How Much Water Is Unhealthy: This Is What You Should Know About Water Intoxication

How much water is unhealthy is a legitimate question when you think about the saying “Drinking a lot is important”. According to experts, drinking several liters of water every day can damage your health – even if you drink too much water once. In so-called hyperhydration (water intoxication), the body tries to compensate for the lost salt. The functions of the brain, heart, lungs and kidneys are subsequently restricted.

How much water is unhealthy – simply explained

A sufficient supply of water is vital for the human organism. But too much of it can be life-threatening for the body, as case studies at the University of Freiburg and recommendations from experts show. There are various reasons for this:

• The body and its cells are literally flooded by excessive amounts of water. For physical reasons (diffusion), a large part of the salts and minerals (electrolytes) present in and between the cells migrate into the water and are excreted with it.
• At the same time, more water flows into the cells than they can withstand. The mineral concentration decreases and the internal cell pressure increases.
• To prevent further salt loss, the body goes into emergency mode. He produces as little urine as possible in order not to lose any more electrolytes: the kidneys stop working at some point.
• A low salt concentration in the body can lead to cardiac arrhythmia. The excess water accumulates in the tissues, headaches, convulsions, vomiting and cramps are the consequences of increased pressure in the brain.
• In addition, shortness of breath can occur if the intracranial pressure leads to pulmonary edema and the alveoli fill with water.

This is how you recognize water intoxication

If you suspect that you have consumed too much water and discover the following symptoms, you should consult your doctor or a hospital:

• General malaise
• Headache and dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Little or no urge to urinate despite high fluid intake
• Shortness of breath, seizures and cardiac arrhythmias.

Attention in sports – who is at risk?

Of course, people who suffer from liver, heart or kidney problems in particular should pay attention to the amount of water they drink every day. But other groups of people should also keep an eye on their water intake.

• People who are on a diet often drink a lot and eat comparatively little. Care should be taken here not to endanger the mineral balance through excessive drinking.
• While hydration is important during exercise, inexperienced endurance athletes in particular (eg, runners and joggers ) tend to consume excess water before or during exercise . It is not even necessary to completely compensate for the water loss during running. On the contrary, “overdrinking” can lead to life-threatening circulatory disorders.
• Tip: Weigh yourself before and after your workout without clothes. The weight lost corresponds to the water lost. A weight loss of about 500g after training is optimal.

Hyperhydration in infants

You should never dilute your breast milk with water or formulate formula with more liquid than recommended in the instructions, as either of these can cause water intoxication in your child.

• Too much water in baby food upsets the child’s mineral balance and the body loses vital salt.
• An infant’s kidneys are not yet fully formed and cannot balance the body’s mineral balance on their own.
• Consequences can cause the same health damage as in adults: swelling of the brain, the formation of edema, accumulation of water in the lungs.
• See a doctor right away if your child’s body looks swollen or bloated, or if their skin feels colder than usual. In the worst case, water intoxication can lead to death.
• Tip: Document your baby’s liquid intake with the help of a book or an app. Let your doctor advise you when it makes sense for your child to take in additional water.

You should drink that much

Of course, despite everything, you should not drink too little water. It is well known that the body needs this to maintain its vital functions.

• The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) specifies a guide value of 1.5 liters that an adult should drink over the course of a day so that their fluid balance remains in balance.
• On average, men need slightly more water than women because they lose more fluid through their sweat every day.
• How much you should drink also depends on your individual eating habits: those who eat a lot of water- containing foods such as fruit or vegetables need less additional water every day than someone who mainly eats grains, legumes or fatty and salty foods such as meat.