“Drink 8 Glasses of Water Every Day” Is a Myth
There is such thing as too much water
“Make sure you drink enough water! Keep hydrated! Drink plenty of water!”
We hear this advice constantly, along with promises of weight loss and detoxification.
This type of advice is so important to examine and question.
Let’s face it, it’s making some of us go to the bathroom more often and do more pee-lates than we need to do the real pilates.
Does drinking plenty of water offer all the benefits it’s touted to?
Let’s discuss!
Is it vital to drink eight glasses a day?
For adequate hydration, the most common figure we hear is eight glasses of water (eight ounces = sixty-four ounces).
A little bit of water wisdom holds that your body weight in pounds divided by two gives you your magic number in ounces. (A man weighing 200 pounds, for example, should drink 100 ounces of water every day.)
You cannot use either of these to determine how much water you should drink because there is no one-size-fits-all formula. The body indeed needs water — some bodies need a lot.
Several factors affect your body’s water requirements, including the environment and activity level.
Therefore, universal figures and formulas cannot accurately predict your water consumption.
Is the human body 60% water?
No way. You don’t have a single ounce of pure water in your body. Every fluid in the body is electrolyte fluid.
Water is one component of these fluids, and your body constantly strives to keep the balance of water, electrolytes, and minerals in these fluids.
This body function is significantly taxed when you drink far more water than you need.
Is water capable of flushing out toxins?
Pesticides, pollution, smoke, and drugs, to name a few environmental toxins, are all around us, and drinking more water won’t eliminate them any faster.
The majority of what we call toxins are fat-soluble and accumulate in fat. While it would be nice to rinse our insides the same way we do the dishes, getting extra water into your body will not affect toxic or harmful elements.
Is drinking more water helpful in fat loss?
Get some fatty bacon and run it under the faucet.
Does it still have fat on it? Of course, it does! Water has no influence on the fat in your body. None! Furthermore, it won’t make your body more efficient at burning fat.
According to an article on sciencedaily.com:
“There is very little evidence that drinking water promotes weight loss; it is one of those self-perpetuating myths,” said Beth Kitchin, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of nutrition sciences. “I’m not saying drinking water isn’t good; but only one study showed people who drank more water burned a few extra calories, and it was only a couple of extra calories a day.”
Kitchin says another water myth is the consumption rule: eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
“Yes, people do need to get fluids; but it does not have to be water,” Kitchin said. “There’s no evidence that it melts away fat or makes you feel fuller, so if you don’t like water it’s OK.”
Is there anything wrong with drinking lots of water?
Extra glasses of water won’t cure all your ailments. But it won’t harm you either. You may feel bloated if your body isn’t eliminating excess water properly.
Consuming too much water, however, can be dangerous.
Unbelievably, excessive consumption of water can lead to dehydration when it causes an imbalance between water, electrolytes, and minerals in the body.
Also, keep in mind that urine contains electrolytes, so those extra trips to the bathroom do result in a loss of electrolytes and minerals. However, it gets worse.
The condition of hyponatremia occurs when diluted sodium in the body cannot regulate cellular water absorption.
Symptoms range from confusion and headaches to coma or death when sodium-starved cells swell with water. Drinking too much water can kill you!
Here’s the straightforward solution: drink when you’re thirsty. Within reason, your body can adjust to varying levels of water intake. Your body will eliminate less water if you drink less water, and you will become thirsty.
Am I hydrated enough?
Kitchin Beth Kitchin, Ph.D., RDN, says,
Urine is the best way to determine if you need to hydrate. It is likely that you are hydrated if your urine is diluted, pale yellow, or clear. Nonetheless, if the urine is darker in color or cloudy, more hydration is needed.
Overhydration
This time of year, many of us need more water, but you can drink too much and overhydrate. Excess water can dilute your sodium levels dangerously.
Low blood sodium, or hyponatremia, can cause similar symptoms as dehydration — nausea, vomiting, headaches, convulsions, and even death.
Your body will eliminate extra water if you drink more than it needs. In short, your body knows better than conventional wisdom, and your water intake is likely fine (as long as you aren’t thirsty!).
Don’t feel bad if you can’t count off sixty-four ounces per day. You probably don’t need it, and all those supposed benefits are misleading and dangerous at best.
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