What would we do without water – nothing!  Out of the six classes of nutrients (water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals) water is undoubtedly the most important nutrient of all.  Our bodies cannot store water or make it on its own and each day it must be replaced as we constantly lose water through our urine, feces, sweat, skin and lungs.  Most of us could go for weeks without eating food but would last only a few days without water.  

This most important nutrient is necessary for each and every one of us but how much do we really know about it?  The need for water seems simple enough – when we get thirsty, it should be our main go-to beverage.  But there are a few misconceptions that exist about this life-sustaining drink that should be cleared up. 

It’s time to sort fact from fiction on the water we drink:

Myth - Each of us needs to drink eight glasses of water daily

Fact – Our water needs can vary depending on several factors – age, weight, climate, physical activity levels, and our general health and wellness.

Each day our body loses water every time we breathe, sweat, or urinate and obviously it needs to be replaced.  It can be difficult to know precisely the amount of water our body requires but it is easy to tell if you are not getting enough.  Mild dehydration can cause you to feel thirsty, light-headed, become constipated and even make your joints and muscles hurt.  So pay attention to those symptoms and drink up.

Myth – Hydration can be determined by how many glasses of water you drink in a day

Fact – A much more reliable indicator of hydration is the color of your urine. If you are well hydrated, your urine should be a pale yellow color to almost clear and be odorless.  A good indicator of dehydration is urine that is dark yellow with a concentrated smell.  But besides dehydration, there here can be other factors affecting the color of urine  such as medications, vitamins and certain foods. 

Myth – You can flush toxins from the body by drinking water

Fact – The kidneys are the primary organ that uses water to get rid of certain waste products.  If you are not drinking sufficient water the kidneys will not have enough fluid they require to do their job.  This means waste products will not be removed as efficiently as they should which could lead to toxins not being expelled from the body.

Myth – Drinking bottled water causes tooth decay

Fact – It is not the fact that the water is bottled that may lead to tooth decay but rather the fact that most bottled waters do not contain fluoride.  Fluoride is an important mineral necessary for the mineralization of bone and teeth.  Many public water supplies in the United States do fluoridate the water at a level that is effective for preventing cavities.  But with the increased consumption of non-fluoridated bottled water over the years, there has been an increase in dental caries.

Myth – When exercising, sports drinks are a better option than drinking water

Fact – The vast majority of individuals who work out moderately, do not need to consume a sports drink.  There is no advantage offered from a sports drink for the average person working out unless they are participating in a highly strenuous activity.  Usually these include activities lasting longer than 90 minutes in length such as someone running a marathon or cycling many miles in a day.  Sports drinks do offer electrolytes of sodium and potassium to offset the losses of these elements due to heavy sweating over long periods of time.  But if the activity simply involves someone trying to get or stay fit, then water is a perfect beverage for hydration. 

Myth – The moisture of our skin depends on our water consumption

Fact – We’ve been told to drink lots of water to achieve a moist, dewy complexion yet the reality is that the amount of water you drink probably has very little to do with what your skin looks like.  Only if a person is severely dehydrated would the amount of water matter in your skin’s appearance.  Moisture level of skin depends on many factors including genetics, skin cleansing and moisturizing products, the environment, the number of oil glands and our diet.  That is not to say water can’t make some contribution to the health of our skin but it is not one of the bigger factors for this.