Can you drink too much?

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kngarber
kngarber Posts: 227
in Food and Nutrition
Can you drink too MUCH water? I drank 3 liters today so about 12 cups and will probably have more before I go to bed. It is all I have drank and I can't really find anything short of "make sure you have at least 6 cups a day". Just curious. Thanks :)

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  • tjsusong
    tjsusong Posts: 195 Member
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    Nope! I drink at least a gallon of water everyday!! Its good for you, the more the better!!!
  • jae6704
    jae6704 Posts: 458 Member
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    I drink about a gallon a day also. It is good for your body, helps you feel fuller and has no calories:)
  • brianna626
    brianna626 Posts: 156
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    I have heard you can drink too much water and it takes away your electrolites and nutrients, which can cause you to be feel tired. However as long as you feel okay and you continue to have energy you are okay.
  • CallejaFairey
    CallejaFairey Posts: 391 Member
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    yes you can drink too much water, but i don't think you will get anywhere near the limit. it's very hard to drink too much.
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
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    Just don't drink too much too quick, space it out throughout the day. A woman once died drinking water, I don't remember how much, but it was in some radio contest. There is such a thing as water intoxication. I usually drink at least 96 oz. If it's hot and I am exercising alot I will drink smart water or the calorie and carb free Propel
  • arhzon
    arhzon Posts: 150
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    yes you can drink too much water, but i don't think you will get anywhere near the limit. it's very hard to drink too much.

    Agreed. But, the rule I follow is for a person with an average lifestyle, cut your body weight (lbs) in half and drink that in ounces. For athletes, make it 2/3. That's a pretty good rule of thumb to keep you hydrated. I have drank 2 gallons of water today, and usually have well over a gallon every day. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
  • InfamousQ
    InfamousQ Posts: 266 Member
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    I would not drink a lot in s short time but you can drink a gallon or two spaced out over a 24 hour period and be fine...I know I try to.
  • tonicia
    tonicia Posts: 145 Member
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    you can die from drinking too much of it, but I have no idea what that limit is (sorry) Im sure you'd feel sick before dying tho..(hopefully!!) maybe just have a Gatorade or pedialyte to be safe????
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    YES you can drink too much water, but it takes a LOT to be too much. There have been cases of people dying because they drank too much water (and no I am not exaggerating: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/too-high-a-price-for-a-wii/ )
    drink when you feel thirsty but don't force yourself to drink large quantities when you're not thirsty. If you're doing strenuous exercise and are sweating, water is not enough (water intoxication-what killed the woman in the article- is common in athletes who drink solely water during intense workouts. You lose salt when you sweat and need to replace it to keep your body in balance, sports drinks like gatorade and poweraid have electrolytes-sodium-added to help with that)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    It's definitely possible to drink too much but you'd have to be drowning yourself to do it. I'll give you facts. Living in a dry, hot environment, we get warnings about this kind of thing every year as it starts to get hot.

    Your kidneys can efficiently process about a liter of water an hour so you should never really drink more than that. Also, drinking too much straight water without food or an electrolyte replacement, can cause "water intoxication". It can happen to long distance runners who are drinking a lot of water during a race and aren't getting any electrolytes to balance it out. There have also been a few documented deaths by water intoxication caused by water drinking contests.

    All of that said, you are in little danger of doing any damage drink several liters over the course of a day.
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
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    you can die from drinking too much of it, but I have no idea what that limit is (sorry) Im sure you'd feel sick before dying tho..(hopefully!!) maybe just have a Gatorade or pedialyte to be safe????
    Becareful, Gatorade has 14g of sugar in it.
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/277133-how-much-sugar-is-in-gatorade/
  • Flwrsme
    Flwrsme Posts: 39
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    Just found this excerpt on About.com/chemistry

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.
  • kngarber
    kngarber Posts: 227
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    Thank you all so much!!!!
  • queen_bea
    queen_bea Posts: 118
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    if you drink too much at once, you'll have to pee more frequently and can put yourself at risk of dehydration (yep, really). Its ideal to sip than guzzle. I drink anywhere between 2-4.5 litres per day. :)

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