MYTH: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
FACT: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that you need that much water," said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at the university and co-author of the journal article. Vreeman thinks this myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces) of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.
"7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe", LiveScience <http://www.livescience.com/health/071220-medical-myths.html>. 20 December 2007