Chronic dehydration is a problem for as many as 75 percent of Americans so no one is arguing with the recommendations for more swigs out of your water bottle. It’s not whether we should drink more water that’s in question — it’s where that magic number came from and whether it’s still valid. The eight-cup rule dates back to 1945 when the US Food and Nutrition Board published its recommendations followed by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association recommending even more: nine glasses per day. All these years those numbers have stuck. But you can relax: The high water content of certain foods especially fruits and vegetables factors into the total amount of water needed to replenish your body’s cells each day. What foods provide the most bang for your buck? Lettuce watermelon broccoli grapefruit oranges carrot apple and believe it or not kidney beans. (Cholent anyone?) How does your daily cup (or more) of coffee fit in? Contrary to popular belief coffee drunk in moderate quantities does not dehydrate and can be counted toward your daily water tally.
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