David Harris links to a study on drinking eight glasses of water a day. Looks pretty interesting.

Last year I reported on a paper from the American Journal of Physiology that dispelled the myth that people should drink eight glasses of water per day. Now this has been supported by another study published by the Institute of Medicine.

The new report recommends that thirst be the main motivator for drinking more. One of the urban myths of water consumption was that if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. This study helps put that myth to rest.

Another common myth about water consumption is that water from caffeinated beverages should not count. The new report repeats previously published findings that say you should count all water intake, including from caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and soft drinks, and also from food.

A more significant health finding is that Americans are consuming far too much sodium (usually in the form of salt in foods) and too little potassium. [David Harris' Science & Literature]

A link to the actual article is included.