Subject: Re: WATER INTAKE AND HEALTH

From: [email-masked] (Marjorie Rosen)
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 06:45:39 GMT

ae55 ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I am interested to know whether the daily consumption of water (as water, 
: rather than
: as tea, coffee, fruit juice, soft drinks etc) for a typical individual 
: eating a "western diet" 
: or any diet for that matter, is sufficient for optimal health. Are there 
: any figures on average 
: water consumption or studies in these areas. 

: Are there any increased risks to the individual associated with not 
: drinking sufficient water 
: on a daily basis and therefore being reliant on tea, coffee, fruit juice, 
: soft drinks etc for fluid 
: intake. Are there any proven benefits from taking more water in the diet 
: both from the 
: stand-point of general well-being and disease treatment or prevention. 
: Any view in these areas 
: would be gratefully received.

: John Bates, Cambridge UK      [email-masked]

As a diabetic, I had (and still have to) go through several sessions with 
a registered dietician periodically, so what info I have is verbal, not 
written.

Your body can be severely compromised by not having enough actual water 
in your diet. If you do not hydrate your body properly, you risk kidney 
problems with the ingestion of high protein or weight loss. In both 
cases ashes are deposited in the kidneys where damage or failure can 
occur if these are not washed away. I was told to drink plain water 
because using caffinated drinks (coffee, tea) would release uncontrolled 
amounts of insulin (this is fine in a reasonable and small amount. Pots 
and pots are going to be bad.) You also would have to drink so much other 
stuff like juice, punches, etc. that even if you could handle the sugar, 
the other ingredients could cause problems. 

Just make sure that you drink 4-8 glasses of pure water a day. If 
necessary, get a water filter or bottled water.

Good Luck - Marjorie