Settled science?

[billc]

This just goes to show how wacky the world of science can be.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8897662/EU-bans-claim-that-water-can-prevent-dehydration.html

EU officials concluded that, following a three-year investigation, there was no evidence to prove the previously undisputed fact.

Producers of bottled water are now forbidden by law from making the claim and will face a two-year jail sentence if they defy the edict, which comes into force in the UK next month.

 

[ballen0351]

I just want to know who paid for a 3 year study to see if water can prevent dehydration and what scientist would actually take that job.

When you go to your class reunion with your scientist buddys and you all talk about your work like, find cures for cancer, or AIDS or looking for cleaner energy whos the guy that gets to say "Im doing exciting research in seeing if water can really hydrate you"

 

[granfire]

I just want to know who paid for a 3 year study to see if water can prevent dehydration and what scientist would actually take that job.

When you go to your class reunion with your scientist buddys and you all talk about your work like, find cures for cancer, or AIDS or looking for cleaner energy whos the guy that gets to say "Im doing exciting research in seeing if water can really hydrate you"

not blaming the scientist for taking the job... after all, it's a paycheck...though...I doubt I would list it at the top of my resume...

 

[Josh Oakley]

One thing I feel compelled to point out is that the NHS in the article said that OF COURSE water helps avoid dehydration, and that while they support the EU stopping companies from making gals claims they also want some common sense to be applied here. This article is more about politicians not knowing how to read a scientific study than about science being wacky.

 

[Tez3]

I think there's jumping on a bandwagon here, firstly it's a 'Euromyth' about the 'straight bananas' and the 'bendy' cucumbers law, they weren't scrapped...they didn't exist. There were rules about excessively bent bananas which were substandard.

"A meeting of 21 scientists in Parma, Italy, concluded that reduced water content in the body was a symptom of dehydration and not something that drinking water could subsequently control."
Now if drinking loads of water doesn't 'cure' dehydration, you can't say that it does. The article and the politicians as well as the OP seem to thnk that the scientists are saying something else. According to what the newpaper quoted from the scientists they are actually saying that drinking lots of water doesn't control dehydration not that it does so it makes sense that you can't say it does on bottles of water!

I don't know whether drinking lots of water does or doesn't help you rehydrate, but it certainly seems that's some people haven't read what the scientists are saying but the law makers have so they don't want a false claim being made on the bottles of water. I do know though that drinking too much water can kill you.

 

[Josh Oakley]

Ok. I have never been to England, so this is a serious question: does bottled water in England say it can cure dehydration? Because none of ours does that I have seen, and I am a SERIOUS water drinker.

 

[Tez3]

Ok. I have never been to England, so this is a serious question: does bottled water in England say it can cure dehydration? Because none of ours does that I have seen, and I am a SERIOUS water drinker.

The bottles tell you where the water was drawn from, what the average analysis is and who the company is, nothing else. I drink a lot of water too as the water in my area is hard and I don't like the taste of it, I like soft water.

 

[Sukerkin]

I drink a lot of water too as the water in my area is hard and I don't like the taste of it, I like soft water.

Soft Southern shandy-drinker

 

[Tez3]

Soft Southern shandy-drinker

Yep! I have to use a water filter as without it the kettle, coffee maker etc all scale up, we live in a limestone area and if you don't do something to your water you'll get through a lot of kettles, washing machines etc.


I was wondering though if some of the 'designer' and sports orientated waters have the 'water hydrates' you thing on them. I only buy the bog standard bottles from the supermarket but I know there's others around that are 'designed' to rehydrate you. After sports or heavy manual work water may well not be enough to totally rehydrate you, I know you lose salts and minerals when you sweat so perhaps saying a water is enough is wrong...

I found this though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drench