Water, water everywhere! Should I drink it all?
There’s a prevailing opinion that there’s no such thing as too much water. Does the advice “drink eight glasses a day” really hold water? Many women believe that the more they drink, especially when it comes in designer bottles, the less they’ll eat, the more they’ll “flush” toxins from their bodies, and the moister and dewier their skin will be. Countless magazine articles have recommended eight glasses a day (two quarts) as the gold standard of liquid health. None of these suppositions bear medical scrutiny. A diligent review, published in the American Journal of Physiology, could neither locate the origins of this edict, nor any evidence to support it. The moisture in your skin will suffer only if you meet the medical standards for dehydration. There’s no need to monitor the color of your urine or count your empty water bottles. We have a marvelous built-in hydration control. It’s called thirst, which works through multiple hormones and sensors in our vascular system. Also, much of what we consume contains liquid, even though it’s not water, and despite what you’ve heard, coffee, caffeinated soft drinks and other fluids do count. Finally, there are good reasons not to overdo fluids. Many women complain of incontinence problems simply because their overfilled bladder contracts before they reach the toilet. Just like most vitamins, a deficiency of water is bad, but excess is unhelpful and can even be dangerous. If you take in fluid faster than your kidneys can process it, you could even end up with “water intoxication,” causing confusion, coma and even death.
The article goes on to discuss coffee/caffeine, low-carb diets, iron, Pap smears, and chocolate. Interesting stuff and some food for thought, so I'm passing it along.
That IS interesting, given how many diet programs that are now being hawked on the Internet advocate - nay, REQUIRE - guzzling down a gallon or more of water a day!
I usually shoot for 3 liters, which I think is a little under a gallon...and that isn't always easy - generally it's easier for me at work, since I don't allow myself the luxury of my brown elixir of life (aka diet Coke!) during working hours...
Funny, this past week or so since DH's dehydration test results, I have been reading various articles on the net about water consumption. Now I'm wondering if I drink too much? 120-140oz each day. I suppose the only way of knowing would be to have my electrolytes checked. If I am drinking too much water, I don't have any obvious adverse reactions. Just another one of those things I never did before, and that became a new habit. I still drink half cafe coffee in the AM's, and a cup of green tea every other day, but can't stand soda of any kind any more.
I checked my PT study manual, and it only talks about the importance of hydration before, during and after exercise (sweating) and on hot days.
Thanks for this info! I always feel guilty about not getting enough water.
One diet book (or website?) I was reading asked you to calculate how much water you should drink each day based on your weight.
Since I am so heavy right now if I followed their calculation I would have to guzzle about 20 - 8 oz glasses a day! I would never be able to leave the bathroom or the house. Also I do get the weird bloated light-headed feeling when I drink too much so this info is good news.
Since I have tried to limit my compulisve behaviors and cut the list of shoulds out of my life (My sponsor says, "You heard about the guy with the list of shoulds?" "He lived a pretty shoudie life. " ) water was one of them. My compulsion was 4-6 L a day, my loving choice? 2-3 L and 2-3 cups of coffee a day and it never feels "shoudie" and my body still loves me.
Very interesting article. When I was a teen, I took a job one summer with adults that required day care due to learning disabilities, Downs syndrome, etc. We had one guy that we had to keep watch on 24-7 because he would drink water, any water - pool, fish tank, puddles, anything. He got away from his counselor at a park one day and we found him passed out and intoxicated under a water spigot. It was sad to see. I never thought that people without learning disabilities could also get water intoxicated.
My habit is between 8-12 oz at the gym, 24 oz at work and then Kool-aid at home.
Gosh, who knows what to believe? I do know that I feel better when I drink my water, but I've never gone above 96 ounces a day. Some days I'm lucky to get half that.
Like Mrs. Jim, I too find that is easier to drink my water during the work week. I just have a 1 liter water bottle that I fill three times a day. Every few minutes or so I'll take a decent-sized swig.
Of course, I've worn a path in the carpet between my cubicle and the bathroom. I should just take my laptop into the bathroom with me and set up a satellite office! LOL
Very interesting. I shoot for 96 oz, but am happy if I hit 72. And I use a Diet Pepsi to fill in when I need a treat. Diet Root Beer works great for that too. I used to follow the 1/2 your weight in water rule. 150 oz. Yikes!! 72 - 96 seems to fit.
I shoot for 3.5 - 4 litres a day and whatever I can manage on weekends. I try and drink most of it during the day at work for toilet reasons. I do drink 1-2 coffees a day and 1-2 diet sodas a day as well and have never had health problems from it.
Interesting. I usually get about 100 oz. of water, plus whatever amount is in a shake, a maybe a cup of mint caffeine free tea at night. I have my mandatory "open the eyes" cup of leaded first thing in the morning, but no diet drinks or anything but water the rest of the day. Works fine for me. I saw no difference at all when I cut the coffee out completely for about a year other than I really wanted a cup of coffee. All my training materials push for 1/2-1 gal based on body weight. A lot of the reasoning is that bodybuilders each so much protein that the extra water is required to keep the kidneys functioning properly.
It is nice, though, that science is finally replacing advertising as the basis for health choices. It's been really embarassing for the scientific community that they've had so little knowledge regarding water consumption up to now.
It should be noted that "too much water" is typically taken to mean over 3 L within an hour.
Interesting Article About Water And Coffee
