Updated May 01, 2014.

I don't know about you, but I hear all the time that I should be drinking more water. Everywhere you look you read that people should drink eight glasses of water a day. The result has been a huge increase in sales of bottled water. But as a researcher, I've always wondered if there is it true health benefit to all this water drinking. On the other hand, fresh pure water seems to be intuitively linked to good health, healthy aging and longevity.

Research on the Health Benefits of Water

Finally, a study was done to examine increased water consumption and health outcomes. The study examined claims often associated with drinking more water. These claims are that drinking more water will:

• help get rid of toxins
• improve your skin
• reduce your appetite
• help prevent headaches.

Reviewing all of available literature in scientific studies, they could find no solid, conclusive evidence for any of these claims.

Water and Toxins

For example, claims that drinking more water would clear toxins don't make a lot of sense if you think about how the body works. The toxin cleaners in your body are your kidneys, and they do a pretty good job even in people who are dehydrated. More water does not mean your kidneys can work better (it just means going to the bathroom more). As for headaches and skin changes, the results of the study showed very little evidence to show that drinking extra water matters.

Water and Weight Loss

Personally, I have to disagree slightly with the researcher's conclusions on appetite and weight loss.

I agree that drinking more water probably doesn't decrease anyone's appetite. However, I do believe that water can be useful for weight loss. Considering that over 20% of the average person's calories are taken in liquid form, it seems like substituting water for sodas, lattes, and other drinks can make a dramatic difference in someone's calorie intake (and weight loss).

So Should I Stop Drinking Water?

No, of course not. Water is an essential nutrient and is the most common substance in your body. You need water. All the study shows is that drinking extra water may not bring a lot of extra health benefits. However, if you like to drink water and it keeps you from drinking other things like sugary sodas, go for it. But you also don't need to stress out about getting your eight glasses every day. Just stay hydrated and your body can do a pretty good job from there.

Bottled, Filtered Spring Water – What Should I Drink?

This is a tough question. Many of the bottled waters aren’t really any cleaner that the water that comes from your tap (in fact some of the bottled waters may simply be tap water -- look for “Public Water Source” or “PWS” on the label). Personally, I prefer to know what is in (and what is not) in my water, so I just filter tap water using a good filter (the one in my fridge is pretty good). That way, I know that the filtering job is getting done.
<sub>Source(s):

Negoianu D, Goldfarb S.Just Add Water. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Apr 2</sub>