"FOUR out of five people risk health problems because they do not drink enough water, research suggested yesterday."

Daily Mail, Monday, May 3.1999
By EMILY WILSON, Medical Reporter

The need for water Most Britons drink less than the eight large glasses a day recommended by doctors. Two-thirds said they drank less than half that and almost half did not know that beer, coffee and tea were not good substitutes for water. Dr Susan Shireffs, an expert on dehydration at the University of Aberdeen, said last night: 'Even small levels of dehydration can cause headaches, lethargy, an overall lack of alertness and changes in our moods. 'In the longer term, the implications of dehydration can be more severe with problems in the renal and cardiovascular systems, as well as mental functioning.'

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day

Dehydration:
The Gallup poll, commissioned by the Natural Mineral Water Information Service, found that the 43 per cent of those questioned believed a cup of tea was as rehydrating as water. But like coffee, it contains caffeine and dehydrates the body. Some also believed alcohol was as refreshing as water, even though it is more dehydrating than coffee. The survey found that water intake fell steadily with age, although dehydration in the elderly can quickly lead to poor mental function, a risk of developing infectious disease, kidney stones and constipation.

Water is healthy:
Ian Hall, chairman of the NMWIS, which is sponsored by five leading mineral water companies, said: 'We all know about healthy eating and yet the simplest element of all - naturally wholesome water - is often ignored. A healthy diet amounts to nothing if you persistently suffer from even mild dehydration.' Water is essential for the body to cool and lubricate, and to flush out waste and toxins. All chemical reactions depend on it. Symptoms of dehydration include skin on the back of the hand being slow to spring back when pinched, a dry or discoloured tongue and darker urine than normal.

A reluctance to drink water causes many of society's most common ailments

Daily requirements:
A person's daily need for water can be calculated by converting body weight into pounds, dividing by two and drinking the equivalent number of fluid ounces. For example, someone weighing 120lb should drink 60 fl oz or three pints. Sweating heavily will increase demand. The World Health Organisation recommends that adults drink eight large glasses a day. Each person loses six pints of water daily: a pint perspiring, two in breathing out and three in urine. Some doctors and health gurus claim a reluctance to drink water causes many of society's most common serious ailments, such as asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.