E.U. Ruling: Water Does Not Prevent…Dehydration?
- Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:11pm by
Liz Klimas
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How many times have you heard that you should be drinking lots of water to make sure you don’t get dehydrated. It’s a pretty common fact that water is a hydrating mechanism. Last week though, the European Union refuted this claim, ruling that bottled water companies stating that water does hydrate could face jail time.
This rule has caused many to balk at it as outrageous but when you look closer at the words of the actual ruling, you can see that much of it is on technicality of wording.
The Telegraph has the story:
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 [...].
Last night, critics claimed the EU was at odds with both science and common sense. Conservative MEP Roger Helmer said: “This is stupidity writ large.
“The euro is burning, the EU is falling apart and yet here they are: highly-paid, highly-pensioned officials worrying about the obvious qualities of water and trying to deny us the right to say what is patently true.
“If ever there were an episode which demonstrates the folly of the great European project then this is it.”
[...]
The Department for Health disputed the wisdom of the new law. A spokesman said: “Of course water hydrates. While we support the EU in preventing false claims about products, we need to exercise common sense as far as possible.”
The Institute of Medicine recommends the average woman receive approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water — from all beverages and foods — each day, and average man of approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces daily). Briton’s National Health Service and its Food Standards Agency recommend six to eight glasses of fluid per day.
According to The Telegraph, the statement called into question was this: “regular consumption of significant amounts of water can reduce the risk of development of dehydration and of concomitant decrease of performance.” This statement was issued by two German professors who help companies market their food products; the two were seeing if this claim could be made on labels.
In February, a group of 21 EU scientists met over the statement and concluded “water content in the body was a symptom of dehydration and not something that drinking water could subsequently control.” From there, the European Food Standards Authority did not approve the statement and last week, the EU issued this ruling on the topic.
The Daily Mail has more opinions on the decision:
UKIP MEP Paul Nuttall said: “I had to read this four or five times before I believed it.
“It is a perfect example of what Brussels does best. Spend three years, with 20 separate pieces of correspondence before summoning 21 professors to Parma, where they decide with great solemnity that drinking water cannot be sold as a way to combat dehydration.”
He added: “Then they make this judgment law and make it clear that if anybody dares sell water claiming that it is effective against dehydration they could get into serious legal bother.
“This makes the bendy banana law look positively sane.”
The rule will go into effect next month, according to The Telegraph. But The Guardian blogger Martin Robbins, a self-proclaimed lay scientist, points out that it’s up to member states to decide upon. Robbins also goes on to say that some of the hysteria over the ruling is “daft.” He himself finds two major problems with the claim the German professors put forward:
[...] drinking water doesn’t prevent dehydration, and drinking-water doesn’t prevent dehydration.
Firstly, “regular consumption” of water doesn’t reduce the risk of dehydration any more than eating a pork pie a day reduces the risk of starvation. If I drink half a pint of bottled water while running through a desert in the blistering sun, I’ll still end up dehydrated, and if I drink several bottles today, that won’t prevent me from dehydrating tomorrow. The key is to drink enough water when you need it, and you‘re not going to get that from any bottled water product unless it’s mounted on a drip.
Secondly, dehydration doesn’t just mean a lack of water, or ‘being thirsty’; electrolytes like sodium are important too. If salt levels fall too far, the body struggles to regulate fluid levels in the first place. That’s why hospitals use saline drips to prevent dehydration in patients who can’t take fluids orally, and why people with diarhhoea are treated with salt-containing oral rehydration fluids.
With that perspective, Robbins feels the rule is “pretty sensible.” He reports that the British Soft Drink Association also supports the ruling with the following statement:
The European Food Safety Authority has been asked to rule on several ways of wording the statement that drinking water is good for hydration and therefore good for health. It rejected some wordings on technicalities, but it has supported claims that drinking water is good for normal physical and cognitive functions and normal thermoregulation.
You can read the full scientific opinion from the European Food and Safety Authority here.
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Comments (117)
Restore the Republic
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 2:53amThis from the clay brains who came up with socialized medicine… exactly what DO they use for brains in the EU? thus far, its looking like bird sh. !t
Chrono_Sleuth
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 3:14amYou have to remember, there are a number of scientists who form a consensus that agrees fresh water reserves are drying up and soon we will have no fresh water anywhere. So people need to drink less water.
Then you take in the very fashionable viewpoint that we have far too many people on the planet, and we need to be slowly eradicated until we fit a proper number of people, small enough to progress on some level, too small to do any lasting damage to the planet.
Then you take Gaia worship, and the desire for power and resource hoarding of many of those in power (almost entirely in government positions) worldwide though the EU is a little over the deep end.
Then you take the fear of economic collapse which, if it happens, means trickling access to resources as government and private enterprises that run and ship, create and process said resources shut down. Now it could be all, it could be some.
And lo, we have this!
Honestly the insanity will never end. We’re the one species that plots its own destruction. Even if you replaced the EU bureaucrats with sane people, at some point insane and psychotic people will eventually return to power, especially given such insane policies are so fashionable in “intellectual” circles.
Report Post »coindexter
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 5:26amglobal warming…water does not hydrate??? kooks. i say let’s put them all in a room for a couple weeks without water and see what they say about hydration. at least some folks see the buffoonery in the scientific community of the EU
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:25amAnd they wonder why people questioned the Global Warming scientific movement that was started in Europe. Water is the strongest hydrator on the planet. Fact is with just water and jerky(for the salt and protiens) one could survive in very arid eviroments for weeks.
Report Post »Here’s a clue to all the scientist dehydrators remove all water from materials so the exact opposite hydrotors add water.
V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:39amYea, they use this new lexicon called “technicality of wording” to basically play semantical games with already defined terms, which creates an esoteric and artificial grey area for them to do scandalous things.
What do you think lawyers, judges, legislators, and regulators do…
Infowars — Because Knowing is Half the Battle.
Report Post »thop1960
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:51amThis is similar logic those global warming wackos use.”Right now the earth is getting warmer and man causes pollution, therefore man caused global warming”…huh? Big leaps and bounds to get to where you want to end up. It’s no wonder Europe is so screwed up. Unfortunately, we are not far behind.
Report Post »NOBAMA201258
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:01amE U =Extremely Useless !
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 9:56am1984 Doublespeak.
Evil is Good. Good is Evil.
Report Post »the_zazzy
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 10:53amWell, duh??? We all know that government, not water, prevents dehydration. A simple vote amongst these intellectuals will eradicate dehydration from the planet! Stop buying into the evil bottled water company claims!!!!
Report Post »Gold Coin & Economic News
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 11:16amThis is what 21 brilliant scientists employed by the EU bureaucrats come up with, and they think they have a prayer to solve their financial crisis? If they can’t figure out that water is wet, they will never figure out they can‘t spend money they don’t have.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:17pmWith people like this running the EU it is no wonder it has failed. And in record time, too.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:55pmwell that should weed out the idiots who listen to the government as they quit DRINKING WATER feeling it has no purpose.. thus leaving MORE money to take care of those who actually use common sense and DON’T listen to the government..
Report Post »grassroots
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:57pmIn today’s world what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. Thank the Lord we know the difference and can just overlook such stupidity from the EU.
Report Post »CrazyDanMan
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 5:44pmWe all need to drink Brando. It has electrolytes. We should probably start water our plants with it. After all Brando has the electrolytes that plants crave. Water should only be used for the toilet.
Art emulates life. Even bad art!
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 5:47pmIf they say water does not hydrate, man causes global warming, and a 10-year war in the wrong country, is justified because 19 people from another Country, attacked. You listen to what they say, and do what they tell you.
Report Post »They said buy more sodas and hydrating drinks, so you can continue to ingest their fluoridated beverages, rendering your pineal gland in a comatose state, making you innocuous and forgetful.
Anything other than spring water is full of fluoride.
Speaking_my_mind
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 2:22amI bet Odumber administration will up that!
I could give them an idea… How about this: “Whoever says that Earth is round will get 20 years in prison.”
Ron Paul 2012
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 2:21amWhich is dumber? This or our EPA regulating dust?
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 2:22amFox News Alert: It has been determined that the sun doesn’t warm the earth.
Report Post »Talmid of Yeshua
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:41amGotta love the insane socialists and their obsessive worship of Gaia, the false Earth goddess.
The only good socialist is a dead one.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 2:09amAs it was prophesied, “The will worship the creation, rather than the Creator’!
Report Post »Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Brae
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:12amIf someone was smart they would start tracking admittance by seniors to the hospital before this little ruling, and afterwards.
Report Post »AmeriCat
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 3:42amBrilliant…! Two birds with one stone….
Water bottling companies and dehydration victims (the elderly)
Report Post »Brae
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:11am50% of the people (seniors) end up in the hospital due to dehydration. It makes you confused and easily causes falls with resultant broken hips, or reactions to being unable to take your meds properly. Perhaps this is a way to knock off the senior’s earlier.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 6:34amIf you’re an epileptic, dehydration can bring on a seizure even if you’ve been seizure free for a long time.
Report Post »SerikFox
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:10amThis is officially the dumbest thing I have ever heard. The runner up is really bad, but still not at this level.
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 4:02pmSo What is the runner up… I have heard some real whoppers, but I was wondering on your front…
My biggest whopper was “Global Warming” or “Human Caused Climate Change”…. LOL
Those two phrases are better than any joke I have ever heard… Makes my sides hurt…
Report Post »texanpatriot
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:09amProducers 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
Me thinks this has more to do with keeping bottles our of landfills than the stupid argument that is put forth by the European brand of bureaucrats.
Report Post »RavenGlenn
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 1:19amYou don’t think it has anything to do with the ridiculousness that bottled water is in the first place? They are bottling the water that we pay for with taxpayer money and then selling it to us at 1000x the cost.
Report Post »Rob_M
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:58amYeah like people are gonna stop drinking water now?
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:55amWe are quickly turning into the movie “Idiocracy!” Anyone see that one???
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:59amI have one kidney and spent 6 1/2 months in the desert of Saudi Arabia decades ago and you had better believe you can’t go long without water there.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 8:05amWow, and I have 3 kidneys…though 2 are fused together and I’ve had cancer so I can no longer donate. I tried at least 3 times before I had cancer to specific people, but you have to be at least the same ethnic background and the same blood type, so I couldn’t. But, I’m one of those Racist Far Right Wing nuts.
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 4:03pmMake’s you want a “Latte” doesn’t it…… ;-)
Report Post »ehbardin
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:53amRush Limbaugh was all over this today; he surmised that the far left socialist whack jobs got a group of academics together to dispel the fact that drinking water does prevent dehydration, in an attempt to cripple the capitalist bottled water companies
LIBERTEA
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:46amHow can the Government over Nations be so Stupid? Well, their… failing Economic System… failing Socialist… and denial of Common Sense… is obvious!
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:37amApparently blood supply to the brain doesn’t prevent brain damage either..
Report Post »Tretka
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:36amThis is the kind of lie that hurts people. This is another one that you can hardly believe.
Report Post »WAKEUPUSA2012
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:33amThis is what a outta control goverment looks like. The eu is on the virge of collaspe and this is what they are talking about. wow
Report Post »Skee
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:30amSounds like they are preparing for something.
Report Post »If water doesn’t hydrate, then it’s not a necessity.
Therefore it could be considered a luxury and
rationed easier. Next food doesn’t provide
nutrition and isn’t required for living.
Looks like it could be the Ukraine,again,
during Stalins reign.
afishfarted
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:36amMy f irst thought was : How do these idiots explain away generations who drank water before Gatorade, and secondly how many idiots are gonna but this crap.
Report Post »But your comment is more important that you think. GOOGLE Agenda 21 and Internation Counsel of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). You’re more right than you think
AmeriCat
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 3:51amExactly….
Report Post »Carbon dioxide = bad
Water = not necessary for life
Land = not to be privately owned….oops…Agenda 21
Food = pending
dnewton
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:26amOh my, I guess the Pepsi and Coke brothers put this conspiracy together.
Report Post »WAKEUPUSA2012
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:32amkoch brothers? or the coke co?
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:05amyou are nothing more than an exspendable lab rat in a governmental study–so just shut-up and keep paying the pied piper.
Report Post »HPC172ERTAV
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:59pmGrow your own dope
plant a politician
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:22amI’m on it. Got any heads I mean seeds?
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:55pmmost politicians are freakin morons and only write bills and laws that give them monetary gain
the dumb azzes that wrote this bill, allowed the funding for any study, and approved of this in any way should be put into stocks …………..permanently
Report Post »AmeriCat
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 3:55amWouldn’t surprise me if ?Bill Gates provided funding….
After all, it would fit into his ongoing population control research.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:54pmCome on people , its not like they got bigger fish to fry. I mean its not like the EU is melting down in financial crisis if epic proportions or anything, sheese i mean if a lo life govt. Agency says water does not hydrate , it must be true, right….? Governments all over the world are trying to justify their existence , including our own… Morons
Report Post »Cosmos102
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:53pmI wonder what people did before Gatoraid?
Report Post »The Catbird
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:53pmMoonbattery, pure and simple.
Report Post »YoungBloodNews
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:50pmBLAZErs, always late to the party ;)
This was on drudge like 2 days ago… May I suggest you review ZeroHedge before the drudge when looking for stories…..
Report Post »SoupSandwich
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 6:19amWho are you winking at? That could be construed as sexual harrassment and I may have to fwd your info to the other govmnt trolls for doing so. Wink on over to puffpost why you still can.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on November 21, 2011 at 11:47pmYea, right, just like Roman Catholic Church can’t bring you Salvation and not all Muslims are Islamic
Report Post »PitaJ
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:59amYea! For once, a comment that doesn’t offend Catholics!
Report Post »Thanks you!