Why Drinking 8 Glasses of Water Per Day is a Myth – Dr. Berg Explains

Does someone keep telling you to drink more water? Watch this first. 

DATA:
"Adolph EF. The regulation of the water content of the human organism. J Physiol (London). 192155(1-2):114-32"

"Vivanti AP. Origins for the estimations of water requirements in adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. 201266(12):1282-9."


Timestamps 
0:00 8 glasses of water a day myth
0:30 The common thought 
0:47 Water myths  
3:35 Hyponatremia
4:10 How much water I drink 

Today we're going to talk about the "8 glasses of water a day" myth. I'm going to go through the 5 lies about drinking more water. Many people were taught to drink 8 glasses of water per day. But do you really need to do this?

Water myths:
1. 60% of the body is water—False 
2. The body doesn't know when it's thirsty—False 
3. Water flushes out fat—False
4. Water flushes out toxins—False 
5. Water helps dry skin—False

People that drink the most water are actually the most dehydrated because of the difference in electrolytes.

Hyponatremia is a condition where you can get really sick or even die because of drinking too much water.

I drink about 2-3 cups of water a day. Your body adjusts to maintain a natural balance. Just make sure only to drink when you're thirsty. 

Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 57, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.

Follow Me On Social Media:



Disclaimer:
Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Thanks for watching! Drinking 8 glasses of water per day may not actually be the best thing for your health. I hope this helps you better understand why.

[ceecoller]

hes not saying you dont need water - He is saying if you drink too much water, you become over hydrated and pee out the electrolytes and micro nutrients without replacing them. I dont get why people pick out what they want o hear instead of hearing his message - Hes here to help you learn

[malcolmhenaughan]

I am almost 74, throughout my life I have eaten when hungry and drunk water when I was thirsty, seems to have worked pretty well for me..

[craigwashington]

"Drink when you are thirsty" every animal on Earth recognizes this. Why humans act against nature is beyond me. Thanks for the content Doc. I know this is an old video but so helpful.

[shannonpmitchell]

I’ve heard all these false claims over the years. Every time I tried to drink a lot of water I’d get dizzy, have heart palpitations. This makes perfect sense! Thank you!

[niklar]

Sleep when you're tired. Eat when you're hungry. Drink when you're dry!
Simple?

[TrichsRUs]

The problem is that many ppl don’t drink water when they’re thirsty, but consume sugar.

[ToPrepareHisWay]

But now, 9 years later, Dr. Berg recommends drinking 2 1/2 litres of water a day to avoid kidney stones when taking vitamin D3. Just goes to show that each of us is always learning, and that some things that we are confident about today we might not be so confident about in the future.

[atlhawksfan]

I remember during basic training, my drill sergeant would always yell “drink water!” But there was one basic training site were a female soldier died from drinking too much water. The military had to do a study to find out the “right” amount of water to drink; the “right” amount of water was never figured out.

[albertomassari]

The more I study, the more I realize that we have been FOOLED by third entities that DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE BEST HUMAN INTEREST. Its freaking insane, who are they, why are they doing this to humanity.

[Crazynice]

The amount of water depends on the amount of food, amount of exercise and other factors. The more food, exercise, activity, the more water you’ll need. Your body lets you know when you need it.

[Autumncraftz]

The one thing I have always been told is the fact that drinking more water helps cleanse the body. So thanks for this CORRECT information.

[maryjones]

My doctor just told us the keto diet caused her to lose a lot of weight and since no one told her about drinking enough water, her kidneys were badly damaged. My husband went on the keto diet 5 years ago, and didn't drink enough water and started urinating blood so he lost one of his kidneys. I went on the keto diet ten years ago and wasn't told to up my water intake because the kidneys can't take all that protein, so I endured a kidney infection that lasted six months. So, please tell everyone to up their water intake, please.

[DejaDrewit]

I’ve Always struggled drinking water throughout the day I can go hours without it . people are always telling me that I have to drink more water and I just couldn’t do it. Thanks Dr Berg! I dont feel bad about it anymore!

[marcbolinger]

Having had kidney stones twice in my life-Both urologists said to drink more water, I ignored the first, Finally at 32 I listened to the second (Who said 1/2 gallon of water a day can decrease 25% of all medical issues) I’ve not been sick in 4 years and never feel sluggish, I’m going with water is good

[El-smgr]

The amount of water or fluid we need depends on our electrolyte levels as Dr Berg says. You get thirsty when they're too high, either by exercise or sweating etc. In Winter I barely drink any, just hot drinks only but in summer 2 - 4 litres or more depending on my activity level. If I drink only water then I mix it with a pinch of Himalayan salt and something else like coconut water, anything that has cellulose to increase it's absorption.

[donnaskip]

He is exactly right…. I was told to drink a gallon a water a day. I have been doing this and felt like crap! Dr. Berg has changed my life! I am 59 female and doctors tried prescribing so many medications it didn’t make sense. I am not on any medication and feel great! Thank you Dr. Berg!!! My health issues no longer … ulcers, gerd, fatigue, nausea, prediabetic all gone!

[Arli]

I grew up in Russia and never ever in my life I went outside with a bottle of water. If I’m thirsty I would just buy something to drink or wait until I get home. People can survive and function without drinking water for hours.

[itsnadia.]

In my opinion, a huge advantage of drinking water is less headaches.

[Cherylforino]

Love this video. I’ve never been big on drinking a lot of water. I’ve always had to force it. I drink only water, (coffee in morning and occasional herbal tea at night), and it’s when I’m thirsty. I think we need to “listen” to our bodies more and stop driving ourselves crazy with everything we hear.
Thanks Dr. Berg.

[SuspiciousMind]

Thank you Dr. Berg for clarifying the water myth. I have been saying for years that I didn't believe drinking that much water was helping me at all.