Inormally drink six to eight mugs of tea a day. one of my friends drinks about fifteen a day. She says i dont drink nearly enough fluids. What do you think?
As if we haven't evolved to survive by our body looking after itself! Just think, thousands and thousands of years without needing someone to tell us when we're thirsty, or we "need" to take more fluid regardless of whether we feel thirsty or not.
Fred - I agree totally. I believe the fashionable guideline of eight glasses of water a day (how much is a glass, anyway?) was invented by an American magazine article and has become accepted as 'fact', and there's no real substance to it at all. And considering that in vast areas of the world where huge amounts of water are not available the human race has still managed to has evolve, it does suggest that our current obsession with fluid intake is a bit silly.
A lot of nonsense has been talked on AB in the last week on fluid intake.....in my opinion.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that 2 litres of fluid per day or at least 8-10 glasses of water is the minimum as suggested by the NHS adverts.
Much of your fluid intake arrives in your body as food..........extra fluid, such as water, tea and coffee varies from person to person but should be around 5 or six cups or glasses of fluid per day.
I agree totally with FredPuli.
Exercise or hot weather may require the above to be re adjusted.
I'd have thought it'd be hard to generalise and different people benefit from different fluid intake, those who don't get a lot of fluid from food and who exercise a lot and maybe are in hot climates (sweat a lot out) may need more to keep hydrated, similarly some medical conditions from short to long term like sickness and diaroeah or diabetes and stuff that makes you wee a lot. I guess things which can dehydrate you more like taking in lots of salt or alcohol or strong caffeine.
the guide ~I work to is never feel thirsty as a sense of thirst comes when you are quite dehydrated.. I drink a lot but then i pee loads too about one glass or cup of some sort of drink an hour when awake
I would agree with posters that gauge fluid requirements by the colour of the wee....unfortunately medical studies do not bear this out as "wee colour" is a poor indicator.
Pale wee can still be present in the presence of impending dehydration and
dark wee is-usually a better indicator of dietary intake rather than fluid.
Totally agree with Rowan on this.
Tea is a diuretic, makes you pee. I have just given up tea and coffee, and now have water and the odd cranberry, or pomegranite juice. Sorted.