There are many doctors, authors, nutritionists and wellness coaches that advise us to drink more water every day and we should. Hence, it is few and far between that some of these health practitioners ever tell us that we should not be consuming too much water.
Since our bodies are made up of mostly water, who would’ve thought that drinking too much could indeed have a harmful effect on the human body? Well, first off, ingesting too much of anything can always be harmful to your body in some way, whether it be small or extremely harmful.
Overhydration is a thing
Overhydration is very dangerous and can cause water intoxication in the body. This condition is also known as hyponatremia, an instance that causes the inside of your cells to contain too much water and thus flood, due to an abnormal sodium level in your bloodstream. This is usually because the sodium level reaches dangerously low levels when mixed with too much water.
Water intoxication is more serious than you think
Water intoxication can progress to a point that causes major health problems. These include falling into a coma, seizures and can even result in death.
Furthermore, by reducing the sodium levels in your body by consuming too much water, you put the cells in your body at risk to abnormally swell. In severe cases of consuming too much water, it could even result in your brains starting to swell. This can cause brain damage and ultimately, death, as your brain can only swell between 8 to 10 percent before reaching the skull and pushing the brain stem out.
How much water should you consume on a daily basis?
While it is important to consume roughly 2 to 2.5, or even up to 3 for men, litres of water a day, one should always consider whether you are really thirsty when drinking it. If drinking water becomes an obsession or is consumed above the recommended amount, one should immediately seek medical attention.
