Study Supports Eight Glasses of Water a Day Advice
 (Reuters Health, 4/21/03)

For 12 weeks, Dr. Wayne Askew of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and team monitored the physical and hydration status of 10 college students. Each participant went through 4-day cycles during which he or she drank either 4, 8 or 12 eight-ounce glasses of water daily. Between cycles and for one full week, the students reverted to their normal water intake. The researchers found that the subjects showed signs of mild dehydration -- including concentrated urine, lower blood plasma volume and decreased energy -- when they consumed only 4 glasses of water. Since water comprises more than 70% of the human body, water intake affects all body systems, including circulation, digestion and kidney function.