In these times, when almost every information is available on the Internet, this medium is used for spreading lies. One of the most prevalent lies in the virtual world is about water and related myths to this component which is such an essential one for life.
And not only the Internet but you must have definitely heard several myths around water in your home. You have, right? But have you ever given it a thought that is there any foundation or research behind these statements, or they are just myths? Why not think about it now? Now is the time to know the truth about drinking water and related myths to it. Refer to this e-book here to get more detailed information about such myths.
Importance of Water
People can live without love but no one can live without water.
You must have heard that a major part of our body is made up of water. When we talk about men, more than 60% of their body is made of water while in women’s case; this percentage is 50%-55% as their body fat percentage is higher than that of men. Well, this is not a myth but a fact. It regulates your body temperature, transports the nutrition throughout the body, throws out the waste through urine and sweat “i.e. water helps to perform all the biochemical reactions throughout the body. These chemical reactions take place in a cell with the help of water and release energy. So, it indicates what an important role is played by water in the human body.”
Your body continuously loses water through sweating, urine and even breathing. So, regular consumption of water is very important for proper functioning of your body. Chronic Dehydration i.e. poor fluid intake or continuous dehydration for a long time can cause severe diseases like kidney stone and it also affects one’s physical and mental performance. Though, the need for water in a human body varies according to their environment, the extent of physical activities, individual metabolism, etc. Without considering these facts and putting in some common sense, some water-related myths have become a part of daily lives.
“Whether your body needs water or it needs food is projected by the center part of our brain called the hypothalamus. Hypothalamus sends a signal to your body as if it needs energy or it is dehydrated. It also controls body temperature, fatigue, sleep, sexual behavior, etc. The lack of water in the body may trigger muscle pain for some people, faintness for some, and drowsiness in some. It is advised to keep your body hydrated so that these symptoms can be avoided.”
Water and Related Myths
A myth is nothing but a lie, accepted as truth – Punit Dhawan
There are some most common myths which are so popular that they have become a part of life and can be heard in every household. Here are the Seven most common myths about water-
- The indications concerning both hunger and thirst are the same.
- Water must not be had during and after meals.
- Don’t have water while standing
- Drink 8 glasses of water every day
- Drinking more water leads to weight loss
- Hot water helps to lose fat
Do you want to know if these are true or what are the foundations behind these statements? Find out the truth about water in this simplified e-book here – Myths About Water? Not Anymore!
Myth 1 : Are the indications concerning both hunger and thirst are the same?
First of all, this is a pure myth. There are several studies and research concerning water consumption and none of them supports this claim which you can find in several fitness magazines. Yes, both the indications of hunger and thirst are controlled by the same part of the brain i.e. hypothalamus.
It is very easy to understand. The hunger relates to the energy intake of your body while thirst relates to the fluid intake. Indications of hunger are weakness in body, restlessness, the grumbling of the stomach, craving for food, etc. While the indications of thirst are dryness of throat, craving of water, etc. So, both of these signals can be easily differed by our body as if it needs food or water.
Now you may ask what about a mix of solid and liquid food or dense beverages. The answer is that if you keep your body well-hydrated and drink water at regular intervals, you will not be confused by these signals. Here, it is concluded that this first myth is only a myth.
Myth 2 : Can you have water during or after meals?
Most mothers scold their children if they drink water during meals. Are you one of those kids? The reason they give behind this statement is that the stomach acids will dilute due to water intake and it will affect your digestion adversely. Well, here is your time to know if this is true.
If you go for Ayurveda, it supports the statement. But modern scientists have researched and found nothing of this sort because the digestion process and water absorption process of the body is quite different.
However, most studies find that if you drink water during meals or after meals, it actually helps in digestion and enhances the process. As for Indian meals, it usually consists of liquid food like curries, soup, buttermilk, etc. So, this statement is not true.
Researchers also specify that if you drink an excess of water during or after your meals it may actually cause trouble. So, a limited amount of water intake during or after the meal is permitted.
Myth 3 : Don’t have water while standing?
This is the stupidest thing you must have heard about water. And the logics which are offered by some self-declared fitness gurus can sometimes have no logic at all! They say that if you drink water while standing, it may cause, joint pains, heart problems, kidney problems, etc.
You may have heard logic as if you have water in a standing position, it will simply pass out from the body without it being absorbed or it may not be able to flush out the toxins from the body or you may not get the nutritious value of the water (here, you need to understand that water in itself does not contain any nutrients) or just because our grandparents said so. Well, these are completely absurd logic.
It is a common thing to understand that, your body has a water absorption process which is performed no matter how you drink water. It is alright as long as you are drinking it from your mouth and not your nose! When you think about it remember the sportsmen, marathon runners and animals who drink water while playing, running or simply standing. Thus you can be assured that it is perfectly fine to drink water in a standing position.
No Ayurvedic studies or scientific research has mentioned anywhere that you cannot have water while standing. It is quite clear for a person to understand that this is a foolish statement by applying a little common sense.
These dietitians have taken upon themselves to link everything to weight loss or diseases and they have not even spared water. It seems like every activity leads to problems like heart diseases, joint pains, physical problems, etc. If it keeps going on, in no time you will find them saying that drinking water in a standing position increases the risk of cancer and aids as well. But remember, this is nothing but a mere myth.
Myth 4 : Drink 8 glasses of water every day?
This is something that has become so popular a myth that everyone considers it a fact. But no studies have been found that could support this recommendation. Now, the question arises whether this recommendation is the same for those who are living in areas with very high temperatures, or who suffer from hyperhidrosis disorder, or sportsman or pregnant women.
The second question that arises is whether these 8 glasses of water include the fluid intake that is included in the meals and covers the beverages like shakes, drinks, buttermilk, etc. No one answers these questions but state it as a fact that drink 8 glasses of water daily.
It is to remember that water intake differs as per the living conditions of a person, the physical activities they perform and other factors. So this recommendation of 8 glasses of water every day does not stand true as there are several humid areas where the normal consumption of water may reach up to 3-4 liters a day.
This is simply a myth that has been spread so much that you can hear it from everyone but there is no evidence found in both Ayurveda and scientific research that you have to drink 8 glasses of water every day. So you can chill if you are not one of those who have not got an alarm in their cell phones to take a healthy gulp of water every now and then.
Myth 5 : Drinking more water leads to weight loss?
Almost every other dietitian recommends this to people that they must drink more water in order to lose weight. But this recommendation has no foundation. There have been numerous researches on this subject but the results have been inconsistent.
You take several beverages in a day other than water like cold drinks, buttermilk, milk, shakes, juices, etc. Cold drinks contain large amounts of sugar while shakes may contain a high amount of fat depending on their consistency. If you are taking all these beverages and believing that merely drinking a lot of water will help you lose weight, it is not going to happen.
But, if you replace these high-calorie drinks with water, it may turn out to your benefit as sugar intake will decrease. So stop believing this myth that water is going to help you lose weight.
Myth 6 : Hot water helps to lose fat?
Again, many people believe that drinking hot water loses belly fat, it increases metabolism, it burns more calories or it is absorbed slower than cold water. The reason you must have understood is that when you consume extremely hot water, it takes your body to burn more calories in order to cool it down and bring it to your body temperature. This is not true.
The same logic is applied to food and it is true to the extent that certain types of foods require more calories in order to digest them. But it does not apply in the case of water. Understand, water is water, no matter it is hot or cold. The water absorption process of the body is very simple and it does not bias between hot and cold water.
Here, you are not focusing on your entire lifestyle but you are thinking that merely drinking hot water will help you lose weight and help increase your metabolism, it is not going to happen. It is same as “Birbal ki khichdi” where you are trying to cook a huge amount of food with the help of a little candle. So, understand that it is purely a myth.
It is necessary to understand the importance of water for the body and it is equally important to discuss water and related myths. This article covers all the important aspects related to the drinking of water and related myths. Never thought that there could be so many myths about water, did you?
To know more truths about water, click here to read a complete e-book and save yourself from blindly trusting myths.
