Popular wisdom suggests that a person should drink at least eight glasses of water a day, with the caveat that it doesn’t include beverages like coffee, tea, milk or soft drinks. In a bid to prevent death by dehydration, many of us have forced ourselves to chug gallons and gallons of water despite not being thirsty. Even doctors make you feel bad if they find you flouting the 8-glass rule.

Where did this belief originate? You’d be shocked to know that there is no scientific backing for the claim that a person needs to drink eight glasses of water a day. Yet we abide by it like gospel. The truth is, there is no such rule. This dubious nutritional advice is thought to have originated from an obituary written for nutritionist Fredrick J. Stare, in which it was stated that he had six glasses of water a day.

The rule is overly simplistic and doesn’t account for variables such as our physical differences, climatic conditions, diet, etc. The truth is that optimal water consumption varies from person to person and too much hydration can be a health problem.

Water is one of the least toxic compounds in nature, yet there is such a thing as water toxicity or water poisoning. It turns out drowning is not the only way you can get killed by water. Drinking too much water can wreak havoc in the body, disturbing the delicate electrolyte balance. This means that the proverbial eight-glass rule is a veritable health myth, but very few people know that it is one.

In a research conducted by Medicare Supplement, 61 percent women and 56 percent men of the 1000 people surveyed believed that a person should drink eight glasses of water a day. The belief is more prevalent among the millennials than Gen X and baby boomers. Dr. Jake Hyde, a holistic health practioner says, “Overhydration could cause serious health issues, just as dehydration can.”

How Much Water Should You Drink?

Your water requirements depend on a lot of things such as your level of physical activity, environment, overall health, etc. Existing studies on the subject suggests that adequate fluid intake is usually met through other foods as well, such as teas, coffees, milk, soft drinks and cooked food, which the rule doesn’t take into account.

According to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggests that the daily intake of water for a man is 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) and for a woman is 11.5 cups (2.7 litres). This includes water from other food sources as well. Some holistic practioners believe that the best rule is to listen to one’s body and drink only when thirsty. What we need to keep in mind is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to hydration and blindly following the eight-glass rule may have an adverse outcome.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2018 12:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).