Summary

This assumption is absurd, of course. Soft drinks, coffee and other high-sugar beverages actually have a dehydrating effect in the body. They cause the excretion of more water than they provide, resulting in a net loss of water, not a net gain. This is due to the high sugar and high phosphate content of soft drinks. In coffee, it's due to the caffeine and added sugars. Long-term consumption of these beverages leads to a state of chronic dehydration that is often misdiagnosed as asthma or other diseases. The book to read on this is called Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life.

The National Academies apparently hasn't read this book, nor are they aware of the fundamentals of hydration and nutrition. To categorize the water content of soft drinks as quality hydration is the sort of oversight that might be acceptable by a student in a high school science fair, but it's appalling to see it from an organization that purports to be so well informed. In reality, it's just bad science, plain and simple. Or just outright ignorance.

Original source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/02/040212092439.htm

Details

• The report set general recommendations for water intake based on detailed national data, which showed that women who appear to be adequately hydrated consume an average of approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water -- from all beverages and foods -- each day, and men average approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces) daily.
• Moreover, we concluded that on a daily basis, people get adequate amounts of water from normal drinking behavior -- consumption of beverages at meals and in other social situations -- and by letting their thirst guide them."
• Regarding salt, healthy 19- to 50-year-old adults should consume 1.5 grams of sodium and 2.3 grams of chloride each day -- or 3.8 grams of salt -- to replace the amount lost daily on average through sweat and to achieve a diet that provides sufficient amounts of other essential nutrients.

Related Articles

Popular Topics: Water, Soft drinks, Science, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.naturalnews.com/000903_bad_science_water_for_health.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.naturalnews.com/000903_bad_science_water_for_health.html">So-called science organization thinks pure water and soft drinks provide the same degree of hydration</a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts