Tea is as good as water to hydrate us.
Barely visible 30 years ago, bottled drinking water has become a “fashion accessory and a token of instant gratification and symbolism”, said an Australian researcher, Dr Spero Tsindos.
But although our bodies need around two litres of fluid daily, this does not have to be water, and is often within food.
Tea and coffee also count, said Dr Tsindos, from La Trobe University, Victoria, who says we are drinking “copious amounts of water” without valid reason.
He suggests the eight glasses of water a day recommended by Australian authorities may by excessive – and can be met by other fluid intakes besides water.
He said: “Thirty years ago, you didn’t see a plastic water bottle anywhere – now they appear as fashion accessories.
"We should be telling people that beverages like tea and coffee contribute to a person’s fluid needs and, despite their caffeine content, do not lead to dehydration.” It has also been implied that drinking water could help weight loss, reports the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. But Dr Tsindos said: “Drinking large amounts of water does not alone cause weight loss. A low–calorie diet is also required. Research has also revealed that water in food eaten has a greater benefit in weight reduction than avoiding foods altogether.”
He points to a study from 1976, where anthropologists noted that Saharan nomads drank little water despite living in one of the world’s driest regions – half the amount of Europeans in the same area. “Given that even in a harsh environment the consumption of water can be minimal, why do we insist on drinking such large volumes of water every day?” asks Dr Tsindos. “Humans need to maintain fluid balance and need to drink water when required but should also consider fluid in unprocessed fruits, vegetables and juices. "There is further evidence that water and a well–balanced diet does far more than water alone and this type of research should not be ignored,” he added.
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