The drying of America

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink --unless you feel like it

By Carla Sparks

Happy news for those of you fed up with sloshing your way through the recommended daily water dose. Those endless trips to the washroom can now be safely minimized, thanks to two new studies which quench the eight-glass-a- day theory.

BUT I'M NOT THIRSTY
According to new research out of the US, H2O isn't quite the miracle fluid we all thought. The study, released by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, says healthy people "adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide." More radical still, contrary to earlier assumptions, caffeinated beverages and food can be included in the tally. An adequately hydrated woman in the US is already consuming 2.7 litres of water, a man 3.7 litres -- about 80% of which comes from water and other beverages and the other 20% comes from food.

Hydration purists who can't move an inch without their bottle of Evian are bound to take exception to the new guidelines. In order to stay properly hydrated, they maintain, you've got to drink two litres of water alone every day. Fruit juice, coffee, tea, and soft drinks don't cut it, and forget about waiting 'til you are thirsty. Some are sticking to their waterguns. "A clear and important health message should be that thirst alone is not the best indicator of dehydration or the body's fluid needs," warns Dr Larry Keeney, president of the American College of Sports Medicine, in a public response to the study.

The Institute of Medicine is standing firm against a tidal wave of criticism. "Our hydration can be met through a variety of sources in addition to drinking water," insists Dr Lawrence Appel, lead researcher of the study and a professor at Johns Hopkins University.