All our bodily vitals need water amongst other things to function at optimum levels. However, over-consuming water can lead to something known as ‘Water Intoxication’ – and in some cases, this has proven fatal!
So… What is Water Intoxication? (Aka Water Poisoning)
In short, it’s where you’ve drank such a level of water that you can disrupt the brain function to extremes. This excess water dilutes the electrolytes in your blood, but most importantly the Sodium levels too. Sodium is responsible balancing the fluid between the inside and outside of cells. When the sodium falls to extreme levels it’s called Hyponatremia, this is, in short, where the cell almost ‘drowns in fluid’ (swelling).
Drinking too much water can also give you headaches, nausea, vomiting and, in more severe cases, can produce more serious symptoms.
We were surprised to learn that symptoms of Hyponatremia can occur from drinking as little as 3-4 litres of water in a short amount of time, so we’ve been advised to never drink over 1L of water in one hour!
Ok, so there is no specific numbers on how much each individual person needs to drink a day, but we’ve been recommended to consider our body weight, sports activities & the climate we’re in.
In summary, drink as much as you need according to your thirst levels throughout the day, but don’t feel bad if you can’t always hit the popular recommendations– you could be saving yourself from a nasty case of Water Poisoning (or that’s what we’re going to start telling ourselves!)
