Is it bad to drink more than 8 glasses of water a day?

Mistyblu08

drinking water is good for you especially when working out to flush toxins but it can make hard work on your kidneys as well...there have been people that have went into the hospital for water overload...I think it was from washing out the potassium-magnesium from their bodies but cant swear to that....I drink around 14 a day and havent had any issues yet though

dsjohndrow

I doubt it, but this is not a religion.

Remember that you get water from other sources such as fruit and vegetables. What is interesting is that the "8 glasses" rule is not by weight. So someone that weighs 300 pounds gets half as much as someone that weighs 150. It doesn't fit if you do a lot of cardio. After a 10K I drink 5 or more. If it is hot, I drink more.

How would you know if you are not drinking enough? The doc said if the urine it dark yellow drink more. The dermatologist said if your skin is dry drink more. Oh and if you are thirsty, it's OK to drink more.

Is more than 8 OK? It a guideline.

pkw58

So I drink enough water so that my skin looks great, my lips don't chap and I don't feel thristy. I drink (now) around 2 cups of coffee, about a pint of ice tea and 6-10 8 oz cups of water a day.

I have found the hardest time to drink water is when it is cold outside.

zyxst

Unless you're funneling it 3 minutes, there's no problem.

TheAncientMariner

If you exercise often it is generally suggested to try an clear a gallon per day.

AmeChops

The body has no way of storing water so once your hydrated, you're hydrated and you'll just pee the rest of your intake out. If your thirsty then drink and if your pee is straw coloured you know you're good. Everything with liquid in it will count towards your daily intake - including food, tea, coffee, cola etc - you would need to drink A LOT (like a lot, a lot) of tea/coffee for it to have a dehydrating effect.

As for flushing out toxins...isn't that what your kidneys and stuff is there for?!

If you're drinking a moderate amount over the course of the day then it's generally OK, when you start downing a shed load in a small period of time...that's when you usually run in to problems.

But really, you're body is very good a telling you if it need water...learn to listen to it - the "8 glasses per day" will not be the same for everyone...everybody is different after all!

Helloitsdan

Youll drown!!!!

Grenon

I drink between 2L to 4L (8-16 cups) a day, drink more when I am at school just because I always find myself drinking in class, but only drink about 2L when I am home all day.

newtonuk

The 8 glasses (2 litres) of water is all a myth anyway, don't forget that a lot of your water intake comes from your food...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

StarkLark

Youll drown!!!!

It's cool man, the guy in the cube next to me is a lifeguard. Bottoms up!

ejohndrow

8 glasses-no, 8 camelbaks-yes.

nikilis

you've never seen the documentary film "le blob" then? its french, you probably haven't heard of it.

ravengirl1611

as many have said - the 8 in 8 is a guildline - personally I drink almost a litre of water before I get dressed in the morning - I've always been a big water drinker and carry a 710ml (24oz) bottle of water with me all the time that I fill up at least 4-5 times a day - not including working out bottles (2/hour) the colour of your pee is another guildline - what you eat can change the colour of your urine as well - not just how much fluid you've taken in. I work in construction and the health and safety guildlines we use onsite are 8 ounces every 30 minutes if the temperature is 20deg cel (approx 70 deg F) or more. Can you drink too much water - yep - but it's a huge quantity in a short time

Heres a quote from an article on water intoxication
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

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.

Bronx_Montgomery

Is it bad to drink more than 8 glasses?! Of course not. I drink between 1-2 gallons of water a day. If your thirsty then drink up. THats your body telling you it needs more. My guess is that the 8 glasses are not enough for your body.

Stay Hydrated my friends!!

mabelbabel1

Take a look at this clip it is all about the myths surrounding drinking water:

http://foodhospital.channel4.com/episodes/series-2/episode-five/

jessilee119

I saw on Food Network where Food Detectives looked into the possibility of drinking too much water. Can it happen? Yes. Will it happen to you? Probably not…but as someone mentioned before it happens mostly to marathon runners and extreme athletes. They found that it wasn’t so much “how much water a person drank” but “how fast the person drinks the water”. This is why it happens more in athletes-they’re looking to QUICKLY replenish the water they’ve lost so they start guzzling it. I can’t remember all of the scientific jargon, but basically they found that when this happens, the body becomes “flooded” and the nerves are unable to send signals throughout the body which causes parts of the body to shut down (such as the lungs). Again, this is the extreme. I drink 10-12 cups of water (not including coffee or any other drinks), but on the weekends I tend to drink less. I feel good drinking this amount of water and I agree that the pee test is a good indication of hydration.

Like with so many other things, what works for one person may not work for you. Drink however much you feel like drinking and if you feel like your bloated from drinking so much water-stop.

Good luck on your journey :happy:

Susanthecatwhisperer

8 glasses is the average. I once heard from hubby's doctor that people should drink 1 oz. of water for every pound of body weight. I've also heard that TOO MUCH water can flush certain minerals & vitamins out of your system, and also be harmful.

thebigcb

Did you know Steak is more than 60% water

no1canadianangel

Stop worrying about numbers. Drink when you are thirsty, stop when you aren't. Drink whatever you like, water, Gatorade, juice, tea, coffee, whatever you like. Stop worrying about a random arbitrary number that has no actual basis in science.

Some people are properly hydrated drinking 4 glasses a day, some people need 20. It's all relative, and highly individualized, your body is extremely good at telling you how much you need.

:drinker:

LennyInFlorida

Also, you should drink MORE if you are in-taking more sodium than you should. This will help flush that out a bit.

I in-take quite a bit of salt as I work out in the garage when it's wacky hot outside and I lose so many fluids--So i drink extra water and add salt to my food. This has probably helped me stay on my diet for so long as salt, in my opinion, makes healthy foods taste better lol.

k2charmed4u

I drink about 1.5 litres of water a day but I also drink a large glass of milk and thats it. I don't drink alcohol ever and I only drink tea when i'm absolutely freezing! Otherwise just water and milk.
I worked out what I should be drinking from the calculations mentioned above and apparently I should be drinking 3.5 litres a day. I wouldn't be able to do that as i'm diabetic and would end up having to hover near a bathroom all day. I pee enough already lol :laugh:

mcrowe1016

I drink between 12-16 glasses a day.

Are you drinking because you are thirsty or because you are trying to satisfy a specific number or something else? I'm asking because excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes. See your doctor.

^^sorry but this is totally ridiculous. I drink around 11-15 cups of water a day. I drink probably 6-7 of those while I'm working out. I drink a lot of water because I LIKE to, it makes my skin look good, and it makes me feel good. Suggesting someone who likes to stay hydrated is likely diabetic and needs to see a doctor is a HUGE leap, and just silly. :grumble:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms/
(I have edited out all other symptoms except for thirst)

Type 1 Diabetes
•Unusual thirst

Type 2 Diabetes
•Any of the type 1 symptoms

Gestational Diabetes
•Unusual thirst

He isn't wrong. My mother and brother (neither of whom are overweight) both have type 1 and thirst was one of the most noticable symptoms.

thebigcb

http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/truth-about-drinking-water.aspx


Interest read.

Basically there is no hard and fast rule by the looks of it.

thebigcb

I drink between 12-16 glasses a day.

Are you drinking because you are thirsty or because you are trying to satisfy a specific number or something else? I'm asking because excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes. See your doctor.

^^sorry but this is totally ridiculous. I drink around 11-15 cups of water a day. I drink probably 6-7 of those while I'm working out. I drink a lot of water because I LIKE to, it makes my skin look good, and it makes me feel good. Suggesting someone who likes to stay hydrated is likely diabetic and needs to see a doctor is a HUGE leap, and just silly. :grumble:

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms/
(I have edited out all other symptoms except for thirst)

Type 1 Diabetes
•Unusual thirst

Type 2 Diabetes
•Any of the type 1 symptoms

Gestational Diabetes
•Unusual thirst

He isn't wrong. My mother and brother (neither of whom are overweight) both have type 1 and thirst was one of the most noticable symptoms.

Don't jump to any conclusions or anything

tobnrn

I drink between 12-16 glasses a day.

Are you drinking because you are thirsty or because you are trying to satisfy a specific number or something else? I'm asking because excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes. See your doctor.

Thx for the concern. I am not diabetic. I like water. I don't drink anything but water & coffee. Personal preference.

ETA: Diabetes is a serious medical condition that has more than one sign/symptom. Excessive thirst is just one. As far as hydrationggoes everyone requires different amounts. A construction worker living in phoenix is going to require more to stay hydrated than an office worker living in Canada who is relatively sedentary. Best way to tell if your hydrated properly is the color of urine. Should be light yellow & clear. If it is colorless you are overhydrated, dark yellow, brown, or amber then dehydrated.