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Hydrate
yourself to beat the heat
May 22, 03
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
It’s
hot. You’re thirsty. How much water
do you need, and what kind is best?
We’ve always been told that we
should drink eight glasses of water a
day, but it may surprise you to know that
nobody actually knows if that figure is
correct. It’s just one of those
recommendations that has been floating
around for years, with no science to back
it up.
Now the National Academy of Sciences has
formed a scientific panel to investigate
the question, and a report is due out in
late September.
Meanwhile, the current recommendation
– 2 liters, or about 8 cups per day
– is probably a reasonable goal for
most people under ordinary circumstances.
You can raise your goal to as many as 12
cups if your activities take you outdoors
in the heat for extended periods of time.
Athletes may need much more, depending
upon the type and duration of activity.
You don’t have to get all of that
water from the tap. The water contained
in food can count toward your daily goal.
If you eat a healthy diet, you can get up
to half of what you need from the water
naturally present in foods, especially
fresh fruits and vegetables, which come
with the added bonus of essential
vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Some of
the best:
• Watermelon, honeydew, and
cantaloupe
• Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers,
and radishes
• Summer squash and zucchini
• Blueberries, grapes, and
strawberries
• Greens and leaf lettuce
Cooking draws fluids out of foods, so eat
more salads, fresh fruit, and washed,
cut-up raw veggies for maximum fluid
benefit. Other fluid-rich foods include
soups, smoothies, fruit juice, frozen
fruit bars, and sorbet.
Even coffee, tea, and soft drinks count,
though – need I say it? – they
fall at the bottom of the heap in terms
of nutritional contribution. Claims about
the dehydrating effects of coffee and tea
are overblown. The net fluid gains from
one to three cups of coffee or tea far
outweigh losses caused by the diuretic
effects of caffeine.
As for water itself – you have
choices, lots of choices – and you
can pay a little or a lot.
Trendy bottled waters are fortified with
vitamins and minerals and contain herbs
and other botanicals, flavorings, fiber
– even added oxygen.
But save yourself some money. None of
these features even remotely justify the
cost, and the effectiveness of additives
such as some botanicals and added oxygen
are questionable. A far better value is
plain old tap water – or filtered
water from your home or office.
Don’t like the taste of plain water?
Some research shows that people drink
more water if it’s flavored or has
sugar or salt added. Here again, save
some money. Some healthful, low-cost
options:
• Add thin slices of cucumber and
lemon to a clear glass pitcher of ice
water. Beautiful to look at and
refreshing to drink.
• Pour a few ounces of fruit juice
into a tumbler, and then fill it the rest
of the way with seltzer water or club
soda.
• Squeeze a few lemon and lime
wedges into a glass of ice water.
• Try inexpensive fruit-flavored,
unsweetened mineral water or seltzer
water. Buy large bottles for economy.
As for sports drinks, such as Gatorade,
that contain added sodium, potassium, and
chloride, there is evidence that they may
be of benefit to athletes, but for the
general public, any value may simply be
due to their role as another fluid
source.
The expert panel evaluating
recommendations for water intake is
planning to develop recommendations for
these types of drinks as well.
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