Too Much Water?

[Amethyst]

I've drunk 4L of water today and my gran said 3L was too much. I didn't think that was the case but I thought I'd creck with the intelegent experienced people.

[EvilWombatQueen]

It is very dangerous to drink too much water! It dilutes the salts in your blood which causes the brain to swell and it can kill you. Four litres is way too much water to consume in a day. If you are feeling at all unwell PLEASE call for medical help. People have died from drinking too much water so this is not something to muck around with.

Scientific American: Drinking too much water can kill you

BBC News: Woman dies from drinking too much water

BBC Magazine: Why is drinking too much water dangerous?

The safest way to judge how much water to drink is to follow your thirst. If you are thirsty, drink water. If you are not, don't. The body has evolved to tell us how much water we need so it's best to listen to it. Even the old advice of eight glasses per day is unsafe and outdated. We get most of the water we need from the food we eat so 1.5L per day is enough for most people.

[Amethyst]

Oh Thanks EWQ. I was very thirsty yesterday. I only drank that much because I was thirsty. Haven't done anywhere near that much today. I didn't/don't feel sick but I will keep that in mind. Once again thanks. Everything in moderation hehe

[everyhomeremedy]

I don't think the answer is as straight forward as it seems. Doing hard physical labour outside in the tropics can result in large fluid loss through excessive sweating. In such cases it is not too unusual to consume 5 - 6 litres of water per day, simply to replace lost fluids. Under these conditions, fluid loss can be so great that you need to drink water before you are thirsty to avoid dehydration.

On the other hand, you would not require this much sitting in an air-conditioned office. Generally, your body will tell you how much you need to drink.