacking that drinking water

wards off headaches.

As far as lots of water serving to limit appetite, he said there was no

consistent evidence, adding it was " a little unclear exactly whether that

was true. "

" What no one looked at is whether anyone really loses weight over the long

haul if they go under this regimen of drinking lots of water, " Goldfarb

said. " We just expressed uncertainty in that area. "

While it may not help a person to drink lots of water, it may not harm them

much either, Goldfarb said.

" If someone enjoys it, I say that's wonderful, keep doing it. They're not

doing anything that's going to hurt them. "

" A little mild dehydration for the most part is OK, and a little mild water

excess for the most part is OK. It's the extremes that one needs to avoid, "

he said.

(Editing by Maggie Fox and Cooney)