How nice that a dermatologist in sunny, temperate Beverly Hills doesn't see a need to consume any more fluid than is found in our solid food. What a load of mongoose sh*t.

Canadians, and northern US citizens spend 8 out of 12 months enduring a cold, dry climate, not balmy temperate breezes wafting over the ocean. When we're not outside freezing our asses off, we're indoors in parched, dry heated offices, malls, schools and homes. Relative humidity drops to 18 - 20%, when it needs to be 45 to 50% just for comfort, forget about health. Houseplants turn brown and flop over, we are zapped constantly from static electricity, we spend a fortune on moisturizers for skin and hair. We buy medicated, moisturizing balms for lips and noses, soothing drops for our dehydrated eyeballs.

Come the summer, we fry. 30 degrees C. becomes 40 degrees with the humidex factor, and I don't know about you, but I sweat buckets and buckets. Then we go into air-conditioned buildings to dry out.

At least the article does make the observation that you need more fluids if you are exercising, etc., and with aging, and in warm weather.

With lowcarbing, and ketogenic diets, we need to ensure adequate fluids to keep the metabolic wastes of fat-burning flushed out of the system.

True, other non-carbohydrate fluids are just as "hydrating" as plain water, but most of the concern isn't about that, it has to do with the other chemicals that are IN the fluid. The concern about caffeine and lowcarbing isn't over its slight diuretic effect, it has to do with its stimulating effect on INSULIN. Diet soda pop is a concern because of the aspartame, phosphoric acid, sodium and citrates in them. Coffee, by the way, is not carb-free. It has 0.8 grams in a small 6 oz cup. Most coffee mugs in peoples' homes are 10 oz. Three of those a day is 30 oz of coffee, or 4 carb grams. Add in the sweetener packets and the cream .......

Sorry, I'll stop ranting now. Do I drink 2 liters of plain water a day. Almost, a 4-liter jug lasts 2 to 3 days, but that's over and above the filtered water I use for tea and coffee. I get genuinely thirsty throughout the day, and water quenches it better than anything. And it's cheap too.

Doreen