Is too much water bad for you

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EmelyJ
EmelyJ Posts: 208
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm not sure what's the limit on drinking water, but is there a limit on how much is too much? I'm currently drinking 6 bottle of waters the .5L (1py 0.9 FLoz) of deer park.

Any Suggestion to what's ok and what's too much?

Replies

  • godsgiftjcp
    godsgiftjcp Posts: 50
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    I know that there is a such thing as ODing on water , but I think that is if you drink it all at once. If you are spreading your water out, you are fine. The amount you are drinking doesn't seem like too much to me. I drink a lot of water also. It helps with making me full faster. Hope this helps
  • angiesteele
    angiesteele Posts: 366 Member
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    My Dr. said to drink a minimum of 8-8oz glasses and try to drink atleast half your body weight in oz.
  • WhiteStar2351
    WhiteStar2351 Posts: 87
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    The only time too much water is too bad is when its consumed in large amounts in a short period of time - this will cause hyper-hydration and most probably kill you (an American woman recently died after trying to drink 10litres in a few minutes).

    However! That is highly unlikely to occur! Professionally my advice is always:

    1ml per 1cal you eat + 1litre for every 1hour exercise you do.

    For most women that do an hour of exercise per day this should be around the 3litre mark (which is what you're doing).

    I personally drink around 6-8 Litres spread across the entire day.
  • ebonybliss
    ebonybliss Posts: 39
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    From my understanding yes. If you drink too much water you can cause your kidneys to back up and eventually fail. I'm not sure how much is too much, but I do know there have been people that have died or gotten very sick from drinking too much water. I say just drink the 6-8 servings per day. I am sure that if you go over a little bit it won't be bad. But we don't want to over work our kidneys!! I will do some looking online to see if there is anything I can find for ya.
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
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    From my understanding yes. If you drink too much water you can cause your kidneys to back up and eventually fail. I'm not sure how much is too much, but I do know there have been people that have died or gotten very sick from drinking too much water. I say just drink the 6-8 servings per day. I am sure that if you go over a little bit it won't be bad. But we don't want to over work our kidneys!! I will do some looking online to see if there is anything I can find for ya.

    I think that's from NOT drinking water. Water flushes through your kidneys and cleans them out. I know too much protein is bad for your kidneys, but I've never heard of water bad for them.

    Also, and I think you can only have too much water if it's all at once too. It throws off your electrolights, and can, in excessive amounts, lead to death.

    If it's spread out during the day, I think it would be fine.
  • Daisygurl7
    Daisygurl7 Posts: 129 Member
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    I think you're fine. I usually drink 64oz a day. This site says - it's not how much, it's how fast you drink it that can harm you. It also says 8 - 12 glasses a day and you should be fine.

    http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm
  • murf19
    murf19 Posts: 453 Member
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    I drink 8-10 8z cups a day. The only bad thing - The mens room is at the other side of the building! seriously, I was never a water drinker until a couple of years ago. It does help flush your system, keep you hydraded and fills you, so you don't eat.

    I'm sure there's an amount that not good but I don't think I could reach it.
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
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    I think it depends on each individual over all. What is too much for one may be not enough for another. I would check with your doctor, leave him/her a message as ask.
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Drinking a lot of water spanned out in a day I don't believe is a problem. I also think how physical you are has something to do with it. In my previous job, I was on my feet for 15 hours a day, running around like a crazy woman, then would work-out after. During those years, I drank around a glass or two an hour (8 oz portions) and did not have any problems.

    3766339.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • grannygoose14
    grannygoose14 Posts: 7
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    Yes, there is such a thing as "water intoxication" which is basically throwing you electrolytes off balance by drinking too much water. Most basically healthy people can tolerate 8-8 ounces of water per day in normal weather. When it is hot and you are sweating, you may want to replace that which is lost through sweating; but be careful that you are eating properly and not depleting your potassium and sodium especially.
  • barberella
    barberella Posts: 199
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    It's called Polydipsia aka water intoxication. If done intentionally, it's defined as a mental illness! However, I don't think you are doing that. But I have clients who do this and they drink several gallons of water as quick as they can to literally feel drunk. Nonetheless, I think if you stick to 64oz a day, give or take, I don't think you are going to harm your body, especially if you spread that out throughout the day.
  • PlumCrazyGirl
    PlumCrazyGirl Posts: 1,463 Member
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    I agree, what's a good amount for one person may not be the best amount for another.

    I aim for 60-80oz per day. As well as having 24oz of hot tea and usually 12 oz of diet soda or brewed ice tea.
  • catherine1979
    catherine1979 Posts: 704 Member
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    I normally drink 3-4 liters a day (4when I'm going to hot yoga, 3 when I'm not) and I've never had any ill effects. As someone mentioned above the danger is in drinking large amounts in a short period of time.
  • RTricia
    RTricia Posts: 720
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    http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

    Hydration Calculator
  • T_William
    T_William Posts: 147 Member
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    I often have around 4litres a day
  • katacha999
    katacha999 Posts: 44
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    You would have to drink a lot of water in a very short period of time. It's called hyponatremia - common in infants or extreme marathon runners. What happens with the athlete (won't discuss the infant as well I'm sure you are not in that category!) is if they have done a lot of sweating (aka losing electrolytes - salts) and then attempts to consume a lot of water without replenishing the electrolytes the water floods the system and through osmosis, will try and draw salts from cells. This results in water intoxication which has the same effects to the body as drowning (just this way it's from the inside out).

    So as others have said -short of chugging 10L of water all at once - you should be fine. Especially since most of us are normally in a water deficit - dehydrated - and of course coupled with the sodium as well as nightshade vegetables (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes etc) which provide other salts in most North American diets it'd be pretty tough to over dose on water.
  • sandradickie
    sandradickie Posts: 40 Member
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    I try to drink the min of 64oz per day. My Dr also advised that it was good to try to drink half my body weight in oz when trying to lose weight. Of course that may sound harder for some like me who have to drink at least a gal of water a day! lol It has actually gotten easier and I often drink more than the required gal because it seems that the more I drink, the more I want to drink! Its CRAZZZZY!!! ;-)
  • charityateet
    charityateet Posts: 576 Member
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    I drink 8-10 8z cups a day. The only bad thing - The mens room is at the other side of the building! seriously, I was never a water drinker until a couple of years ago. It does help flush your system, keep you hydraded and fills you, so you don't eat.

    I'm sure there's an amount that not good but I don't think I could reach it.



    Have you found that as you drink more you have to "go" less? I started drinking 100oz I think last Friday and had to go every 15 min lol, but now it's definitey slowed down.

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