That viral 'drink 8 glasses of water' article got debunked hard last week

Honestly, my doctor told me I was drinking too much water after I followed that common advice for months. I was getting headaches and feeling bloated all the time. Turns out that whole 8 glasses thing comes from a misread study from the 1940s. She said just drink when you're thirsty and check your pee color instead. Has anyone else here found out that piece of advice was bogus?

3 comments

3 Comments

brooke_jones9h ago

Started tracking my urine color after my doctor told me the same thing and honestly it changed my whole relationship with water. I used to think if I wasn't constantly sipping something I was dehydrated. Then I realized I was waking up twice a night to pee and feeling super groggy in the morning. Now I just keep a regular water bottle nearby and drink when I actually feel thirsty. Funny enough my skin cleared up too once I stopped over-hydrating. I guess my body just knew what it needed all along.

carr.abby13h ago

Did your doctor mention that dark colored pee is fine first thing in the morning? Took me a while to learn that one. I switched to just keeping a reusable bottle on my desk and taking sips when I'm actually thirsty, not forcing down a full glass every hour. Way less bathroom trips and way less headaches. Check your hydration with how your mouth feels and your energy levels too, not just a number on a bottle.

cole_murphy12h ago

Actually this is super solid advice. Took me way too long to figure out that drinking when you're thirsty is usually good enough. I used to carry around a gallon jug thinking I was being healthy but honestly I just ended up peeing every 20 minutes and feeling bloated. Now I just keep a normal 16oz water bottle on my desk and refill it maybe 3 times during my work shift. My mouth doesn't feel dry anymore and I actually have more energy in the afternoon. The color thing is real too, my first pee of the day is always darker and my doc said that's totally normal unless it stays dark all day.