Should I drink 2 litres of water a day?

[legion]

My wife says I should. She drinks at least 2 litres of water a day, while I doubt if I drink a glass a week. I don't really like water. I figure I get enough water through all the tea, coffee, milk and soft drinks that I drink.

My wife pees a lot.

Who's the putz?

[ultrafilter]

Drink when you feel thirsty. Thirst is a very good indicator of whether you need water (outside of intense exercise).

[Blake]

This is an Urban Legend, and as with all urban legends Snopes is your friend.

Kidney specialists do agree on one thing, however: that the 8-by-8 rule is a gross overestimate of any required minimum. To replace daily losses of water, an average-sized adult with healthy kidneys sitting in a temperate climate needs no more than one liter of fluid, according to Jurgen Schnermann, a kidney physiologist at the National Institutes of Health.

One liter is the equivalent of about four 8-ounce glasses. According to most estimates, that's roughly the amount of water most Americans get in solid food. In short, though doctors don't recommend it, many of us could cover our bare-minimum daily water needs without drinking anything during the day.

Lots more relevant info at http://www.snopes.com/toxins/water.htm

[Dog80]

This has been discussed before:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=251718
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=247001
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=235758


Most people who consume caffienated beverages regularly manage to adapt to the caffiene's diuretic effect. They can thereby retain more than enough fluid from the beverage to sustain life.

The sodium content in your average commercial beverage is insufficient for the purpose of dehydrating an individual. It is more important for those on sodium restricted diets for blood pressure or cardiac function reasons.

Water is probably best. But unsweetened teas and sugar-free soft drinks really don't have any significant liabilities beyond expense and perhaps staining the teeth for the average individual. And they are certainly better than trying to get your fluid intake from either sugary sodas or juices. Waaaaay too many calories in those latter products to consume as your baseline hydrating "beverage of choice".

QtM, MD

Apparently, it is OK if you get most of your water from tea, coffee, etc.