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8 glasses of water a day? The common recommendation isn't recommended at all

If you find the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day hard to swallow, don't worry about it.
/ Source: TODAY

If you find the common recommendation of eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day hard to swallow, don't worry. As it turns out, drinking that much H2O isn't really recommended after all.

Although the advice is often repeated, that much water is not needed, says Aaron E. Carroll, a pediatrics professor from Indiana University School of Medicine who co-authored a paper devoted in part to busting the water myth back in 2007.

Since the eight-a-day talk continues today, Carroll has tackled the topic again in a piece for The New York Times.

New study reexamines the need to drink eight glasses of water a day
New study reexamines the need to drink eight glasses of water a dayShutterstock

The suggestion likely came from a Food and Nutrition Board recommendation from the 1940s, but it seems an important part of it was ignored: "Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods."

And while Carroll believes water is the best beverage to consume, our remaining hydration needs can be met by any beverages — coffee, tea, juice, etc.

The fact is no formal recommendations exist, as there's no one-size-fits-all approach to water needs. And since studies on the subject have failed to show that increased water consumption has a significant impact on overall health concerns, there's just no need to force the fluids down.

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