Why you don't need 8 glasses of water a day

You are aware of the eight glasses of water a day recommendation? I regret having to inform you that it is a myth. It won't make your skin more radiant, you feel more clear-headed, or you feel more energised. However, it might cause you to urinate frequently. Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter (music) (Music) Many people are unaware of how their bodies work biologically. There is a ton of false information available. However, the reality is that you may make wiser decisions when you are aware of how your systems work. You're less likely to believe hype or dubious science.You'll feel more capable of comprehending what's actually happening. The misconception that you need eight glasses of water a day truly irritates me. Really, it's quite astounding how deeply ingrained it is. You see it in articles and hear it on television. But like I stated, it is absurd. Generally speaking, your body will let you know when you need to drink water since you have kidneys, which are beautiful, magnificent, and underappreciated organs. The bean-shaped organs known as kidneys are situated on either side of your spine, just below your ribs. The kidneys deserve better than to be viewed as a filter or a system for getting rid of waste. Everything in your body, including the fluids and chemicals, must be in a precise balance. When it comes to maintaining this balance, the kidneys do most of the work. Your body's blood flows through the kidneys on a daily basis. Your body's state is influenced by a variety of factors, including what you eat and drink, the environment's temperature, and how much exercise you get. Your nervous system, numerous hormones, and your kidneys are constantly monitoring gauges and making real-time adjustments to fluid, salt, and other material levels. Nephrons, which are a million in number, are used to do this. To ensure that the body maintains homeostasis, or balance, these nephrons act much like employees on a conveyor belt, actively adding and removing substances like sodium, glucose or sugar, calcium, amino acids, and water. Anytime any quantity is out of balance, it might be dangerous. The kidneys' function is to keep the amounts of several of these compounds in the ideal range. Unneeded substances leave the kidney and travel to the bladder, where you eliminate them as urine. So how does drinking eight glasses of water each day fit in? Not at all. You'll note that I did not say that drinking too much water enhances renal function. Consider that you are losing water from your blood because you are perspiring a lot. Your kidneys are aware of a very little decrease in blood volume and a very slight increase in blood saltiness. They make up for it by reabsorbing more water into the blood, which increases the concentration of the urine. You are alerted to drink, i.e., you become thirsty, if the kidneys determine that sufficient amounts of fluid cannot be reabsorbed from the urine. The message of thirst intensifies if you don't have access to fluids. Real dehydration will not leave a person uncertain of their need for water. They'll take any measure necessary to obtain it.One of our most fundamental impulses, it developed over a very long time in situations when clean water wasn't quite as accessible as it is now. Your body is therefore very adept at keeping hydration thanks to your kidneys. How much water should you be drinking if you stop counting the eight glasses you should drink each day? There is no should, is the straightforward reply. Whenever you get thirst, sip some water. Your body can be trusted. Constantly tracking how much water you consume is not really important unless you have kidney stones, are senior -- occasionally, our messaging systems get a little worn with age -- or your doctor has advised you otherwise.One thing that is sometimes forgotten is that everything you eat contains water. Your breakfast has water, as does your morning coffee. And just like you, that snack—an apple, an orange, a glass of juice, a granola bar—is formed of water. There is therefore no need to count those eight glasses as long as you pay attention to your body's innate thirst signals.