A study shows that drinking more than 1.5 liters of water a day does not really produce the desired benefits.
The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology has published a study that suggests that consuming more water than a body needs does not really bring more benefits. The researchers also suggested that drinking normally (only when you are thirsty) is enough. According to the authors of this study, there is a lack of evidence globally about the benefits that drinking a lot of water could bring to an organism.
While some people, like athletes, might need a lot of water, Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (USA) say there is no valid research of science to justify the usual advice to drink 1,
They looked more closely at several studies claiming that water consumption improves the filtering of toxins by the kidneys, and finds little scientifically significant evidence. "The question is: does drinking more water increase this normal and important function of the kidneys?" The answer is "no, in fact, strangely, it contributes to diminishing the ability of the kidneys to function as a filter." said Stanley Goldfarb.
The natural organs of the body normally make us drink water making us feel thirsty, but various arguments are used here and there to justify the need to drink more water. Some experts claim that drinking more helps remove toxins from the body, stop migraines, eat less, keep skin healthier.
It is also often said that drinking plenty of water helps to make a diet successful. While Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb admit that drinking more water allows people to reduce their appetite, they point out that no clinical trial or study has demonstrated the ability of water to maintain body weight (neither to beautify a complexion of the skin or to reduce the headaches).
They admit that dehydration can be very harmful (if you do not drink enough water), but find that there is very little evidence that drinking large amounts of water offers more health benefits. Both researchers actually deplore the lack of evidence about the virtues that drinking a lot of water is supposed to provide.
"For the majority of people, there is little concern, just drink when you're thirsty," says Stanley Goldfarb.Official recommendations from government agencies encourage 6 to 8 glasses of water a day (1.5 to 2 liters of water). However, some experts find that these figures are provided based on estimates made by studies of fluid loss in the body each day, rather than on actual health benefits.
Some experts also believe that unless you do a lot of physical activity and sweat a lot, you do not need to drink much more than 1.5 liters of water every day. But for people who want to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, there are many tips.
And you, do you also think that it is not necessary to drink more than 1.5 liters of water a day? Or, on the contrary, have you seen various health benefits when you decided to drink more than 2 liters of water a day?