Too Much Water?!

I found this article on About.com after hearing about someone dying from drinking too much water on a radio contest.  It makes sense now.  I better slow down drinking my 5 bottles all at one sitting in the morning :)  Interesting read:

Q. Can You Drink Too Much Water?
From Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.,

A. You've probably heard that it's important to 'drink plenty of fluids' or simply 'drink lots of water'. There are excellent reasons for drinking water, but have you ever wondered if it's possible to drink too much water. Here's what you need to know:

Can You Really Drink Too Much Water?

In a word, yes. Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.

What Happens During Water Intoxication?

When too much water enters the body's cells, the tissues swell with the excess fluid. Your cells maintain a specific concentration gradient, so excess water outside the cells (the serum) draws sodium from within the cells out into the serum in an attempt to re-establish the necessary concentration. As more water accumulates, the serum sodium concentration drops -- a condition known as hyponatremia. The other way cells try to regain the electrolyte balance is for water outside the cells to rush into the cells via osmosis. The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from higher to lower concentration is called osmosis. Although electrolytes are more concentrated inside the cells than outside, the water outside the cells is 'more concentrated' or 'less dilute' since it contains fewer electrolytes. Both electrolytes and water move across the cell membrane in an effort to balance concentration. Theoretically, cells could swell to the point of bursting.

From the cell's point of view, water intoxication produces the same effects as would result from drowning in fresh water. Electrolyte imbalance and tissue swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and may cause fluttering eyelids. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication. Swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, coma and ultimately death unless water intake is restricted and a hypertonic saline (salt) solution is administered. If treatment is given before tissue swelling causes too much cellular damage, then a complete recovery can be expected within a few days.

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. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.

as soon as i saw the topic i knew it was u,lol  we already had a forum on that girl dieing an about water intoxication weenie

o.. heh :)

that is how Leah Betts died (in about 2001, maybe). Her death was reported in the news, and they were saying things like "one ecstasy tablet killed Leah Betts" but they didn't say that that had nothing to do with it. She actually died from drinking too much water. the drugs had nothing to do with it.

sorry i had to let that out, but i don't think people should use false information to try to scare people away from drugs. yes they're bad but facts are better than fiction. just had to...add that in there.

I have always heard that a "normal sized" person should drink 8-10 8 oz glasses a day but I only learned within the past few years that overweight people should drink an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight.  I have checked it out with a couple of MD's and they didn't know but then I checked with a couple of naturopaths and they were in agreement with that rule of thumb.  you can check it out at http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/wa ter.htm

hope it is ok to list that website, if not sorry.

yes you can drink too much water.

your kidneys can handle exess water but you need to get the salt-water balence correct.

i had this problem i was drinking 6l water a day and like no salt my kidneys murdered me when i went running. apparently your kidneys can handle up to 16l a day as long as you get enough salt.

i drink 3-4 litres a day now and get a good balence with salt.

be careful though not to eat to much salt it raises your blood pressure