HEALTH REPORT - How Much Water Should People Drink?

HEALTH REPORT - How Much Water Should People Drink?
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Wednesday, March 03, 2004

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

 
A new study says people should drink when they feel thirsty.
Many people believe they are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, or about two liters¹. Why? Because that is what they have been told all their life. But a new report offers some different advice. Experts say people should obey their bodies; they should drink as much water as they feel like drinking.

The report says most healthy people meet their daily needs for liquid by letting thirst be their guide. The report is from the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academies². This organization provides scientific and technical advice to the government and the public.

The report contains some general suggestions. The experts say women should get about two-point-seven liters of water daily. Men should get about three-point-seven liters. But wait -- in each case, that is more than eight glasses.

There is an important difference. The report does not tell people how many glasses of water to drink. In fact, the experts say it may be impossible to know how many glasses are needed to meet these guidelines³. This is because the daily water requirement⁴ can include the water content in foods.

People do not get water only by forcing themselves to drink a set number of glasses per day. People also drink fruit juices and sodas⁵ and milk. They drink coffee and tea. These all contain water. Yet some also contain caffeine. This causes the body to expel⁶ more water. But the writers of the report say this does not mean the body loses too much water.

As you might expect, the Institute of Medicine says people need to drink more water when they are physically⁷ active. The same is true of those who live in hot climates. Depending on heat and activity, people could need two times as much water as others do.

All this, however, does not answer one question. No one seems sure why people have the idea that good health requires eight glasses of water daily.

It may have started with a misunderstanding. In nineteen-forty-five, the National Academy⁸ of Sciences published some guidelines. Its Food and Nutrition⁹ Board said a good amount of water for most adults was two-point-five liters daily. This was based on an average of one milliliter for each calorie¹⁰ of food eaten.

But that was only part of what the board said. It also said that most of this amount is contained in prepared foods.This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

1 liters   

n.升( liter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In the metric system, measurements are made in metres and liters. 在公制中，用米和升作计量单位。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This can holds five liters of water. 这个容器可装五升水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 academies   

n.专科学校( academy的名词复数 )；研究院；（苏格兰）中等学校；（美国）私立学校

参考例句：

• The millitary academies are also enjoying halcyon years, attracting more and better-qualified students. 军事院校因招收的学生数量多了，质量好了，年头也很好过。 来自辞典例句
• But international students can also attend the nation's five service academies. 而留学生也可以参加国立五个军事院校学习。 来自互联网

3 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

4 requirement   

n.需要，要求，请求，规定，必要条件

参考例句：

• Patience is a requirement in teaching.耐心是教学必备的条件。
• Your requirement that she wait till next week is reasonable.你要求她等到下周是有道理的。

5 sodas   

n.苏打( soda的名词复数 )；碱；苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• There are plenty of sodas in the refrigerator. 冰箱里有很多碳酸饮料。 来自辞典例句
• Two whisky and sodas, please. 请来两杯威士忌苏打。 来自辞典例句

6 expel   

vt.把...开除，驱逐，放逐，排出，喷出

参考例句：

• They were told at first that they should simply expel the refugees.一开始有人告诉他们应该直接将那些难民驱逐出境。
• The headmaster may expel the boy from the school.校长可能要把那个男孩从学校开除。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

9 nutrition   

n.营养，营养学

参考例句：

• Plants get the nutrition from the soil in which they grow.植物从它们赖以生存的土壤中吸收养分。
• This food provides nutrition for you.这种食物为你提供营养。

10 calorie   

n.热卡，热量单位，卡路里，卡，卡路里

参考例句：

• The unit of heat energy commonly used in physics is the calorie.在物理学中，热能单位一般用卡表示。
• High calorie food was excepted from the menu since last year.从去年开始，高卡路里食物就被从菜单上去掉了。