The Beverage Guidance Panel, a group of doctors who contend that American adults consume 21 percent of their daily calories from beverages - twice as much as what's recommended by the World Health Organization - have developed a set of Healthy Beverage Guidelines that appeared in a recent issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The panel grouped beverages into six categories and recommends how much from each category people should consume every day.

- Water: At least four servings for women and six servings for men
- Unsweetened coffee and tea: Up to eight servings a day of tea and four of coffee
- Nonfat or low-milk and fortified soy beverages: Up to two servings
- Diet beverages with sugar substitutes: Up to four servings
- Fruit and vegetable juices (100 percent juice), whole milk and sports drinks: Up to one serving - Calorically sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks without nutrients: Up to one serving - less if you want to lose weight.

It seems plain old H2O makes the best thirst quencher. The Beverages Guidance Panel said all beverage needs could come from water if desired. It certainly has the fewest calories.

This posting, Healthy Beverage Guidelines, is posted by Nirmala N. at Wellsphere.com