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

It’s tough to have a specific amount of water to be or not to be drinking. Drawing back on the article, the amount of water will vary from person to person. The article says 11-15 cups a day should suffice.

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Overall this source seems like a well-written and reliable source to use in this factcheck. I enjoyed how you involved evidence from the text. However I wish that you included the part saying the amount of water drank varies from person to person. Other than that it was great!

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While staying hydrated is important, it's equally crucial to listen to your body's signals and avoid excessive water intake. Drinking water in moderation, based on your individual needs and activity levels, is the best approach to maintaining optimal health.

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very good post you gave good insight on why it was bad and the problems it caused What I would have like was a little more specific information on more much water is too much water but overall it was a good post informing people about overhydration

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This fact check is well-done—it's clear, easy to understand, and straight to the point. While the claim itself is true and widely recognized, it's always beneficial to reference multiple sources to strengthen your argument or rebuttal. Relying on a single source, especially one that may not be fully reputable, could weaken the overall credibility of your position.

Answer 1

This is true, drinking too much water can have unpleasant and/or dangerous side affects. One of the worst being water intoxication, if you drink a dangerous amount of water (30-40 cups in one case, as written in the National Library of Medicine) you can experience episodes of vomiting, confusion, and hysteria. Early signs of water intoxication can include confusion, nausea, and disorientation, which can sometimes be easy to overlook. If not treated, this condition may be fatal.

water intoxication happens by the large amount of water taken in, disturbing the electrolyte balance of the human body, resulting in a rapid decrease serum sodium concentration. It also can cause your body's cells to swell, and causes pressure on the brain, resulting in changes in behavior, awareness, and movement.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1770067/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/water-intoxication

Answer 2

This is true. When you drink to much water, you can get water poisoning. This may cause some effects such as, drowsiness and headaches. Also, if you drink to much water, you could end up with hyponatremia. This is when the sodium in your blood is low. Sodium is important because it regulates the amount of water in your cells. 

Hyponatremia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

What Happens When You Drink Too Much Water?

Answer 3

The initial claim states that drinking too much water can actually be counteractive and be actually very harmful. It explains that signs of overhydration can lead to things like headaches, nausea, brain fog, muscle cramps, kidney imbalance and vomiting. In an article written by the Clevland Clinic, the article explains that when you drink too much water, "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." The article also goes on to state that a result of overhydration can actually end up being fatal in some cases, thus proving the initial claim that drinking too much water can be harmful is in fact true. 

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

Answer 4

Yes what you are saying is true. the medical name for this is "Water intoxication." This can lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, and muscle weakness. Water intoxication occurs when the body has more water than what it can properly use, which causes a chemical unbalance in your body, resulting in water diluting your blood. 

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

Answer 5

According to multiple source it is true that a person can drink too much water. Although water is beneficial for increasing hydration and a person's overall health, when drinking too much water your body has to react in ways that it should not. When intaking too much water your body, mainly you kidneys, does not know what to do with the excess water. You also can increase health problems with water poisoning and water toxicity. Overall, water is only beneficial when drinking the amount that your own body can handle. This can vary from person to person so in order to know how much water you need, you must also know your body.

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

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-too-much-water-intake

Answer 6

This is true. Overhydration happens when, "someone drinks too much water over a short period, it can lead to the dilution of sodium in the blood, known as hyponatremia or water intoxication." Drinking too much water essentially makes it difficult for the body to keep up healthy levels of sodium, which is an electrolyte that helps balance the fluid in cells. 

https://news.med.virginia.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2024/08/Drinking-Too-Much-Water-Can-Actually-Be-Dangerous-WSJ.pdf?r=1

Answer 7

This claim is true. According to the WSJ Drinking too much water can lead to hyponatremia which happens when the dilution of sodium in your blood. It is also referred to as water intoxication. This can lead to your brain cells swelling which could lead to seizures, a coma, and even death. So yes even though you are supposed to drink water don't drink too much. 

https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/water-intoxication-overhydration-d2aa3234

Answer 8

According to the Mayo Clinic, you can determine if you're drinking enough water if you lack thirst and if your urine is colorless or a light yellow. Intense exercise will make you sweat more so athletes will need to drink more than the average person. The climate also plays a role in hydration with warmer places meaning you will need to drink more water. It is possible to drink too much water. If you have too much water for your kidneys to flush out it may clog with the extra water. As a result of the additional water being not being properly cleansed the sodium in your blood will become dilated. This dilation is called hyponatremia, a severe and sometimes life-threatening issue.

Cleveland Clinic states, that drinking too much water can be serious because it diminishes your body's electrolytes. This causes water to go into the body's cells and swell them up. This can negatively affect mental awareness as the water is putting pressure on the brain and can result in death.

Sources:

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

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 9

This article claims that you can drink too much water, which after doing further research this claim appears to be factual. Although there is minimal information regarding the amount that would be harmful, due to the varying factors between different people. In this article they referenced two different instances of hyponatremia, which both seem to hold up and are well documented in the media. In regards to Brooke Shields grand mal seizure, ABC News covered it, and the New York Post. And for the radio contestant, Jennifer Strange was her name and this also checks out and there are articles that cover it from NBC News and ABC News. Moreover, this article refrences a National Academies article which also appears to be factual, although it is a bit out dated- from 2004. An article from Mayo Clinic confirms that "When you drink too much water, your kidneys can't get rid of the excess water. The sodium content of your blood becomes diluted. This is called hyponatremia and it can be life-threatening.". as well as a Cleveland Clinic article which states "Drinking too much water dilutes your blood and decreases the electrolytes in your body, especially sodium (hyponatremia)." 

Answer 10

This article’s claims that there is a limit to water consumption that can be considered “healthy”. Through cross-sourcing information from this and other sites, I can affirm this claim to be true. The source plainly describes the condition of Hyponatremia (water intoxication), and its association with drinking too much water. At a certain point during water consumption, your kidneys become overwhelmed, and the water will “dilute the sodium content of your blood”. Not unlike how the Mayo Clinic defines the condition (Mayo Clinic). It all has to do with the sodium in your blood (which is responsible for water regulation in and around your cells) becoming overridden with water, allowing your cells to swell causing a variety of health problems. This article may not be as precise as other publications (like the Mayo Clinic) regarding the subject, but it does a good job of elucidating the condition as a whole. People who participate in endurance sports, work in extreme heat, or people with very low body mass (small children particularly) all fall under the category of people who should be more attentive to the amounts of water their drinking, along with those who have medical certain medical conditions relating to their kidneys and liver (Cleveland Clinic). Overall, this claim is true with plenty of studies/sources to back it.