Three Popular Myths About Water

First of all, there is nothing wrong with drinking water. In fact, almost everything about it is good. Most of us are dehydrated. If, like me, you live in a high altitude and low humidity region, you are probably much more dehydrated than you realize. You get used to it, but its neither normal nor healthy.

I thought I was drinking plenty of water, about 50oz a day. Recently during my annual physical I mentioned to my doctor that every now and then I felt a little lightheaded when suddenly rising or after some exertion. I expected a discussion of blood pressure. My doctors suggestion? Try drinking more water.

But water is big business. Bottled water is the #1 beverage product in the USA. Bigger than soda, bigger than bottled juices, tea or coffee. There is vitamin water, mineral water, carbonated water, flavored water and yes, even water water.

Here a couple of things about water you may not know.

1. Bottled water is not "healthier" than tap water.

Despite the glaciers and pristine snowfields on the label, the source for many - if not most - bottled brands is tap water. It may be purified, filtered and enhanced with various additives but at its heart it is just tap water. And because tap water comes from municipal suppliers it is subject to EPA standards and regulations. Suppliers are subject to their own standards and testing. And then there are all those plastic bottles - an emerging health issue in its own right.

Save your money. Save the planet.

2. You need to drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy.

Lets assume that a "glass" is 8oz. That's 64 ounces a day. Maybe I do need to drink that much. But that doesn't mean its right for you. The "8 glasses a day" comes from a government recommendation issued in 1945.

There is no doubt that every cell in our body needs water to survive. But how much water depends on a multitude of factors including our height, weight, gender, activity level and environment. Want a simple test to see if you are getting enough? Look at your pee. If it is a light straw color, your are doing fine. If its a dark yellow, bottoms up.

3. You can't drink too much water.

Yeah, you can. Its even got a name (hyponatremia) and it can be life threatening. It occurs when you drink so much water that the sodium in your blood becomes diluted to dangerously low levels. (Yes, too little sodium is dangerous too.) Your body can process about 1 liter of water an hour when you are very active. That's a lot of water. To stay safe, think about a maximum 12oz of water for every 30 minutes you are working out or being physically active.