Does Eight Glasses of Water a Day Keep the Doctor Away?

By: Michael J. Porter, Jr.

Director of Hypno-Nutrition®

A number of Positive Changes members questioned the recent study published by Dr. Valtin in the American Journal of Physiology, which found no basis for the recommendation that a person should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. The fact that so many PCH’ers questioned this research tells me that we have some very intelligent members.

It was emphasized that the findings in the study are limited to healthy adults in a temperate climate leading a largely sedentary existence. It seems to me that leading a largely sedentary existence would not allow for good health in an adult. Therefore, the foundation of the study draws a mythical conclusion at best.

To back this up, here are the recent statistics:

Right now in this country 9 out of 10 people will die of a disease and only 1 out of 10 will die of natural causes. For example, 600,000 individuals are going to die of cancer this year, 1.2 million of heart disease, and 75,000 of diabetes.

• 30 million Americans have serious arthritis
• 13 million have serious diabetes
• 80 million suffer from allergies
• 64% of the population is overweight
• 10 million have psoriasis
• 10 million have asthma
• 50 million are chronic alcoholics
• 15 million are insomniacs
• 60 million are addicted to tobacco
• 29 million suffer from high blood pressure
• 32 million suffer from mental illness
• 16 million suffer from ulcers

So who is Dr. Valtin speaking about in this country?  A small minority of today’s population actually represents a healthy adult that lives a largely sedentary lifestyle in a temperate climate.  Most Americans as you can see above are not healthy and are in need of water for various bodily dysfunctions. 

In our Hypno-Nutrition® seminars we have always taught our clients the essential functions of water which are as follows –

• Water is essential for proper circulation of nutrients to organs and cells throughout the body.
• Water is essential for removing all toxic wastes of metabolism and the harmful substances that get into our bodies one way or another.
• Water helps to maintain and regulate body temperature.
• Adequate levels of water are important for hydration during exercise and athletic performance.
• Water provides a protective cushion around body organs, such as the brain and spinal cord.
• Water activates enzymes. Without adequate water, enzymes will not function.
• Water loss and lack of replenishment can result in dehydration.
• We lose water through perspiration and elimination (in urine and feces), and some vaporizes out of the lungs.
• Water serves as a lubricant for moving parts such as the joints.
• Water is essential for the peristalsis of the intestines. Insufficient water can cause constipation.
• Water also plays an indispensable part in the function of our sense organs.  Taste and smell result from the stimulation of chemical compounds in solution.
• Water is important for moistening the surface of the lungs for gas diffusion.
• The kidneys and liver are both master filters of the body and especially susceptible to dangerous infections when too little water is taken into the body.

When one understands the essential functions of water then one can begin to work with the body, instead of unknowingly making choices that are counter productive to normal bodily function. Let’s take a look at the water content of various body parts:

Bile	86%
Blood Plasma	90%
Blood Serum	90.7%
Bones	13%
Brain	80.5%
Cartilage	55%
Gastric Juice	99.5%
Liver	71.5%
Lungs	80%
Lymph	94%
Muscular Tissue	75%
Red Blood Corpuscles	68.7%
Saliva	95.5%
Spleen	75.5%
Teeth	10%

It is important to note that Dr. Valtin says, “Equally to be emphasized, lest the message of this review be misconstrued, is the fact, based on published evidence, that large intakes of fluid, equal to a greater 8 x 8, are advisable for the treatment or prevention of some diseases and certainly are called for under special circumstances, such as vigorous work and exercise, especially in hot climates.”  Unfortunately, this statement didn’t make it into many of the news articles published on his findings.

Let’s take the “advisable for the treatment or prevention of some diseases” first. Here are some symptoms related to water deficiency:

Allergies
Asthma
Chronic Fatigue 
Diabetes
Colitis
Chronic Constipation
Headaches/Neck Pain
High Blood Cholesterol
Depression
Urinary Problems 
High Blood Pressure
Dry Skin/Chapped Lips
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Water Retention/Edema
Low Back Pain
Muscle Cramps
Dry Mouth/Dry Eyes
Hemorrhoids
Dehydration

I think it is safe to say that the majority of the Positive Changes members have more than one of these issues. Based on Dr Valtin’s message above, they would certainly need at least the minimum of eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day.

Let us take Dr. Valtin’s reference to exercise as a need for more water daily. Here are some points I found relating to exercise and hydration and hydration in general:

• Exercising in the heat, indoors and outdoors, and exercising for long periods of time should alert you to drink even more than your thirst suggests,
• It is common to dehydrate from 2-6% of your body weight during exercise in the heat.
• Thirst is not an accurate indicator of how much water your body needs.
• It is advisable to plan ahead and drink 16–24 oz. of water at least 2 hours before exercising or working outdoors. Drink another 12–16 oz. of water 15-20 minutes before you exercise or work outdoors.
• Drinking from a water bottle as you work out or taking frequent small water breaks is recommended over taking one large water break.
• Weigh yourself before and after exercise.  Drink 16 oz. of water after exercise for each pound of body weight lost.
• Avoid drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol; they increase dehydration. (It is worth noting that Dr. Valtin stated that caffeinated drinks do not cause dehydration – He conveniently found a study with athletes that disproved this point. However, this study overlooked a number of other studies that clearly show that caffeinated drinks do cause dehydration.)
• Avoid fruit juices or soft drinks; sugar can aggravate dehydration and cause bloating.
• Sports drinks are generally not necessary unless you are exerting yourself for 90 minutes or more (60 minutes if the activity is intense or weather is hot). If choosing a sports drink, keep to 7% carbs or less (8 grams) or 50 calories, per 8-oz. serving.
• Your body can’t process more than 2 liters of water per hour, no matter how dehydrated you are. 

Water and Weight Loss 

Important research that relates to exercise, water and weight loss was published last year in the European Journal of Endocrinology which suggests exercise-induced growth hormone response decreases when exercise is performed without fluid intake. In the study, seven healthy volunteers in their 20s cycled for 40 minutes in two different sessions. The first session was performed without water intake, and the second involved the ingestion of spring water corresponding to the volume of water lost during the first session. Results showed that in session one, in which the exercisers did not drink water, the growth hormone concentration was 73% lower than that during session two after just 25 minutes of cycling. This could prove to be extremely detrimental to your efforts to reduce body fat as exercise-induced growth hormone stimulation is known to increase fat burning and prevent muscle breakdown.  

Other research shows that increasing the volume of fluid in your body may lead to an increase in fat breakdown. This can be achieved by drinking enough water throughout the day so that you never approach a dehydrated state. Maintaining the body’s water percentage is so important that even if it drops just one percent fluid level, dehydration sets in. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already one percent dehydrated. Drinking water keeps your tissues hydrated. Here are some essential functions of water in weight loss: 

• When burning fat, some of the fat may be burned incompletely. These partially burned fat by-products are called ketones. The more water you drink, the more urine you make, the more ketones you will pass, thus you lose more fat.
• More fiber is needed during weight loss. Fiber helps to absorb toxins and waste products from the body. The intestines cannot function normally without water and when more fiber is added, more water is needed. 
• Twice as much water is needed to complete digestion in the stomach and upper intestine as is contained in the entire bloodstream.
• Purification of the body is an electro-chemical process of the living cells. Acid waste products of metabolism must combine with some alkaline mineral, before they can be taken up by the bloodstream and excreted. You can alkalize your body with pure water, lemon and fresh green vegetables to break down acid deposits (body fat) throughout the body. 
• When you exercise, the chemical reaction of muscle movement creates acid waste from the fats and sugars that the body uses as fuel. Water and alkaline minerals
  are needed to flush these wastes from the system.
• Research indicates that fluoride decreases the function of the thyroid gland by 30-40%. Avoid fluoridated and chlorinated water; both of these chemicals inhibit enzymatic functions in the body. 

Most people do not drink enough water. For most they have simply gotten out of the habit. Some people abstain from the consumption of sufficient water because they fear the frequent bathroom runs. In other words, they are trying to live a life of convenience at the expense of health--a dangerous attitude to take. I have heard people say they do not like water.  This is because their tastes have been perverted by sugar-laden and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, cocoa, soft drinks, and alcohol. There is no substitute for water.

One may prefer to take the easy path and accept what Dr. Valtin and his research group have come up with or one can look at all the research available and make an educated decision. It is a matter of which path one chooses to follow. Both paths will take you up the mountain; it is just a matter of how you prefer to travel. That preference can make a difference in how enjoyable your journey will be and how far you make it up the mountain.