Avoid Drinking TOO Much Water

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wiglet23
wiglet23 Posts: 887 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I saw something today on another forum post that made me stop and pause. Someone said they drink upwards of 12+ glasses of water a day. That made me remember the stories of people who have died from water "intoxication". Yes, drinking water is good. Our bodies need water. But, yes, you can drink too much. Be careful. Be informed.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283
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  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Yes, you can drink too much water, but water intoxication is VERY rare, and typically only happens to athletes doing long, intense workouts (ex. marathon runners) or people doing stupid stunts for radio shows and frat hazing.

    12+ glasses of water a day is not unreasonable - when I drink that much, I feel much healthier. Drinking 12 glasses at once? Bad Idea. Drinking 12 glasses spread over the average 16-18 waking hours a day? No big deal.

    The key is to spread your water intake out over the day. I read (can't remember where at the moment) that our kidneys can process something like 28-32 oz. of water an HOUR (the key exception being people doing long/intense workouts and people whose organs don't function properly).

    Most people don't have to worry about this, as long as they're not chugging gallons at a time. If you're worried, switch out some of your workout fluids for a sports drink with electrolytes - this will make it harder for your sodium/water balance to get out of whack, which is the real problem in cases where people drink too much water. (hyponatremia)
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
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    Yes, you can drink too much water, but water intoxication is VERY rare, and typically only happens to athletes doing long, intense workouts (ex. marathon runners) or people doing stupid stunts for radio shows and frat hazing.

    12+ glasses of water a day is not unreasonable - when I drink that much, I feel much healthier. Drinking 12 glasses at once? Bad Idea. Drinking 12 glasses spread over the average 16-18 waking hours a day? No big deal.

    The key is to spread your water intake out over the day. I read (can't remember where at the moment) that our kidneys can process something like 28-32 oz. of water an HOUR (the key exception being people doing long/intense workouts and people whose organs don't function properly).

    Most people don't have to worry about this, as long as they're not chugging gallons at a time. If you're worried, switch out some of your workout fluids for a sports drink with electrolytes - this will make it harder for your sodium/water balance to get out of whack, which is the real problem in cases where people drink too much water. (hyponatremia)

    ^^^^ this and most people new to the game are at risk for dehydration. I would rather people focus on getting water in all day long, than drinking a specific amount.

    I drink enough to have light colored satisfying pees. :)
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    The risk of water intoxication is so rare that it is more likely a MFPer will be struck by lightning and mauled by a bear on the same day. Seriously.

    Bottom line: Stay hydrated and use common sense.
  • ibbray04
    ibbray04 Posts: 227 Member
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    Hmm, I already drank 12 glasses, and it's only 1:30. I just filled up my 32 oz bottle again, and will probably drink 2-3 of those before the day is over. I've been drinking this much for a long while now and I'm still alive and doing well :smile:
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    I drink about 150 oz/day plus 3 cups of coffee. Yet to get water intoxication, but I'll keep trying. Beer has too many calories.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Thank you for putting this up as a warning. It's unlikely anyone here would drink too much water, but you never know. Some people are very stupid.
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
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    Ur body needs half its weight in ounces of water a day...12cups for alot of people is still to few. Im 249lbs, I need 15 to 16. I drink 20 to 24cups a day (most days..unless im really super busy then I might not get to my 16cup goal)... u need extra water if u drink anything with caffeine, excercise, or have too much sodium.

    Btw, I am not dead.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    The risk of water intoxication is so rare that it is more likely a MFPer will be struck by lightning and mauled by a bear on the same day. Seriously.

    Bottom line: Stay hydrated and use common sense.

    LMAO!!! the Bowflex folks did a study that had some participants drinking upwards of 2 gallons of water a day...and none of them showed any ill effects from drinking that much water. I don't suggest 2 gallons of water a day, but 12 glasses (96 ounces, which is 3/4 of one gallon) is not going to put you at risk of water intoxication. I personally aim for 100-132 ounces of water/day.
  • katkins3
    katkins3 Posts: 1,360 Member
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    My husband spent the night in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm about a month ago.
    The doctors told him he had drank so much water he washed the chemicals he needs out of his system. They told him to drink sports drinks when exercising, he usually does a couple hours of cardio a day. His body fat is down to 8%! Our GP told him to gain 10 pounds. So, yes, a person can drink too much water.
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
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    I drink 15-18 8-oz. glasses a day on average -- that's 120-144 oz.. I consume water throughout the entire day, with meals and without, while I work, when I walk (my primary method of exercise right now). I'm doing just fine and I feel better than I have in years.
  • birdlover97111
    birdlover97111 Posts: 346 Member
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    "The Solution to Pollution is Dilution"

    I drink a minimum of 1-gallon of water per day...Water intoxification happens if you drink 1 gallon in minutes, not in hours...The more you drink, the more you lose, so "CHEERS"..!!.. :drinker:
  • proverbs31chick
    proverbs31chick Posts: 485 Member
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    I saw something today on another forum post that made me stop and pause. Someone said they drink upwards of 12+ glasses of water a day. That made me remember the stories of people who have died from water "intoxication". Yes, drinking water is good. Our bodies need water. But, yes, you can drink too much. Be careful. Be informed.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

    Wow, this article says that drinking 64 ounces of water can be dangerous. Its like you can't win, you can find that everything is bad even when its good. Well I am going to stick to my 80 ounces a day.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

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

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/
  • Victoriav99
    Victoriav99 Posts: 260 Member
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    I think I drink almost 90 ounces a day, but it's definitely spread out. I definitely sweat a lot work I work out. I think it just depends on what your body is used to and also on how much you drink in a matter of time.
  • ReinventingLisa
    ReinventingLisa Posts: 104 Member
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    I remember when I was in Basic Training for the Army back in 2006, we were told not to drink more than 4 cups of water an hour. Any more could lead to water intoxication.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

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

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

    so, anyway, I read the snopes article that is posted. While that article explains that you don't need 8 cups a day to stay hydrated, it does talk about some health benefits from drinking at least 5 cups a day. Also, the snopes article mentions nothing about the connection between drinking water and fat loss...which is probably more important to MFPers than the hydration benefits (of course, hydration is important). so, here's the fat loss reason for drinking enough water....when you drink enough water, your liver doesn't need to help your kidneys with their job and the liver is left to focus on its primary job which is....that's right, digestion and fat burning.

    drink your water, folks. it will help.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    PS - one of the best articles on water I've ever seen. Debunks some of the water myths (like the 8x8 rule) but does explain why water is CRUCIAL to our health.

    http://www.experiencelifemag.com/issues/june-2010/wellness/drink-to-your-health.php
  • CindyWarner
    CindyWarner Posts: 138
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    I don't understand how you can consume 12 glasses of water to your daily routine. I consume 8 and find that difficult to manage.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I don't understand how you can consume 12 glasses of water to your daily routine. I consume 8 and find that difficult to manage.

    For those of us who drink that much (not saying it's necessary... some of us just feel better when we drink more than the "average") - it's not too hard. 12 glasses is less than 1 per waking hour (unless you sleep more than most people). It's just a matter of making it a habit to drink regularly throughout the day - 1/2 a glass here and there really adds up!
  • missjohnson1
    missjohnson1 Posts: 9
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    I drink 21 glasses of water a day. I try not to but I can't help it. I love water. I'm also over weight so it may not be that big of a deal that I drink so much throughout the day. There are so many theories on how much is too much and how to determine what is right for you. Consult your physician. We are all different and require different things because of it. If you feel better drinking a large quantity throughout the day and your doctor isn't saying you need to stop them great. The key words are throughout the day. It's never healthy to have too much of something in a short period of time even if what you are eating and drinking is healthy. Happy exercising and weight loss to everyone. I'm 3 days in with my regime of walking daily and getting the proper amount of calories and I feel great. :-)

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