You can drink too much water

Question

It has been found that drinking "too much" water can actually be just as bad for you or arguably even worse than being dehydrated. Drinking too much water can cause Headaches, Nausea and vommiting, Muscle cramps, and brain fog.Drinking too much water unbalances the kidney and overwhelms to natural process the kidney functions. The sodium content in the human body also needs to be regulated and drinking too much water messes up the amount of sodium within the human body.

Comments

I believe that excessive water intake is bad, but maybe include any studies that show why. It also varies depending on people’s water intake and how much they are able to drink.

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Yes this claim is true. Water in excess amounts can be deadly according to plenty government websites. There have also been people who have died from drinking too much water, this term is called water poising, according to many reputable news sources.

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Your fact-check is correct although this article does not prove or backup the statement that too much water can be worse than dehydration. I do not think there have been enough studies done to be able to prove this. Maybe you could’ve provided a link to an article that backups that claim.

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I agree with this fact-check, I feel like if you intake too much of anything, it could be bad for you. When too much water is consumed, the kidneys struggle to excrete the excess, causing an imbalance in sodium levels. In severe cases, extreme water intake can cause swelling in the brain, which can be life-threatening. Therefore, while hydration is crucial, excessive water consumption can be just as harmful as dehydration.

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I agree with this fact-check because I believe that consuming too much of anything may be harmful to your health.  The kidneys have a hard time eliminating too much water, which leads to an imbalance in salt levels.  Extreme water consumption in extreme situations might result in potentially fatal brain edema.  Drinking too much water can thus be just as dangerous as dehydration, even if being hydrated is essential.

Answer 1

This article claims that it is possible to drink too much water potentially causing harm to your body with symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, muscle cramping and/or weakness. The article itself was published by University Hospitals in their “The Science of Health” section. They themselves are repeatedly reliable and credible in their publications. 

Water Intoxication: Toxicity, Symptoms & Treatment

The article above claims, “Drinking too much water dilutes your blood and decreases the electrolytes in your body, especially sodium (hyponatremia). As a result, water moves into your body’s cells and causes them to swell. When you get too much water in your brain cells, it increases pressure on your brain and affects how it works. This leads to changes in your awareness, movement and behavior (altered mental status).”

The above evidence supports a few of the symptoms from the original article’s symptom list, such as confusion, headache, weakness, and fatigue.

Answer 2

It is true that overhydration and ingesting to much water can cause a number of health complications. This is also a good source because it is up to date. It is also corroborated by the Mayo clinic, that also goes a little further in depth into the variance of how much water is a good amount depending on the type of person you are.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

Answer 3

While this is a real disease and a form of water intoxication, it is very uncommon and is different for everyone. A common misconception I have seen is that people will try and diagnose this by the color of urine. They will say if it's clear then it means that you are experiencing water intoxication. This is false for multitude of reasons and only serves to panic people. Firstly, water intoxication is primarily diagnosed through first recognizing signs that patients have abnormal nausea, confusion, vomiting, and disorientation. Furthermore they will then get bloodwork done and possibly a biopsy of their kidneys to see the extent of the damage and how to treat it. Additionally the amount of water consumed by said patient could be healthy levels for someone else. For example, athletes during training will consume significantly more water than the average person because their body needs it to keep functioning. Your body needs to adapt to different homeostatic levels all the time and water intake is something that can change frequently based on diet, climate, exercise, health, etc.. The information found for this post was primary from a study done by Bower and Farrell in a case study.

Article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1770067/

Answer 4

The claim is true, drinking too much water is possible and can harm your health. Quoting the source, “The widespread belief that you should drink 8, eight-ounce glasses of water a day for good health is a myth.”, the amount of water needed by each individual is not standard, it is unique and depends on their health and body. Overhydration or water intoxication is more common in endurance athletes or individuals partaking in activities such as marathons, triathlons, and hiking. Water is necessary for proper bodily functions such as maintenance of homeostasis, excretion, regulating temperature, and many other processes. However, fatality due to water toxicity is rare, individuals should remain vigilant about their water intake and seek medical advice if they believe their water intake or urine is abnormal. 

Semeco, A. (2020, May 15). What happens if you drink too much water? Medicalnewstoday.com; Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318619 

Radcliffe, S. (2014, March 25). Overhydration. Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/overhydration#takeaway 

Answer 5

This is true. The source seems to be very credible and don't try to exaggerate the claim at all even stating that "Severe cases can lead to seizures, loss of consciousness or death, though these occurrences are rare." The article is simply stating the facts. The article also uses a lot of recent scientific studies and information to back up their claim, they aren't using any dated information to help back up their claim.

Answer 6

This claim is true. According to multiple credible sources, too much water consumption can lead to hyponatremia. Hyponatremia occurs when water gets into the cells- even the brain- and causes swelling.  This can cause seizures or even be life-threatening. The Mayo Clinic states the recommended amount of water varies, but overall, it will be 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#:~:text=Athletes%20occasionally%20may%20drink%20too,it%20can%20be%20life%2Dthreatening.

Answer 7

This is true. Drinking too much water can be harmful because it might lead to a condition called water intoxication. When you overhydrate, the extra water dilutes the sodium in your blood. Since sodium is key for maintaining the balance of fluids inside and outside your cells, this dilution can result in hyponatremia, a condition where sodium levels drop dangerously low. This happens mostly in athletes that drink too much water and sweat a lot, without replenishing with electrolytes.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/water-intoxication

Answer 8

It is possible to drink too much water. As much as drinking sufficient amounts of water keeps the body hydrated, a lot of water in the system causes a condition known as water intoxication or hyponatremia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, drinking too much water in a short amount of time dilutes blood sodium levels, causing cells to swell, leading to nausea, headache, disorientation, seizure, and, in extreme cases, coma or death.

Water intoxication is rare but possible, doctors say, especially among athletes, people with kidney diseases, and those who force themselves to drink lots of water too fast. It's all about moderation, yet the risk exists even though most people don't drink enough water to reach dangerous levels.

Source:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/water-intoxication

Answer 9

The claim you can drink too much water is true, while not its not a very supported claim drinking too much water can cause overhydration and in rare cases can be fatal. "Your body’s water volume becomes too large for your kidneys to excrete," which can lead to the body's electrolytes such as sodium to become too diluted. Even though I know healthline to be a pretty reputable source, to be sure I found another. "When you drink too much water, your kidneys can't get rid of the excess water. The sodium content of your blood becomes diluted." There for the claim is true you can drink too much water but it is hard to do so.

https://www.healthline.com/health/overhydration#causes

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#:~:text=So%20how%20much%20fluid%20does,fluids%20a%20day%20for%20women

Answer 10

This claim is 100% true. Though drinking water is needed to survive and live healthily, it can harm you if you drink it in excess. According to the Mayo Clinic, Men need "About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day" and women need "About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day." Water is what keeps us alive and going on day by day.

Even though drinking too much water can harm you, it rarely ever happens to healthy adults. As stated by the Mayo Clinic, "Athletes occasionally may drink too much water in an attempt to prevent dehydration during long or intense exercise," so this is not something that happens to regular healthy adults every day. When this situation does happen, all the things listed above in the original claim happen, in addition to this being life-threatening and needing treatment from doctors.

Articles:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#:~:text=Athletes%20occasionally%20may%20drink%20too,it%20can%20be%20life%2Dthreatening.