Are We Becoming Waterlogged?

I have never caught up with the prevailing habit of carrying a bottle of water with me wherever I go.  I drink my 10 glasses of liquids a day, and have never seen the necessity of constant sips or gulps of fizzy water.  So I was intrigued to read an article in the British Medical Journal by a doctor attacking a European initiative called ‘Hydration for Health’, launched, not surprisingly, at a scientific meeting in Evian, France.  It was sponsored by the French food giant, Danone, which has a US subsidiary, Danone Waters of America, Inc.  They sell Evian® in the USA, and have a ‘Hydration for Health’ going here, called H4H.       

The aim of H4H is to get healthcare professionals to talk with patients about the calorie content of sugared sodas, and encourage a switch to water – for an adult at the rate of 1.5 to 2.0 liters a day.  Visit the website to see the message about the need to drink more water (bottled, of course).

Dr McCartney (the author of the BMJ article) points out that there are no scientific studies that show the benefits of drinking lots of water.  Her article has unleashed a number of comments, many from European scientists with a possible conflict of interest.  There’s no doubt, however, that there are many recommendations in various European countries for consumption of 1.4 to 2.0 liters of water (or other fluids) daily.

It would be good if a more reasoned view could develop.  The best trigger to drink water in non-cognitively impaired people is ‘thirst’.  However, there are physiological considerations that suggest that subclinical water lack may cause an increase in angiotensin II, which, apart from being a dipsogen, may be associated with a number of conditions - organ damage in hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. But there’s no evidence, yet.  What Dr McMcCartney says is correct – we need well-conducted studies to show the benefits and/or risks of different levels of water consumption in healthy adults, including seniors.  Until the results are available, I’ll continue to let thirst be my guide and leave the water bottle at home (and continue to take my ARB (angiotensin II blocker).  The wine bottle is another matter, of course.

Comments

[ALan]

This is very useful information given here. I like it so much.

Smith Alan

(edited - RG)