Today, as part of our These Days series on food and nutrition , we talked about water and the body. I recently came across an article about the myth that we need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to be healthy. I was surprised because I, like most Americans, assumed this recommendation was based on sound medical science. But no, there was no scientific basis for the recommendation that's been around for more than 50 years.
Christine Plante
November 21, 2008 at 11:23 AM
A person with a low sodium level in their blood should definitely not drink very much water. It will dilute their blood further and make them very ill with retained water in mutated cells while, at the same time, they will become dehydrated when they take a break from the overconsumption.
Dolores Gonzalez from La Jolla, CA
February 22, 2009 at 07:45 PM
I suffer from gout and was told to drink lots of water to reduce the amount of uric acid in my blood. I also have high blood pressure and drink lots of water to dilute my salt intake. Whom do you believe?
