We all know that drinking water is good for us. If you are feeling tired, have some water. Have a dry skin? Have some water. Have a dry throat? Have some water. It is almost like water is the fix to all our issues. May be it is, but not always. So, are we sometimes drinking more water than necessary? What happens then?

Many say that there is an 8x8 rule one must follow when it comes to drinking water.

What is the 8x8 drinking water rule?

Many believe that in the 8x8 rule, eight 240ml glasses of water per day adds up to almost 2 liters. However, it is not in the guidelines in both the UK and the EU health advisory. None of them recommends this specific amount.

So, where did it origin from?

The origins of this rule seem to come from misinterpreted advice given decades ago. In 1945, a US advisory board suggested adults should consume one milliliter of fluid per calorie of food, totaling about two liters for women and 2.5 liters for men. Importantly, this included all drinks and even water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables.

A later book in 1974 recommended six to eight glasses of water daily but also noted that coffee, tea, and even beer could count towards hydration. Yet, the idea of drinking two liters of plain water daily took hold and has persisted ever since.

How Much Water Do We Really Need?

As per experts, drinking 8 glasses of water a day may be unnecessary and the research estimates that the actual requirement is around 1.5 to 1.8 liters per day. This not only includes water, but all kinds of fluids from all sources that we may consume in a day.

Also, studies show that instead of following a rigid routine, what is best is to focus on factors like temperature, physical activity and health conditions for your water intake. Those in hot and humid climate, high altitudes or pregnant or breastfeeding, and athletes may require more water. Whereas those in cooler areas, with a more sedentary lifestyle won't. However, for the average person, thirst is a more reliable guide than any fixed rule.

ALSO READ: What Happens When You Drink Too Much Water?

Science of Hydration and Dangers Of Over hydration:

Water is necessary to transport nutrients, control temperature, and keep organs functioning. We lose water through sweat, urine, and respiration, so staying hydrated is critical. However, dehydration develops only when the body loses 1-2% of its total water content.

A widespread myth is that feeling thirsty indicates that you are already severely dehydrated. Experts argue that thirst is an excellent evolutionary mechanism that ensures us drink when we need to. The body also produces hormones that aid in water conservation when necessary.

Drinking More Water Than Needed:

While drinking too much water is generally harmless, it can cause hyponatremia, a condition in which salt levels in the blood become dangerously low. This can result in brain enlargement, disorientation, convulsions, and, in extreme cases, death.

There have been reports of athletes overhydrating during endurance races, resulting in significant difficulties. Experts caution that simply following hydration myths might be dangerous, stating that thirst remains the greatest signal of when to drink.

Food choices play an important role in overall health, and reproductive health is no exception. Eating junk or highly processed foods occasionally is unlikely to directly cause infertility. However, regularly consuming foods that are high in added sugar, unhealthy fats, salt and refined carbohydrates, while being low in essential nutrients, may affect the body in several ways.

Poor dietary patterns can contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance, inflammation and hormonal changes, all of which may influence fertility. Both men and women can be affected, although the impact may differ depending on individual health, age and other factors.

The Link Between Diet, Weight And Hormonal Health

It can affect healthy body weight: Regular intake of calorie-dense foods such as fried snacks, fast food, sugary beverages and packaged foods can contribute to weight gain. Being significantly overweight or underweight can affect reproductive hormones. In women, excess weight may interfere with ovulation and menstrual regularity, while in men it may affect testosterone levels and sperm production.

It may influence blood sugar and insulin: A diet high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars can contribute to insulin resistance, particularly when combined with excess weight and low physical activity. Insulin resistance can worsen hormonal imbalance and may contribute to irregular ovulation in women, especially those with conditions such as PMOS (earlier known as PCOS).

Nutrient deficiencies can matter: Highly processed foods may provide calories without supplying enough important nutrients. Fertility and reproductive health require adequate amounts of proteins, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals such as folate, iron, zinc, selenium and vitamin D. A diet lacking variety may therefore not provide the nutritional support needed for healthy reproductive function.

Also read: For The First Time, Study Links 'One Sugary Drink A Day' To Higher Stomach Cancer Risk

Why Sperm Health And Overall Diet Matter Too

Sperm health can also be affected: In men, a consistently poor-quality diet may be associated with poorer sperm concentration, movement and quality. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fish and other nutrient-rich foods are generally considered more supportive of reproductive health.

Inflammation and oxidative stress may play a role: Frequent consumption of highly processed foods, particularly those rich in unhealthy fats and added sugars, may contribute to inflammation and oxidative stress. These processes can affect overall health and may potentially influence egg and sperm quality.

Also read: Can What You Eat Before 9 AM Shape Your Blood Sugar For The Rest Of The Day?

Small Dietary Changes Can Support Reproductive Health

Small changes can make a difference: Improving fertility-supportive nutrition does not mean completely avoiding favourite foods. The focus should be on balance. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, dairy or suitable alternatives and adequate protein should form a regular part of the diet. Processed snacks, sugary drinks and deep-fried foods can be limited rather than consumed frequently.

Lifestyle matters along with diet: Diet is only one part of fertility. Regular physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight are also important. Existing conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, or PMOS (earlier known as PCOS) should be properly managed.

Regular consumption of junk and highly processed foods does not automatically mean that a person will become infertile. However, when such foods form a large part of the daily diet, they may contribute to obesity, metabolic problems, nutritional deficiencies and hormonal changes that can affect reproductive health.

A balanced and nutrient-rich diet, combined with healthy lifestyle habits and timely management of medical conditions, can help create a healthier environment for fertility. If a couple is having difficulty conceiving, dietary changes should not replace a proper medical evaluation.

Drinking a sugary beverage every day may be linked to a significantly higher risk of stomach cancer, according to a new study that researchers described as the first of its kind.

The study found that people who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage everyday had 2.45 times the risk of developing gastric cancer compared with those who consumed fewer drinks in a month.

The findings were based on data obtained from 112,284 participants enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Over the follow-up period, 278 participants developed gastric cancer.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and other institutions published their findings in Gastro Hep Advances.

Daily Sugary Drinks Linked To Higher Stomach Cancer Risk

The researchers examined participants' intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, including regular soft drinks, punch, lemonade and sports drinks.

After accounting for other potential risk factors, people who drank at least one serving of these beverages every day had a 2.45-fold higher risk of gastric cancer than those who consumed them less than once a month.

The association was even stronger among women in the Nurses' Health Study. Women who consumed more than one sugary drink a day had a 3.04-fold higher risk of stomach cancer compared with women who rarely consumed them. The study did not find a similar association between artificially sweetened beverages and gastric cancer.

Also read: How Brachytherapy Is Personalising Radiation Therapy For Breast Cancer

Researchers Think Sugar And Fructose Are Possible Factors

The researchers also looked at participants' intake of fructose, a type of sugar commonly found in sweetened beverages. Higher fructose consumption was associated with a greater incidence of gastric cancer, although the study could not establish exactly why.

Excessive sugar consumption can contribute to several metabolic changes, including weight gain and inflammation, which are being investigated as possible pathways connecting sugary drinks with cancer. However, the researchers stressed that the biological mechanism behind the association is still not established.

Senior author Andrew T. Chan, a gastroenterologist and epidemiologist at Mass General Brigham, said the study addresses an area that has received relatively little attention.

“This is the first study to demonstrate an association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and gastric cancer in a U.S. population.” Chan noted that stomach cancer remains a major global health burden and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide.

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H. Pylori Infection Maybe A Common Denominator

The researchers also considered Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, a bacterium and one of the most common risk factors for stomach cancer. Among a smaller group of 940 participants for whom information about H. pylori was available, more than one-third showed evidence of infection. However, researchers did not find a clear relationship between sugary-drink consumption and H. pylori infection.

This suggests that the association between sugary beverages and stomach cancer may not simply be explained by sugary drinks increasing the likelihood of H. pylori infection. More research is needed to understand the connection.

Study Does Not Prove Sugary Drinks Cause Cancer

The study was observational, meaning it identified an association but could not establish that consuming sugary drinks directly causes stomach cancer.

Researchers also pointed to several limitations, including limited information about H. pylori infection and family history of stomach cancer. Most participants were also white, which could limit how broadly the findings can be applied to other populations.

Many people think that controlling blood sugar is just about avoiding sugary foods or cutting back on carbohydrates. Sure, what you eat is important but so is when you eat, especially if you have diabetes, prediabetes or insulin resistance.

Why Morning May Be A Better Time To Eat

Your body has an internal clock called the circadian rhythm. And, this impacts your sleep, digestion, hormone release and how your body metabolises energy. The stomach, intestine, liver, pancreas, muscles and fat tissue all work in coordination with this rhythm. In simple terms, the body is generally more prepared to digest and use food during the earlier part of the day.

Hormones also follow a daily pattern. Cortisol, for instance, is naturally more active in the morning, while growth hormone has greater activity at night and in the early hours of the day. Since the body is metabolically more active in the morning, it is often able to handle glucose and protein more efficiently at this time.

This is why having a balanced breakfast at a reasonable time, preferably before 9 am where possible, can be helpful for glycaemic control. It does not mean that breakfast has to be large or heavy. It means that the first meal of the day should be nutritious and should not be delayed unnecessarily.

Also read: Why Sustainable Weight Loss Requires More Than Cutting Calories?

How Skipping Breakfast Can Affect Blood Sugar

Eating early also prevents the long gap without food that can lead to tiredness, excessive hunger and overeating later in the day. By not eating breakfast, a person may be starving by lunchtime and may eat larger portions or foods high in refined carbohydrates. It can cause larger fluctuations in blood sugar.

Those with diabetes who are on insulin or other glucose-lowering medications in particular should eat regular meals. Skipping or delaying food can sometimes lead to hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar. So, this may cause sweating, shakiness, dizziness, weakness or sudden hunger. In response, a person may overeat, which can then lead to a sharp rise in blood sugar and make overall control more difficult.

Also read: Study Links Lower Protein Intake To Healthy Ageing; Expert Explains Who Should & Shouldn't Cut Back

Should Dinner Be Your Lightest Meal?

The old saying, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper,” still has relevance. It does not mean overeating at breakfast. Rather, it reminds us not to make dinner the heaviest meal of the day, especially when it is eaten late.

A good breakfast can include protein, fibre and a moderate amount of carbohydrates. Eggs, curd, paneer, dal, sprouts, vegetables, nuts and whole grains are practical options. Timely eating, along with balanced meals, regular activity, prescribed medicines and medical follow up, can go a long way in improving blood sugar control.