The internet tells you about it. Newspapers, blogs, isolated articles, television, radio, etc. They all warn you about it. From any perspective, it seems like there is no way not to be informed about this. From simply reading the title, you already know what we’re talking about: Water Consumption. So, we set out to achieve these extreme goals (64 ounces of water per day is the more common example), not thinking that whoever came up with this goal might’ve missed the point about portioning to to his/her own size. Yes, you CAN drink too much water, but more to come. Below, we will address what happens when you go through deficits or over-consumption.
- - Dehydration (deficit of total body water levels)
Very few health topics, if any, spawn more attention during the summer time than dehydration. According to the CDC , between 2005 and 2010, the average youth consumed 15 ounces of water per day, while the average US adult consumed 34 ounces per day. And since then, the changes have not been very significant. It is worth noting that this is related to total consumption, and that includes water stored in other forms as well, such as fruits and vegetables. That basically means that the average child consumed less than one water bottle (20 oz.) daily! Adults didn’t seem to look so bad, until you consider that two water bottles still total 6 oz., which is more than the 34 oz. average. Consciousness comes easier to dry areas mainly from the visual perspective of having less natural lakes and water sources than humid ones. However, contrary to popular belief, humid regions suffer even more, as the body temperatures tend to be higher. Reason being that when we sweat, we’re losing water for the external heat to evaporate it, cooling us down in the process. This does not happen as efficiently in humid areas and the natural reaction is to sweat more, thus losing more water.
Fact: Approximately 75% of the US Population suffers from Chronic dehydration.
- - Overhydration (excessive body water levels)
This one is a lot less mentioned due to the more common problem being dehydration, but yes, it is possible. In fact, it is rather common to see symptoms like Hyponatremia (dangerously low sodium levels) when looking into sports and drug related issues, many of them fatal.
According to Healthline the main concern about over-hydration has to do with sodium and other electrolytes becoming too diluted. However, that is may not only happen due to drinking too much water, but also through water retention, meaning that the body cannot get rid of the excess water. The main symptoms include:
- nausea and vomiting
- headache
- changes in mental state such as confusion or disorientation
Fact: : An article from The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine mentions that about 80% of our water intake comes from liquid intakes, like drinking water and other beverages, and the other 20% comes from food.
As a result of all this, and like in so many other topics, we see that both extremes are dangerous. Remember to always be prepared with supplies, whether it be water (or emergency water, depending on the setting) or nutrition packs, for both in-building events, or when you’re out-and-about. Take special precautions if you’re going on a trip.
Thanks for stopping , have a great day!