Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Our ancestors did not sip from water bottles ad libitum*.

I imagine their habitats were near water sources and/or they managed with hydrating via alternative methods, i.e. from moisture-rich food. Consequently, they would have adapted to sparse and infrequent water consumption, sometimes for extended periods.

Based on the paleo paradigm, it follows that modern water consumption may not be optimal for health and that some people may be adversely affected. Yet this does not appear to be the case.. or is it?

Do you think paleo style water consumption is better for health and are there certain people/circumstances for which ad libitum water consumption may be unhealthy?

ad libitum = "at one's pleasure"

edited Oct 28 at 11:11

asked Jul 4 at 7:47

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Joseph S. · Answer 1 · 2012-07-04 13:57:12Z UTC

There's a balance between salt and water. If you flush your body out with water, you are throwing off that balance.

Drink when you're thirsty. Listen to your body. There's no need to force yourself to go without water for long periods of time if you're thirsty, but there's also no need to force yourself to drink to excess unless you know you've dehydrated a bit through physical exertion or a hot climate.

Kelly · Answer 2 · 2012-07-04 16:52:51Z UTC

I think there's nothing wrong with drinking water when you are thirsty. Drink as much as you want until the thirst goes away. Why does thirst exist otherwise?

However, I don't think it's wise to force yourself to drink large amounts of water when you are not thirsty. That's the real issue.

UncleLongHair · Answer 3 · 2012-07-04 13:13:10Z UTC

I know that some paleo folks don't subscribe to the idea that we need to drink water all day, but i personally find myself perpetually thirsty if i don't drink about a quart of water during the day.

I think that drinking water is a natural detox which might be part of it for me.

Agree though that our ancestors probably lived near but not directly next to water and so probably had infrequent access to water during the day, though i am sure that many hunter gatherer groups developed water containers of various kinds.

Kris · Answer 4 · 2012-07-04 16:42:31Z UTC

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Matt Stone writes about this- as others do about the 8 glasses a day myth. Personally though, I love drinking water and drink it all day....

answered Jul 4 at 16:42

Kris
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Poop Master MC · Answer 5 · 2012-10-28 12:16:03Z UTC

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There were times when they had to cross an entire desert without water, it may be beneficial to go without water for extended periods, such as two weeks. To make it more realistic you can sit under a heat lamp for several hours a day.

answered Oct 28 at 12:16

Poop Master MC
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mM · Answer 6 · 2012-10-28 12:19:10Z UTC

I don't know about this, it's something I think about quite often. Whenever I start really drinking water, I sort of start to drink all the time more, more, and my digestion starts to suffer, and I flush out too much salt.

I have noticed that all the people I know who don't drink almost any water have luscious thick hair, and all the people I know who walk around with water bottles all day long have thin hair.

So, from what I have seen, lots of water seems to mean that you have less hair for whatever reason.

Maybe guzzling down tons of water flushes out minerals needed for hair growth? Maybe their blood pressure drops too much because of the lack of salt? I don't really know the answer, but from what I have seen the water drinkers seem to get no benefits health-, and lookwise, from the water drinking.

paleo style water consumption

6 Answers