Does drinking water flush excess sodium from your body?

kaetra
kaetra Posts: 442 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
I'm wondering if drinking lots of water flushes any of the extra sodium out or not? I've seen alot of stuff on the internet today looking around, even something that said there's sodium in tap water. It seems like there is no escape from the salt demon!

I'm trying to control my sodium, but it's a huge challenge. Darn near EVERYthing has sodium in it. Even carrots! Celery! Fish has tons of sodium in it naturally. I'm shocked at how much sodium is everywhere, especially in non-processed foods. (I expect sodium in processed foods, of course)

Replies

  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    You do need a certain amount of salt in your body or you will die...so not wise to try to cut all salt out.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/267555-foods-that-flush-sodium-out-of-the-body/

    Here ya go..it works.
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
    Thanks, that's exactly the info I was looking for! :) Very very helpful!
  • InstantSunshine
    InstantSunshine Posts: 355 Member
    Fish would - they live in it.
  • Shanahan09
    Shanahan09 Posts: 97
    Water is great for flushing out salt/and or toxins in the body, but, also one has to eat healthy in order for the body to do this. We all need salt, but it's the 'added' salt that is the culprit, not the natural salt found in food. Processed foods, take out foods, store bought soups etc, are the worst.
  • shesblossoming
    shesblossoming Posts: 426
    For me, drinking water and sweating takes out a lot of sodium. I generally try to stick to 1,500mg a day of sodium but if I know I've had way too much, I bring on the water. I can tell when I've had too much as I don't go to the bathroom at all (even if I've had lots of water). However, sodium is really important. Also, it's a great indicator of what foods not to eat. I never go to the frozen section, because I know a lot of the food is high in sodium and generally not good for me.

    For the longest time, I was always over on sodium, but I think once your diet transitions, it gets easier to keep it under control. Good luck!
  • thedestar
    thedestar Posts: 1,275 Member
    Bump
  • roebuck1908
    roebuck1908 Posts: 185
    If you drink to much water it can be harmful
  • rolliepollie087
    rolliepollie087 Posts: 251 Member
    When you bump a forum post, you're moving it up where everyone can see where it is active...or to kind of bookmark the forum so you can come back later to add to it or read more replies......


    If you already know this and you were being sarcastic I'm going to feel silly but I didn't read your comment as sarcasm.

    Bump

    Wow How useful BUMP
    This really helps in the question does Bump mean I don't have a clue what you are talking about so I will just write it anyway
  • roebuck1908
    roebuck1908 Posts: 185
    When you bump a forum post, you're moving it up where everyone can see where it is active...or to kind of bookmark the forum so you can come back later to add to it or read more replies......


    If you already know this and you were being sarcastic I'm going to feel silly but I didn't read your comment as sarcasm.

    Bump


    No I DID not hence the Question
    Wow How useful BUMP
    This really helps in the question does Bump mean I don't have a clue what you are talking about so I will just write it anyway
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
    If you drink to much water it can be harmful

    What would you consider a harmful amount of water?
  • Jcat52643
    Jcat52643 Posts: 16 Member
    Water follows salt therefore you can drink all the water you want but it won't flush out the sodium since your kidney's like to retain sodium. However, doctors (like me) recommend keeping your sodium intake to less than 2.4 grams in a day for people with high blood pressure but if you do not have high blood pressure you can afford to have a little more. It is very difficult to drink enough water to die... I've never seen it in my years of experience.
  • barbarabelk
    barbarabelk Posts: 36
    If you drink to much water it can be harmful

    What would you consider a harmful amount of water?


    You would have to drink an extreme amount of water for it to be dangerous. After all, we're mostly made of water. You need it, and most people don't drink enough of it.

    If you're thirsty, drink water. Even if you're not that thirsty and you drink a few glasses, you're going to be fine.
  • emflowers13
    emflowers13 Posts: 1
    It takes a very large amount of water in order for it to be harmful, I'm talking gallons and gallons for you to drown your body. You would literally need to be drinking a liter every hour in order for this to happen. A healthy amount would be a glass of water per hour or two throughout the day to keep hydrated. You'll know for sure if your sodium intake and water consumption are balancing to hydrate yourself by the color of your pee. The darker the pee the more water you need to be drinking. The clearer the better! Water is good for helping to flush out toxins, speeds up metabolism, and helps with radiant skin. Drink a large glass of cold water before you eat and it tricks your mind into feeling full faster.

    Hope this helped
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    OP: do you have hypertension?

    How much potassium do you eat?
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    I drink 10-15 cups of water a day to counterbalance the sodium I take in.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Why are we suddenly offering new advice on a very, very old thread?
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
    Why are we suddenly offering new advice on a very, very old thread?

    Apparently someone was really bored at 2:44 am. =)
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
    Yes, 1/2 your weight in ounces, per day. For people eating high sodium foods, Increasing potassium will excrete more sodium from your body through your urine.
  • cassy_runs
    cassy_runs Posts: 94
    As far as water consumption being harmful, I say we listen to the good doctor (above). The times I've heard/read of people dying from water intoxication involved them drinking gallons at a time without going to pee.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    OMG! 2011??? LMBO!!! :laugh: I hope she figured it out by now! :tongue:
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Why are we suddenly offering new advice on a very, very old thread?

    Oh just wait. It will be revived again in 2014. :wink:
  • scorpio102987
    scorpio102987 Posts: 1
    Revived.. :)
  • RayRay392
    RayRay392 Posts: 1
    Yes sirree! 100%
  • MissKarlaJamaica
    MissKarlaJamaica Posts: 12 Member
    I came here looking for the answer to this question, so I'm glad it was revived. I also found a useful blurb about it in case someone else came here for the same reason:

    http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/articles/2011/01/31/will_increased_water_consumption_flush_excess_sodium_from_the_body/
  • JupeJones
    JupeJones Posts: 107 Member
    Too much water can be bad, and I've seen it with my own eyes at marathons, where a condition called hyponatremia is not uncommon: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/medical/do-the-salt
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Too much water can be bad, and I've seen it with my own eyes at marathons, where a condition called hyponatremia is not uncommon: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/medical/do-the-salt
    If you're not an endurance athlete (marathons and such) you don't need to worry about hyponatremia.
    The alarming message, "you can die from drinking too much water" is often overstated on these forums. Death from hyponatremia is extremely rare.

    If you are an endurance athlete then spending a little time understanding hyponatremia is a worthwhile endeavor.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    If you drink to much water it can be harmful

    Yes, there is such a thing as water intoxication AKA water poisoning AKA dilutional hyponatremia. It occurs when a person drinks so much water their electrolytes become severely imbalanced. It's a relatively rare occurrence. You can start to learn more about it from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

    This just shows that too much of anything is unwise. Seek balance.
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