This is the stupidity you get when government gets involved in nutrition and telling people what to eat and drink.

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.

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...

Complete story link:

EU bans claim that water can prevent dehydration

I agree with Kimbits, water ALONE cannot prevent dehydration.

How many times I've said this in my own blog that raw food, raw fruits, raw meat, raw fat, raw vegetables have better structure and minerals that hydrate people.

In fact when you suffer from dehydration in a hospital, they put an IV on you and it is NOT plain water.

You can also use hydrating "salts" in saches and mix it with water for rehydration.

My entire household including 4 maids (not me and my son who are on raw paleo diet) suffered from massive LBM 2 weeks ago and we are not idiots to depend on plain water. 

When my son was dehydrated, in the hospital and the IV was pitiful slow in hydrating him, I gave him a sugar and salt enema that instantly had him hydrated and up in 1 minute.

I avoid drinking plain water.  I either drink coconuts, or I squeeze an orange in water, or squeeze a lemon in water and add a touch of honey.  Eating a citrus or other hydrating fruit is better than plain water. Juicing vegetables and non-sweet fruits like cucumbers are also refreshing.

Not to mention the function of water homeostasis.  Drinking "significant amounts of water" will not prevent dehydration, we don't store excess water, we expel it to maintain homeostasis.

You only need as much as you need, not more, not less.

Should bottled water manafacturers be able to claim that drinking X bottles of their product will prevent dehydration?  No.

Indeed. I think that's the main reasoning behind the ban, to prevent false advertising-- not to tell people what they can and can't drink.

How does drinking significant amounts of water prevent dehydration?

The key words here being significant, and prevent.

You're either thirsty or you're not.  You can't prepare for dehydration by drinking "significant amounts" of water, because the excess will be expelled and you will be left with the amount of hydration dictated by water homeostasis.

But let's say, for example, I force myself to drink 20 bottles of water today.  How long is that going to prevent dehydration for?  If I overload on water now, will I not have to take a sip of H20 for a few days?  A couple weeks?  A month?

You could drink those 20 bottles during the day, pee 13 times to get rid of the excess water and still be thirsty the next afternoon!

Drinking until your thirst is satiated prevents dehydration.  Drinking "significant" amounts of water says nothing, really, without context, I think that's the point that is supposed to be made here.