Is drinking too much water harmful?

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placebo139

placebo139

Golden Member
Jun 25, 2001
1,381
0
76
I noticed that I drink 2-3 bottles of water daily. More than a liter at least. I know drinking too little water is bad for you... but one of my friends told me what I was having was a little excessive and could be bad for me? Any truth to this?
 
Ryan

Ryan

Lifer
Oct 31, 2000
27,519
2
81
I drink more than a gallon a day and I'm fine. The only time water is harmful is if you drink too much - like massive quantities. As the previous poster stated, the brain can swell, and, IIRC, it can lead to an electrolyte imbalance.
 
E

Excelsior

Lifer
May 30, 2002
19,047
18
81
Originally posted by: rbloedow
I drink more than a gallon a day and I'm fine. The only time water is harmful is if you drink too much - like massive quantities. As the previous poster stated, the brain can swell, and, IIRC, it can lead to an electrolyte imbalance.
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A

amnesiac

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
15,781
1
71
You should be drinking at LEAST 2-3 quarts a day, if not 4-5.

Most people go through their entire lives being dehydrated. It's very easy to, seeing as how it's difficult for anyone to down that much water a day if they're not used to it.

You should be peeing from 4-7 times a day, and it should be clear. Moderate-to-dark yellow is bad. Day-glo yellow just means you remembered to take your vitamins.


edit: Oh, and your friend is a stupid asstard and should refrain from speaking whenever possible. Next time you see him, either punch him in the throat or give him a tipper courtesy of me. I'll give you a dollar if you provide a pic. Sorry, it just REALLY irks me when people start spreading stupid, unintelligent, groundless misinformation.
 
Kadarin

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
16
81
Originally posted by: amnesiac
You should be drinking at LEAST 2-3 quarts a day, if not 4-5.

Most people go through their entire lives being dehydrated. It's very easy to, seeing as how it's difficult for anyone to down that much water a day if they're not used to it.

You should be peeing from 4-7 times a day, and it should be clear. Moderate-to-dark yellow is bad. Day-glo yellow just means you remembered to take your vitamins.


edit: Oh, and your friend is a stupid asstard and should refrain from speaking whenever possible. Next time you see him, either punch him in the throat or give him a tipper courtesy of me. I'll give you a dollar if you provide a pic. Sorry, it just REALLY irks me when people start spreading stupid, unintelligent, groundless misinformation.
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amnesiac is correct. The body's thirst reaction is a late response to being dehydrated. In a hot and humid climate, you should be drinking water constantly, before you get thirsty. In the army, one of the first (and best) things they do is give you a canteen and condition you to sip from it almost all the time, throughout the entire day. There are even methods by which "water discipline" is enforced. A dehydrated soldier quickly becomes a heat casualty who can't fight.
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
your thirst response would have to be seriously defective to drink enough to be harmful
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
I drink about a gallon/day in addition to all other fluids I take in. As mentioned it is harmful in huge quantities, but those are far greater than what you're doing.
 
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Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Most people do not drink enough water.

Unless you're talking about gallons at a time, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
 
43st

43st

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
3,197
0
0
Remember that news story about a year ago? Some parents kept catching their adopted son sneaking kool aid from the fridge. So they sat him down and forced him to drink it. They kept him at it for over an hour, the kid died as a result.
 
bigdog1218

bigdog1218

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2001
1,674
2
0
The standard 8 cups a day includes any water that you may consume from the foods you eat, depending on your weight and level of activity throughout the day you may need slightly more or less. Anything over is a waste and has no benefit to your body, the only thing you're doing by drinking a gallon a day is going to the bathroom a lot.

Edit: I remember someone died in the Boston Marathon last year from excessive fluids.
 
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Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: jumpr
As long as it's not distilled water, you're in great shape. Distilled water basically SUCKS all the nutrients out of your soft tissues.

http://4optimallife.com/Distilled-Waters-Danger-To-Health.html
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That site is pretty sensationalistic, but.. the points he brings up are very interesting!

It is very true(although I do not know the extent; ie: if it's as bad as this guy says) that water with no TDS(total dissolved salts) will actively absorb just about anything that can be dissolved in water.

The same is very true for plants. You can NOT give ANY plant distilled water unless it is to flush a toxic buildup of salts(elements, minerals). Since the concentration of salts in the plants' system is higher than that of the water, osmosis will halt the absorbtion of dissolved salts.. and actually start removing them from the plant.

So on that level it makes sense. Pretty interesting... I never thought about that for people..

I'm skeptical about the CO2 absorbtion/acidic thing. I'm pretty sure distilled water has a PH of 7.0 ....
 
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