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How Much Water Should I Drink?

How Much Water Should I Drink?

Hello there! This is Monica Reinagel and you're listening to The Nutrition Diva: Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous . These tips are provided for your information and entertainment and are not intended as medical advice. Because everyone is different, please work with your health professional to determine what's right for you. I bet you've heard it said that you need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day in order to stay properly hydrated. Perhaps you've also read that by the time you feel thirsty you're already in an advanced state of dehydration, or that most of us are chronically dehydrated. Chances are also good that you've been told that drinking caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee cause you to lose more fluid than you take in. What would you say if I told you that all of these widely held truths are little more than urban legends? I can almost hear your shocked expressions! The dehydration myth has become so firmly entrenched in our collective consciousness that it may indeed come as a surprise to learn that there is very little scientific support for any of these notions.

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Tales of the Overhydrated Now, I have to tell you that opera singers are among the most over-hydrated people on the planet. That's right: My people were carrying water bottles everywhere we went for decades before the rest of you got on the H2O bandwagon. Like most young singers, I was inculcated into the cult of hydration by my first voice teacher, who explained the danger and heartbreak that would follow if I failed to keep my vocal cords adequately lubricated. I could picture the tragedy: I'd step out on stage, open my mouth to sing, and nothing but a small plume of dust—or perhaps a tumbleweed or two—would come out of my mouth. Hey, the odds of success as an opera singer are slim enough. I certainly wasn't going to take any unnecessary chances! So, I joined the legion of singers neurotically sucking down liter after liter every day. It's a wonder I ever got through the first act of an opera without having to leave the stage four times for bathroom breaks. Drinking Water Is a Good Habit Look, as excesses go, drinking a lot of water isn't a bad one. It won't make you fat. It won't rot your teeth or give you a hang-over. Drinking lots of water can temporarily assuage hunger pangs, which dieters find useful. It can also help prevent kidney stones in those susceptible to them. Drinking more can ease constipation and—ironically—also alleviate water retention. The body has a fairly efficient mechanism for getting rid of excess water so under normal circumstances it's hard to get yourself into trouble drinking water—except the kind of trouble that happens when you find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the interstate, or on stage for Act II of Puccini's Turandot , and the next bathroom break is at least 50 long minutes away. Ouch. Still, as a nutritionist, I feel compelled to point out that most people can stay perfectly hydrated on significantly less than eight glasses of water a day. So who started this notion that nothing less than two liters of water a day will keep us from multiple-organ failure? You have to wonder whether this whole thing was somehow cooked up by the $60 billion bottled water industry, which has somehow figured out a way to take a cheap and widely available commodity and sell it at a mark up of anywhere from 250% to 3000%, creating an environmental disaster of nightmarish proportions in the process.

A Drop of Truth in a Sea of Misunderstanding While I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, I don't actually think that's what happened. Like most urban legends, this one does contain a drop of truth. The average person needs about two liters, or approximately eight glasses, of water a day to replace what is lost through normal biological functions like breathing, sweating, and urinating. But that doesn't mean that you need to drink two liters of water. In fact, hypothetically, you don't have to drink any water at all. For one thing, you can easily get a liter or liter and a half of water just from the food that you eat, especially if you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, which are up to 97% water. (If you're curious to know how much water you're actually eating, you can find out by entering a typical day's intake into the diet tracking tools on NutritionData.com.) Secondly, contrary to another widely held nutritional myth, coffee, tea, sodas, and other beverages also help fulfill your fluid quota. What?! Have I lost my mind? Don't I know that caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea are dehydrating? Actually, they aren't. Dr. Ann Grandjean is a hydration researcher at the University of Nebraska and she has done some research that might surprise you.

Surprise! Drinking Caffeinated Beverages Won't Dehydrate You Dr. Grandjean has demonstrated that if you regularly drink caffeinated beverages, the diuretic effects are almost negligible. In other words, if you drink coffee every day, your body retains the same amount of fluid from a cup of coffee as it does from a cup of water. If you don't drink caffeinated beverages regularly, drinking a cup of coffee ends up being the equivalent of drinking about 2/3 of a cup of water. In other words, drinking coffee will hydrate you—just not quite as efficiently as water will. Hey, don't get me wrong: I've still got a pretty stiff water habit myself and I think you're better off drinking water than just about anything else. But I've seen how overzealous the hydration police can get and thought it was time to separate fact from fiction. There are a few more important things to say about hydration but they affect a smaller number of folks. So that this episode doesn't run on too much longer, I'll just mention them very briefly here but I'll include some links with the show notes for more information on all of these: 1. The thirst reflex does decline with age and the elderly are at elevated risk of dehydration. 2. Excessive thirst and urination can be a warning sign for diabetes. 3. Those involved in sustained, strenuous exercise or spending extended periods of time in very hot or dry conditions need a lot more fluids to stay adequately hydrated. 4. When you're sweating a lot, you need to replace sodium and potassium as well as fluids to prevent a potentially serious condition called hyponatremia. The Bottom Line on Hydration But barring ill health, extreme conditions, or intense physical activity, most people will stay well hydrated by eating a reasonably healthy diet and drinking water or other non-alcoholic beverages when they are thirsty. As a rule of thumb, if you are peeing several times a day and your urine is pale in color, you are doing fine. This is Monica Reinagel, the Nutrition Diva, with your quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous. Visit nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com for a transcript of this episode and links to lots more information about hydration. You can also post a comment about today's episode on the show's site. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Got a burning curiosity about some aspect of nutrition? Need to settle a nutrition-related bet with your roommate or spouse? Nutrition Diva is here for you.

Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com or leave me a voicemail at 206-203-1438 .

Have a great day and eat something good for me!

RESOURCES: Calculate how much water your diet provides on NutritionData.com An interview with hydration researcher Dr. Ann Grandjean Dangers of dehydration in elderly Warning signs of diabetes Hydration guidelines for Exercise Avoiding hyponatremia (water intoxication)

How Much Water Should I Drink? ¿Cuánta agua debo beber?

Hello there! ¡Hola! This is Monica Reinagel and you're listening to The Nutrition Diva: Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous . Soy Mónica Reinagel y estás escuchando a La Diva de la Nutrición: Consejos rápidos y sucios para comer bien y sentirte fabuloso. These tips are provided for your information and entertainment and are not intended as medical advice. Estos consejos se proporcionan para tu información y entretenimiento, y no pretenden ser consejos médicos. Because everyone is different, please work with your health professional to determine what's right for you. Debido a que todos somos diferentes, por favor trabaja con tu profesional de la salud para determinar lo que es adecuado para ti. I bet you've heard it said that you need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day in order to stay properly hydrated. Apuesto a que has escuchado que necesitas beber al menos ocho vasos de agua al día para mantenerte adecuadamente hidratado. Perhaps you've also read that by the time you feel thirsty you're already in an advanced state of dehydration, or that most of us are chronically dehydrated. Tal vez también hayas leído que cuando sientes sed ya estás en un estado avanzado de deshidratación, o que la mayoría de nosotros estamos cronícamente deshidratados. Chances are also good that you've been told that drinking caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee cause you to lose more fluid than you take in. También es muy probable que te hayan dicho que beber bebidas con cafeína como el té y el café te hace perder más líquido del que ingieres. What would you say if I told you that all of these widely held truths are little more than urban legends? ¿Qué dirías si te dijera que todos estos conceptos ampliamente aceptados son poco más que leyendas urbanas? I can almost hear your shocked expressions! ¡Casi puedo oír tus expresiones de sorpresa! The dehydration myth has become so firmly entrenched in our collective consciousness that it may indeed come as a surprise to learn that there is very little scientific support for any of these notions. El mito de la deshidratación se ha arraigado tanto en nuestra conciencia colectiva que puede resultar sorprendente descubrir que hay muy poco apoyo científico para cualquiera de estas ideas.

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Tales of the Overhydrated Now, I have to tell you that opera singers are among the most over-hydrated people on the planet. Relatos de los sobrehidratados Ahora, tengo que decirte que los cantantes de ópera están entre las personas más sobrehidratadas del planeta. That's right: My people were carrying water bottles everywhere we went for decades before the rest of you got on the H2O bandwagon. Así es: Mi gente llevaba botellas de agua a todas partes durante décadas antes de que el resto de ustedes se subieran al carro del H2O. Like most young singers, I was inculcated into the cult of hydration by my first voice teacher, who explained the danger and heartbreak that would follow if I failed to keep my vocal cords adequately lubricated. Como la mayoría de los cantantes jóvenes, fui inculcada en la cultura de la hidratación por mi primer profesor de canto, quien me explicó el peligro y la angustia que seguirían si no mantenía mis cuerdas vocales adecuadamente lubricadas. I could picture the tragedy: I'd step out on stage, open my mouth to sing, and nothing but a small plume of dust—or perhaps a tumbleweed or two—would come out of my mouth. Podía imaginar la tragedia: saldría al escenario, abriría la boca para cantar, y no saldría más que una pequeña nube de polvo, o tal vez un par de arbustos rodantes. Hey, the odds of success as an opera singer are slim enough. Hey, the odds of success as an opera singer are slim enough. Eh, las probabilidades de éxito como cantante de ópera son bastante escasas. I certainly wasn't going to take any unnecessary chances! ¡Definitivamente no iba a correr ningún riesgo innecesario! So, I joined the legion of singers neurotically sucking down liter after liter every day. Así que me uní a la legión de cantantes que se bebían litro tras litro de agua todos los días de manera neurótica. It's a wonder I ever got through the first act of an opera without having to leave the stage four times for bathroom breaks. Es un milagro que haya podido pasar el primer acto de una ópera sin tener que abandonar el escenario cuatro veces para ir al baño. Drinking Water Is a Good Habit Look, as excesses go, drinking a lot of water isn't a bad one. Beber agua es un buen hábito. Mira, como excesos van, beber mucha agua no es malo. It won't make you fat. No te hará engordar. It won't rot your teeth or give you a hang-over. No te arruinará los dientes ni te provocará una resaca. Drinking lots of water can temporarily assuage hunger pangs, which dieters find useful. Beber mucha agua puede calmar temporalmente los dolores de hambre, lo cual los dietistas encuentran útil. It can also help prevent kidney stones in those susceptible to them. También puede ayudar a prevenir cálculos renales en aquellos que son propensos a ellos. Drinking more can ease constipation and—ironically—also alleviate water retention. Beber más agua puede aliviar el estreñimiento y, irónicamente, también aliviar la retención de agua. The body has a fairly efficient mechanism for getting rid of excess water so under normal circumstances it's hard to get yourself into trouble drinking water—except the kind of trouble that happens when you find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the interstate, or on stage for Act II of Puccini's Turandot , and the next bathroom break is at least 50 long minutes away. El cuerpo tiene un mecanismo bastante eficiente para deshacerse del exceso de agua, por lo que en circunstancias normales es difícil meterse en problemas al beber agua, excepto el tipo de problema que ocurre cuando te encuentras en un embotellamiento de tráfico en la autopista, o en el escenario para el Acto II de Turandot de Puccini, y el próximo descanso para ir al baño está a al menos 50 largos minutos de distancia. Ouch. ¡Ay! Still, as a nutritionist, I feel compelled to point out that most people can stay perfectly hydrated on significantly less than eight glasses of water a day. Aún así, como nutricionista, me siento obligado a señalar que la mayoría de las personas pueden mantenerse perfectamente hidratadas con mucho menos de ocho vasos de agua al día. So who started this notion that nothing less than two liters of water a day will keep us from multiple-organ failure? Entonces, ¿quién comenzó esta idea de que nada menos que dos litros de agua al día nos evitará una falla de múltiples órganos? You have to wonder whether this whole thing was somehow cooked up by the $60 billion bottled water industry, which has somehow figured out a way to take a cheap and widely available commodity and sell it at a mark up of anywhere from 250% to 3000%, creating an environmental disaster of nightmarish proportions in the process. Uno se pregunta si toda esta idea fue de alguna manera tramada por la industria del agua embotellada de 60 mil millones de dólares, que ha descubierto de alguna manera una forma de tomar una mercancía barata y ampliamente disponible y venderla con un margen de beneficio de entre el 250% y el 3000%, creando así un desastre ambiental de proporciones aterradoras en el proceso.

A Drop of Truth in a Sea of Misunderstanding While I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, I don't actually think that's what happened. Una gota de verdad en un mar de malentendidos Aunque me encanta una buena teoría conspirativa tanto como al siguiente tipo, en realidad no creo que sea lo que sucedió. Like most urban legends, this one does contain a drop of truth. Como la mayoría de las leyendas urbanas, esta contiene una gota de verdad. The average person needs about two liters, or approximately eight glasses, of water a day to replace what is lost through normal biological functions like breathing, sweating, and urinating. La persona promedio necesita alrededor de dos litros, o aproximadamente ocho vasos, de agua al día para reponer lo que se pierde a través de funciones biológicas normales como respirar, sudar y orinar. But that doesn't mean that you need to drink two liters of water. Pero eso no significa que necesites beber dos litros de agua. In fact, hypothetically, you don't have to drink any water at all. De hecho, hipotéticamente, no tienes que beber agua en absoluto. For one thing, you can easily get a liter or liter and a half of water just from the food that you eat, especially if you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, which are up to 97% water. Por un lado, fácilmente puedes obtener un litro o litro y medio de agua solo de los alimentos que consumes, especialmente si comes muchas frutas y verduras, que contienen hasta un 97% de agua. (If you're curious to know how much water you're actually eating, you can find out by entering a typical day's intake into the diet tracking tools on NutritionData.com.) (Si tienes curiosidad por saber cuánta agua estás consumiendo en realidad, puedes averiguarlo ingresando la ingesta típica de un día en las herramientas de seguimiento de dieta en NutritionData.com.) Secondly, contrary to another widely held nutritional myth, coffee, tea, sodas, and other beverages also help fulfill your fluid quota. En segundo lugar, a diferencia de otro mito nutricional ampliamente aceptado, el café, el té, los refrescos y otras bebidas también ayudan a cumplir tu cuota de líquido. What?! ¿Qué?! Have I lost my mind? ¿Me he vuelto loco? Don't I know that caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea are dehydrating? ¿Acaso no sé que las bebidas con cafeína como el café y el té deshidratan? Actually, they aren't. En realidad, no lo hacen. Dr. Ann Grandjean is a hydration researcher at the University of Nebraska and she has done some research that might surprise you. La Dra. Ann Grandjean es una investigadora de hidratación en la Universidad de Nebraska y ha realizado algunas investigaciones que podrían sorprenderte.

Surprise! ¡Sorpresa! Drinking Caffeinated Beverages Won't Dehydrate You Dr. Grandjean has demonstrated that if you regularly drink caffeinated beverages, the diuretic effects are almost negligible. Beber bebidas con cafeína no te deshidratará. La Dra. Grandjean ha demostrado que si bebes regularmente este tipo de bebidas, los efectos diuréticos son casi insignificantes. In other words, if you drink coffee every day, your body retains the same amount of fluid from a cup of coffee as it does from a cup of water. En otras palabras, si bebes café todos los días, tu cuerpo retiene la misma cantidad de líquido de una taza de café que de una taza de agua. If you don't drink caffeinated beverages regularly, drinking a cup of coffee ends up being the equivalent of drinking about 2/3 of a cup of water. Si no bebes regularmente bebidas con cafeína, beber una taza de café equivale a beber aproximadamente 2/3 de taza de agua. In other words, drinking coffee will hydrate you—just not quite as efficiently as water will. En otras palabras, beber café te hidratará, pero no tan eficientemente como el agua. Hey, don't get me wrong: I've still got a pretty stiff water habit myself and I think you're better off drinking water than just about anything else. Oye, no me malinterpretes: yo también tengo un hábito bastante fuerte de beber agua y creo que es mejor beber agua que casi cualquier otra cosa. But I've seen how overzealous the hydration police can get and thought it was time to separate fact from fiction. Pero he visto lo excesivos que pueden ser los defensores de la hidratación y pensé que era hora de separar los hechos de la ficción. There are a few more important things to say about hydration but they affect a smaller number of folks. Hay algunas cosas más importantes que decir sobre la hidratación, pero afectan a un número menor de personas. So that this episode doesn't run on too much longer, I'll just mention them very briefly here but I'll include some links with the show notes for more information on all of these: 1. Para que este episodio no se alargue demasiado, las mencionaré brevemente aquí, pero incluiré algunos enlaces en las notas del programa para obtener más información sobre todas ellas: 1. The thirst reflex does decline with age and the elderly are at elevated risk of dehydration. El reflejo de la sed disminuye con la edad y las personas mayores tienen un mayor riesgo de deshidratación. 2. 2. Excessive thirst and urination can be a warning sign for diabetes. La sed excesiva y la micción pueden ser una señal de advertencia de la diabetes. 3. 3. Those involved in sustained, strenuous exercise or spending extended periods of time in very hot or dry conditions need a lot more fluids to stay adequately hydrated. Aquellos que realizan ejercicio sostenido y enérgico o que pasan períodos prolongados de tiempo en condiciones muy calurosas o secas necesitan más líquidos para mantenerse adecuadamente hidratados. 4. 4. When you're sweating a lot, you need to replace sodium and potassium as well as fluids to prevent a potentially serious condition called hyponatremia. Cuando sudas mucho, es necesario reemplazar el sodio y el potasio, además de los líquidos, para prevenir una afección potencialmente grave llamada hiponatremia. The Bottom Line on Hydration But barring ill health, extreme conditions, or intense physical activity, most people will stay well hydrated by eating a reasonably healthy diet and drinking water or other non-alcoholic beverages when they are thirsty. La conclusión sobre la hidratación, excluyendo enfermedades, condiciones extremas o actividad física intensa, la mayoría de las personas se mantendrán adecuadamente hidratadas al comer una dieta razonablemente saludable y beber agua u otras bebidas no alcohólicas cuando tengan sed. As a rule of thumb, if you are peeing several times a day and your urine is pale in color, you are doing fine. Como regla general, si estás orinando varias veces al día y tu orina es de color claro, estás bien. This is Monica Reinagel, the Nutrition Diva, with your quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous. Soy Monica Reinagel, la Diva de la Nutrición, con consejos rápidos y sucios para comer bien y sentirse fabuloso/a. Visit nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com for a transcript of this episode and links to lots more information about hydration. Visita nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com para obtener una transcripción de este episodio y enlaces a mucha más información sobre hidratación. You can also post a comment about today's episode on the show's site. También puedes dejar un comentario sobre el episodio de hoy en el sitio del programa. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Me encantaría saber tus pensamientos. Got a burning curiosity about some aspect of nutrition? ¿Tienes curiosidad ardiente sobre algún aspecto de la nutrición? Need to settle a nutrition-related bet with your roommate or spouse? ¿Necesitas resolver una apuesta relacionada con la nutrición con tu compañero/a de cuarto o cónyuge? Nutrition Diva is here for you. La Diva de la Nutrición está aquí para ti.

Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com or leave me a voicemail at  206-203-1438 . Envía un correo electrónico a nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com o déjame un mensaje de voz al 206-203-1438.

Have a great day and eat something good for me! ¡Que tengas un gran día y come algo bueno por mí!

RESOURCES:  Calculate how much water your diet provides on NutritionData.com An interview with hydration researcher Dr. Ann Grandjean  Dangers of dehydration in elderly Warning signs of diabetes Hydration guidelines for Exercise Avoiding hyponatremia (water intoxication) RECURSOS: Calcula cuánta agua proporciona tu dieta en NutritionData.com Una entrevista con la investigadora de hidratación, la Dra. Ann Grandjean Peligros de la deshidratación en las personas mayores Señales de advertencia de la diabetes Pautas de hidratación para el ejercicio Cómo evitar la hiponatremia (intoxicación por agua)