Benefits of drinking water are a myth

Drinking too much water could be doing us more harm than good, says news research

Experts warn that drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day could actually be harmful to a person's health.

Glasgow-based GP Margaret McCartney says benefits of drinking water are often exaggerated by organisations with a vested interest, such as bottled water brands. Writing in the British Medical Journal she also claims that drinking when not thirsty can impair concentration.

A report claims that the benefits of drinking copious amounts of water are quite simply myths, suggesting there is no evidence behind claims that water prevents multiple health problems.

According to Dr McCartney, consumption of excessive amounts of water can in fact lead to loss of sleep and even cause kidney damage instead of preventing it.

Professor Stanley Goldfarb, a metabolism expert from the University of Pennsylvania also claims there is no evidence to suggest that water suppresses appetite.

‘If children drank more water rather than getting extra calories from soda, that’s good - but there is no evidence that drinking water before meals reduces appetite,’ he says.

Around 2.06 billion litres of water was consumed in Britain last year in comparison to just 1.42billion litres in 2000.

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