Anti-Aging Properties of Water

Drink More Water, Live Longer?

We all have heard that we should drink 8 cups of water a day. Turns out that that is a hard statistic to prove. I've searched high and low for a good scientific study to back this recommendation, but I haven't been able to find it. In fact, while I was a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins, a class was promoting water drinking and the Dean challenged the entire School of Public Health to find a scientific study backing the 8 cups of water recommendation. No one could find a solid study (if any readers can, please e-mail me).

Meanwhile, just because I can't find a study, doesn't mean you shouldn't drink more water. In fact, drink as much as you can. Here's the reason: If you drink tons of water, you won't be drinking other things (like sodas) that are full of sugar. This alone will increase your health.

Some people claim that drinking lots of water helps "detox" your body by washing away all the chemicals that build up. Again, I haven't been able to find solid studies to back this, but it could be true. You may also hear about "alkaline" water which is supposed to improve your health by counteracting all the extra acids in processed foods. Seems possible, but I haven't run across any solid studies for this either.

Be sure to drink good quality water. Some cities have excellent drinking water (better than bottled water that you can purchase in a store) and other cities have poor water quality. Invest in a good water filter for your home and you should be OK.

Next Anti-Aging Food: Berries