Water Shock! Why you might be drinking too much

We’ve all become familiar with the mantra that we must all drink at least two litres of water every day to remain healthy and well. But a new study has cast doubt about just how much H2O is the right amount.

No one disputes that water is an essential part of remaining healthy, in fact, remaining alive! But new research has pointed out that we humans don’t just get water from what we drink, but also from the food we consume. In fact, almost half of the water in each of us comes from the food we eat. This has led some researchers and scientists to tear up the rule book and suggest that instead of the two litres of water a day we could perhaps drop back a little to around 1.3 to 1.8 litres a day.

But why were we told that two litres were the sweet spot? Previous studies depended on data from small samples of people, but more than 90 scientists across the world have now collaborated to measure water turnover using a new different technique. They surveyed a much larger group of 5,604 people ranging in ages from eight months to 96 years old from 23 different countries. Participants drank a measured amount of water enriched with the element deuterium, which is found naturally in the human body and is completely harmless.

Experts then measured the rate at which the deuterium disappeared from the body, which revealed how quickly water in the system was turning over. They discovered that environmental conditions, such as being in a hot or a cold environment had a dramatic effect on the body’s water turnover and also that pregnant-women needed more water.