Water - how much is too much?

I drink water like its going out of style - seriously. I choose water over almost any beverage (I have skim milk in my cereal every morning, and the occassional blast of orange or apple juice if I am having a sugar craving while I'm looking in the fridge). How much water is too much though?
It is currently 1:35 where I am, and I am half-way through my 5th 500mL bottle of the day (I refill it whenever its empty). I generally have the same water intake every day. Is it safe to take in so much water though? :/
I keep hearing conflictring reports, things saying "too much water can be detrimental to your health, etc."
So what is it? How much is too much??

wow.. 5 of those are my GOAL for the day. I just started #3. I don't know what the limit is.

Hyponatremia can be FATAL;  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia

be very careful; that is far too much fluids.

Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume more than 10 liters (2.2 imp gal; 2.6 U.S. gal) of water over the course of just a few minutes, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet massive amounts of fluid are still consumed.

That is the case I heard of - a woman on a radio show contest died on her way home, but I couldn't remember how much she drank.

So that is what, 20 of these bottles? in like, 30 minutes?

I think we'll be all right! :)

I drink 7 or 8 bottles of 500ml per day.

I never really thought it could be dangerous O_o

I typically drink about 2L... sometimes more. I drink when I feel thirsty. I've never had any problems except for having to use the restroom more frequently at night. 

Not to be disgusting... but look at the colour of your urine.. It should be a pale yellow. If  you can't see any colour in it... you are drinking way too much water.  there is no set limit every person is different.  But I know, there is should a thing as drinking too much water

You should also disguish whether you NEED to have water or whether you just like drinking water.  I say this because at one point my mom was drinking A LOT of water and she felt as if I couldn't get enough liquid.  Her doctor did some testing and she was told she was diabetic.   So if you feel your drinking WAY too muchand can't get enough, then you should check it out. 

Personally, I don't think you are... like alisam... I drink about 8, 500ml bottles of water a day. 

What I do know is that you must not drink water while you are eating, drink 30mins before AT LEAST.

what you are doing is diluting the stomach juices and then you can't digest your food correctly - leading to all sorts of problems.

And that means after eating too - give your body 30mins after and then you can start your guzzling again ;)

interesting point aquanettahenry.

Echoing something that's already been said.  If you're drinking so much out of habit, it may not be an issue.  But if you're drinking so much because you're constantly thirsty, dry mouth & waking up in the night to go to the toilet you should probably talk to your doctor because extreme thirst is one of the warning signs of diabetes.

a glass every hour or so will do you no harm, BUT death due to water intoxication is not as rare as you think.Often it is not reported.

 Some who start to drink more water are at risk of going overboard; obviously it quells hunger and craving, as well as stopping mindless snacking.

If you become lethargic, develop headaches and feel pressure in your head, you MUST STOP and i would advise seeing medical attention. As a doctor i have seen this phenomenon increase, especially in women. If you are drinking because of a genuine feeling of dry mouth and thirst, it is also vital that you see a doctor.

a safer, part-time substitute would be to chew sugarfree gum; it will stop you flushing out vitamins and minerals through the water you are taking in excess, negate the possibility of hyponatremia, and keep your mouth busy.

I've been having the same dilemna this morning! Over the past 2 weeks I have been drinking around 6 litres a day easily, and going to the toilet quite frequently. Then someone told me that it can be dangerous as your kidneys can't process it fast enough and can cause the salt levels in your blood to decrease leading to swelling of the brain :S

I've been trying to read up on it and apparently your liver can process quite a lot, as long as you're body is relatively healthy (I'm guessing, as with everything, that everyone is slightly different though). What i've gathered is that drinking a lot of water is okay, as long as you spread it throughout the day rather than consuming bottle after bottle (like i have been doing!!) According to this article, if you are going to the toilet more than once every 2 hours, and your urine is colourless, then you are drinking too much water...so i've come to the conclusion that I am drinking too much!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6263029.s tm

I do think it is quite rare however, and I'm not usually a fan of over-hyped stories that are meant to scare us. Personally, I'm going to probably cut down to around 4 to 5 litres, and try to spread it out throughout the day and sip it rather than non-stop guzzling.

xx

Original Post by stlc:

What I do know is that you must not drink water while you are eating, drink 30mins before AT LEAST.

what you are doing is diluting the stomach juices and then you can't digest your food correctly - leading to all sorts of problems.

And that means after eating too - give your body 30mins after and then you can start your guzzling again ;)

interesting point aquanettahenry.

Sounds like a load of bollocks to me.

GI-- I've been tested for diabetes sooo many times since it runs in my family. But it's not like I wake up 10 times a night to use the bathroom... it's just once or twice. 

Original Post by elle909:

 According to this article, if you are going to the toilet more than once every 2 hours, and your urine is colourless, then you are drinking too much water...so i've come to the conclusion that I am drinking too much!

 God if thats the case then I am drinking too much - I work at a desk, and sometimes I have to go 2 times in ONE hour lol. Ugh.

And to whoever just posted that you aren't supposed to drink while eating - there is so much conflicting infomation. Why, then, is it recommended that to help combat overeating you take a sip of water in between bites? Idk. I throughly enjoy drinking water while I eat, need to actually.

There is a Hydration Calculator that you can check out to be sure that you are getting enough (or too much) water.

[ Link ]

It may surprise you,  I thought that I was drinking too much, until I did my calculations.  There are about 10 questions to answer.

Original Post by dlbrown1020:

There is a Hydration Calculator that you can check out to be sure that you are getting enough (or too much) water.

[ Link ]

It may surprise you,  I thought that I was drinking too much, until I did my calculations.  There are about 10 questions to answer.

Thanks for the link. i really liked the application. Shame there isn't some extra info with the specific questions, like why this makes a difference.

I drink about 2 l. per day. I have a desk job so drink more during work hours and yes, sometimes you need to go more than once an hour ;-)

The problem isnt going more than once an hour, the problem is if you are going that often and your urine is colorless.  Like someone else commented, your urine should be a pale yellow. 

so it came up with 5-16.9 oz bottles.

That is exactly how many bottles of water I already have on my checklist to check off every day.

How about that!

wow... i have to drink 3 Liters a day.  The bottles I have are 0.5 L so that means I have to drink 6 of them.  Dont know if I can afford all that !

Mine said I need 4 liters but if I eat a healthy diet I only need to drink 3. I can't imagine drinking more than I do now. haha 2L seems to be plenty for me. 

Original Post by stlc:

What I do know is that you must not drink water while you are eating, drink 30mins before AT LEAST.

what you are doing is diluting the stomach juices and then you can't digest your food correctly - leading to all sorts of problems.

And that means after eating too - give your body 30mins after and then you can start your guzzling again ;)

What is your source for this information?  I, by no means guzzle water, but I do have to drink it with my meals.  I take a mineral pill (on an empty stomach-required) so I'm already producing extra acid.  I can get stomach aches and acid indigestion if I eat a meal (lunch/dinner) with any drink besides water or tea (which is pretty much just water).  And don't say "drink milk." I am a stickler for food/beverage harmony and milk does not go with everything.

alibsam
"Sounds like a load of bollocks to me."


prinzessin_naseimbuch
"What is your source for this information?  I, by no means guzzle water, but I do have to drink it with my meals.  I take a mineral pill (on an empty stomach-required) so I'm already producing extra acid.  I can get stomach aches and acid indigestion if I eat a meal (lunch/dinner) with any drink besides water or tea (which is pretty much just water).  And don't say "drink milk." I am a stickler for food/beverage harmony and milk does not go with everything."

LOL!
The bollocks that you speak of is true and false - have you actually done any research on the topic or are you just giving a personal opinion?

My source of info comes from working in the Health Industry and talking to fellow naturopaths, there are a whole host of Health programmes on BBC and they actually, by coincidence, had this very topic come up a week ago and they proved that is not a good idea - I have also spoken to Nutritionists as I have suffered with digestion my whole life. They all said don't drink 30 mins before - that means water, juice, milk, soda, whatever is your form of liquid.

Yet the thing with this is that - there is also alot of info that says it does not matter.
So research it and make your own choice, in my researched opinion and dealing with ppl, I believe that is messes with a very delicate process.

Hope that clears it up abit.

I just did a really quick search and this is a quick what I ended up getting:

One from here actually - http://caloriecount.about.com/drinking-eating -ft93006
Then on the net:

Against - "We are NOT talking here about problems with the digestive system because of water, the problem is that if you drink water then your food is not digested as much as it could. By digestion we take the "best" out of the food we eat, the rest is eliminated.

When food enters the stomach chemical fluids generate from the walls of the stomach that help digestion. If we take water along with food these fluids are diluted and the digestion power is reduced. Then the undigested food material, which is useful, is purged out along with the excreta.

It's very common that people drink water between their meals but research has said that a small amount of liquid during meals should be okay but drinking a lot of water, juice, or soda can cause digestion problems. Drinking water and other fluids can cause dilution of stomach acids and digestive enzymes, making them less effective at breaking down food. Whenever possible, it is best to drink fluids before and two hours after meals as this helps uptake of nutrients and move bowels.

As it's harder to break down the food, the stomach may produce more acids, which could result in heartburn or acid reflux. This could possible put more pressure on the small intestines as well because the food is passed along from the stomach without being broken enough."

Doesn't matter - "The evidence from all of these studies suggests that stomach pH is not significantly altered by water drinking, even when a person consumes the water following an overnight fast.
Even though natural stomach acid levels were not upset by drinking water in these studies, some individuals may definitely prefer to minimize or eliminate drinking water during meals, and may experience better digestion by doing so. Remember that digestion is a complicated process that depends on many factors for a healthy and comfortable outcome."