**The gallon a day challenge - Water drinkers unite**

I used to believe this myth but I've since stopped practicing the gallon a day thing. I now just drink to thirst and nothing beyond that. I haven't been able to find any credible scientific data that supports the gallon a day recommendation. I have found reputable sources which stress the opposite such as the University of Michigan and the US National Library of Medicine. I would post links but I'm new so I can't.
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NCBI:
People should drink at least eight glasses of water a day
The advice to drink at least eight glasses of water a day can be found throughout the popular press.w1-w4One origin may be a 1945 recommendation that stated: A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 litres daily in most instances. An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 millilitre for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.w5 If the last, crucial sentence is ignored, the statement could be interpreted as instruction to drink eight glasses of water a day.w6

Another endorsement may have come from a prominent nutritionist, Frederick Stare, who once recommended, without references, the consumption “around 6 to 8 glasses per 24 hours,” which could be “in the form of coffee, tea, milk, soft drinks, beer, etc.”w7 The complete lack of evidence supporting the recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water a day is exhaustively catalogued in an invited review by Heinz Valtin in the American Journal of Physiology.w8 Furthermore, existing studies suggest that adequate fluid intake is usually met through typical daily consumption of juice, milk, and even caffeinated drinks.w9 In contrast, drinking excess amounts of water can be dangerous, resulting in water intoxication, hyponatraemia, and even death.

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University of Michigan:

Do I need to drink 8 glasses of water a day? No, you don’t. But I thought I should do this to stay healthy? There is no scientific proof that, for healthy people, drinking extra water has any health benefits. Scientific research has shown that drinking large amounts of water does not:
 Make skin look healthier or wrinkle free
 Benefit kidney function
 Clean out toxins
 Make you feel more energetic.

Where does the 8-glasses guideline come from? In 1945, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommended that people drink 2.5 liters (84.5 ounces) a day. Evidently, most who read this then ignored the following sentence, “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.” Whatever “prepared” meant in 1945, all food contains water, especially vegetables and fruits. How do I know when to drink? The human body is beautifully designed to let you know you need to drink long before you are at risk of becoming dehydrated. Drink when you are thirsty. If you are doing strenuous work in a hot environment, you need to drink extra fluid to make up for what you lose through perspiration (sweat). Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Myth of 8 Glasses of Water a Day - 2 - Use the color of your urine as a guide. Your urine should be light yellow. If it looks like water, you are drinking more than you need. If it is dark yellow or orange you need to drink more. What should I drink? Water is healthy. Sugared drinks like pop and sweetened teas are not. Juice, especially dark colored juices like mango and berry juices, are healthy in small (one glass a day) amounts. Coffee and tea, in moderation, are also sources of fluid. Research has shown that coffee does not cause dehydration. How can I stop dry mouth without drinking water all day? Some medicines and medical problems can cause annoying dry mouth. The best way to treat this is by increasing the amount of saliva you make. You can:
 Suck on a lozenge such as a sugar-free lemon drop
 Chew sugar-free gum
 Slowly nibble on a piece of slightly acidic dried fruit such as mango
 Try one of the many Biotene
 products that are made to relieve dry mouth.

Who does need to drink more water? Your doctor may tell you to drink large amounts of water if you have certain medical problems such as kidney stones, a urinary tract infection or diarrhea. What are signs of serious dehydration that needs treatment?
 Extreme thirst
 Extreme fussiness or sleepiness in infants and children; irritability and confusion in adults
 Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
 Little or no urination — any urine that is produced will be darker than normal Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Myth of 8 Glasses of