To Drink, Or Not To Drink?

How much water do you need to drink to stay healthy? According to Dr Heinz Valtin, 8 glasses a day isn't really necessary.

A DMS physician, Heinz Valtin MD who is a kidney specialist and author of two text books on kidney and water balance, challenges the accepted modern advice that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day as a myth. He argues that evolution did not leave us with a need to be compensated with a high fluid intake.

In his studies, he found no evidence to support the 8 glasses a day theory and suggests that coffee, tea and even beer can be counted towards our total daily intake.

Valtin does emphasise however that his studies were limited to "healthy adults in a temperate climate, leading a sedentary lifestyle!. Precisely (he says) the population and conditions the 8 glasses a day theory refers to.

However, he does state that large intakes of water are advisable for the treatment and prevention of some diseases, such as kidney stones, passengers travelling on long haul flights and those participating in strenuous physical activities.

His conclusion is that we are drinking enough, if not more than enough and that it could even be harmful for us to drink 8 glasses a day. If kidneys are unable to excrete sufficiently, he suggests we could suffer from "water intoxification".

What constitutes "water intoxification"? He states mental confusion or even death (as in the teenagers who take the recreational drug, Ecstasy).

He also cites possible over exposure to pollutants. And that the need for frequent urination is embarrassing and inconvenient! He claims that it is an expensive habit and that some may even suffer feelings of guilt if they don't manage the 8 glasses a day regime.

He goes on to dispute the theories that by the time people realise they are thirsty, they are actually already dehydrated and that dark urine is an indication of dehydration.

Asked if there was scientific documentation that we do not need to drink 8 glasses a day, Valtin replied that there was "highly suggestive evidence" that we should not.

He agreed though that there was some evidence that the risk of certain disease can be lowered by high water intake, he believes that the quantities needed are far less than 8 glasses a day, and that the recommendations should be limited to those particularly susceptible to the diseases in question.

Edith Maskell of Bromley Health Management takes issue with most of Valtin's argument.

Valtin states that "evolution did not leave us with a chronic water deficit". I would argue that this may well be true if the majority of us were not following modern day diets which tend to be mostly processed foods. The very foods from which Valtin states we should get sufficient water. But one only has to read the long list of ingredients to realise that they have been sprayed with a myriad of chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and filled with preservatives and additives to ensure a longer shelf life and economy for the manufacturers – all of which are DEHYDRATING. In spite of what Valtin says, I believe that our bodies are NOT evolving fast enough to deal with ingredients of this nature.

In my experience, MOST people don't drink ANY water and some have a very low fluid intake of any description. From the health questionnaires my patients complete, I would say, in the majority of cases, fluid intake mostly consists of tea, coffee, carbonated and high acid fruit drinks which are full of additives….. again all dehydrating …. all counter productive.

Valtin's studies were limited to healthy adults, which, he states, is precisely the population and conditions that the at least 8 glasses a day advice is given to. However, his studies do not divulge what criteria is given to describe a healthy adult.

I find it interesting that Valtin concedes that large intakes of fluid are "advisable for the treatment OR PREVENTION of some diseases". So if he agrees that large intakes are useful for "prevention" surely that must apply to "healthy" adults ?

Where Valtin discusses "harm in water" and water intoxication because the kidneys are unable to excrete enough water. The examples he cites are teenagers ingesting the recreational drug Ecstasy. It is a well documented fact that those taking Ecstasy usually drink INORDINATE amounts of water …. far and away above 8 glasses …. so how can comparisons be drawn here ? These consumption levels are ANYTHING but normal and so yes, I agree that this level there may well be "harm in water".

I do agree that where people are drinking vast amounts of water from new plastic bottles there is always a possibility of oestrogen overload from the plastic, but there are ways of avoiding this problem. For instance, using filtered water and transferring it into a well used plastic bottle or preferably use glass bottles.

As far as being embarrassing or inconvenient to be urinating frequently, surely no one is prepared to put embarrassment or inconvenience above their health ? And to be sensible, if there are times when it is inconvenient to be urinating frequently, then one would not drink vast amounts of water at that time, for example , late at night. We are all intelligent humans with choices, capable of making decisions about the way we direct our lives.

As for expense ? it is NOT essential to use bottled water. Filtered tap water is fine and some might even say, better than bottled water, though it probably does depend upon the area in which you live.

Also as far as embarrassment is concerned, that is said to be one of the reasons why so many British people suffer from constipation and kidney problems. Because so many of us feel embarrassed to be going to the toilet outside of our own homes. Europeans don't have the same problems at all. Rather than use this as a reason not to drink more fluids, we should be encouraging people that it is normal to eliminate as and when and not embarrassing at all … it's a natural and very important bodily function.

Then Valtin talks about guilt ? Guilt if we don't actually manage to drink 8 glasses. If that's the case, there must be a lot of "guilty" people among us !!!! and I don't believe there are.

Valtin disputes the argument that people are already dehydrated by the time they feel thirsty. I would respond by stating that throughout life, people generally learn to ignore thirst signals and some people don't drink water at all. Unless they are eating mostly high water content foods like fruit, fresh vegetables and salads, dehydration IS a problem. (See Dr F Batmanghelidj's book Your Body's Many Cries for Water for more discussion of this.)

With regard to Valtin's argument that dark urine does not mean dehydration. Bearing in mind that the body is 85% water which every organ in the body utilises during every 24 hour period. If insufficient fresh supplies enter the system, the body will re-circulate "used" water. Water that is full of toxins, which still has to be filtered and eliminated by the kidneys and bladder.

Utilising "used" water in this way, taxes the normal elimination processes like the bladder and kidneys even further. Not to mention the possible potential damage to other organs in the body.

In an ideal world, water circulating the body should be like a "mountain stream" if it is not replenished, the body will go into crisis management and hang on to what it has which can lead to water retention. (See Your Body's Many Cries for Water for more discussion).

Over the years, the mountain stream may eventually turn into a murky pond. The "dirty, used water" will subsequently create inflammation throughout the body, particularly in the joints, muscles and puffy areas arise – generally, hands, feet and face. These inflammatory areas will be painful and if in the hands, feet, hips etc – what do we say we have ? – arthritis – which simply means "inflammation of the joints".

Dr F Batmanghelidj, in his book "Your Body's many cries for water" suggests that we can dispose of inflammation by flooding the body with water and the painful areas may well disappear as a result. The moral of this story is that arthritis is therefore NOT always something you have to live with….. and not always something which has been inherited. I believe that the only thing that may have been inherited (genetic) is the habit of not drinking water.

Valtin argues that there are published surveys documenting that thousands of "presumably" healthy human beings drink less than the prescribed 8 glasses. Why should we presume that people are healthy if they are not drinking sufficient amounts of water when the possible damage from dehydration may only come to light further down the line ? Remember that right at the start Valtin stated "it may advisable for the treatment or PREVENTION of some diseases" !!

Last but not least Valtin's argument that tea, coffee, beer and "diluted alcoholic beverages" should "indeed count towards the daily fluid intake in the vast majority of persons" although he does say "in moderation". Don't we always say that "everything in moderation" is good ? The problem is, in my experience, the vast majority of people have difficulty in doing anything in moderation – hence the fact that 50% of the population is overweight, and there are such widespread problems with alcoholism and addiction to recreational drugs. Not doing things in moderation is possibly also the major contributing factor to digestive problems, particularly those which result in allergies.

If we only ate McDonalds on high days and holidays, wheat and dairy products once a day or even once a week, our bodies may have more of a chance to cope with the allergens that naturally occur in those foods and drinks….. but we don't. For convenience, we have become accustomed to eating wheat for breakfast, wheat for lunch, wheat for supper. We drink milk as adults …. but milk is a substitute food designed by nature for baby humans and animals.

There are particular digestive enzymes needed to properly digest milk which the body stops producing after about the age of 3. Could this be the reason we have problems digesting dairy products in adulthood ? Never mind the fact that baby cows have 4 stomachs with which to digest their Mothers' milk and humans attempt to digest it with only one stomach !?

I recently heard a radio advertisement encouraging Mothers to take their children to Pizza Hut EVERY day …. On the basis that the offers are so good, it's far cheaper and far more convenient. What though Edith asks, is it doing for the long term health of our younger generations ?

If people are drinking lots of caffeine loaded drinks, be they fizzy, coffee, tea, alcohol – of course they have a water content and so will be pushing up the overall intake of water. BUT we must not forget their dehydrating properties. So 8 cups/glasses of tea, coffee, beer etc will mean that the body is not benefiting from 8 FULL glasses of water.

Valtin's conclusion was that "while there is some evidence that the risk of certain diseases can be lowered by high water intake, the quantities needed for the beneficial effect may be less than 8 glasses a day and the recommendation can be limited to those particularly susceptible to the diseases in question".

I would respond by saying that this argument would be fine if we knew in advance which diseases we were particularly susceptible to ! In my opinion, 8 glasses of pure water is not harmful in any way and if it enables your body to function optimally thereby preventing the onset of disease – then better to be safe than sorry. Because it's too late once the damage is done and degeneration has started.

In conclusion, I also include a study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology on September 18th 2002.

Link between Heart Disease and Water

It was reported in the International Health News that a high blood or plasma viscosity and high fibrinogen levels are all associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease which become raised due to lack of water/dehydration.

The study reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology in mid September 2002 involved 8 280 men and 12 017 women in a trial which began in 1976 in the United States. All were reported not to have any heart disease, stroke or diabetes at the start, all were aged 38 or older. Between 1976 and 1982, 246 of the total participants died from heart disease.

It was discovered that men who drank 5 or more glasses or water a day had less than half the risk of dying from heart disease and the risk to women was reduced by 40%.

It concluded that men participating in consuming other liquids like milk, juice and fizzy drinks had 1.5. times HIGHER risk whilst the women's risk went up by 2.5% proving that juices and carbonated drinks rapidly increases blood viscosity and triglyceride levels.

"The researchers speculated that the intake of fluids other than water MAY cause relative dehydration of the blood".

I rest my case.

Further references "Your Body's many cries for water"
Dr F Batmanghelidj. Published by The Therapist Ltd
ISBN 1 899398 35 X

Monday, 7 October 2002

© 2002 Bromley Health Management