290016 Thu Aug 08 09:22:42 -0700 2002 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1572405 Interesting segment on NPR's Morning Edition today regarding the edict that we consume 8 8oz. glasses of water a day. A researcher at Dartmouth Medical School refutes that wisdom, citing as its source a study done in the 70's that recommended 1 ml of water for every calorie consumed. The study went on to point out that most of this water would come from the food itself, though this part has been largely ignored/overlooked. I've tried to consume the recommended daily dosage of water, but, man does it take a concerted effort (not to mention lots of trips to the potty) and I've ended up feeling like some kind of self-mutilating loser when I (more often than not) haven't kept my intake up. So this morning's report came as something of a relief. I'd post a link but it doesn't seem to be up on the site yet; maybe later today. Thu Aug 08 09:22:42 -0700 2002 0 GG Mora 1 1572409 There is a condition called "water intoxication" that some athletes -- like runners -- experience. What happens is that the vast quantities of water they drink flush electrolytes out of the system. Coma or death are worst-case scenarios for this condition, and I believe a female runner died last year of "water intoxication." I've attached a link. Link: http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/keepingfit/ARTICLE/toomuchwater.htm Thu Aug 08 09:38:50 -0700 2002 1572405 0 David Hammond 2 1572415 I've read about the danger of drinking too much water a long time ago and since then do not spend any time worrying about drinking those "8 glasses a day". Thu Aug 08 10:59:23 -0700 2002 1572409 0 Tatyana Gourov 3 1572421 Sounds like those athletes were drinking far more than 8 glasses a day. I've been downing approximately that much for years with no ill effects, and I'm no athlete. My belief is that the amount of water your body requires depends on your individual metabolism, and that you're the best judge. Unfortunately, according to the article, the symptoms are the same at both extreme ends of the spectrum. So all you really have to go on, in the middle ground most of us occupy, is how you feel. If your skin is dry and your joints make little cracking sounds, well, you might not be getting quite enough. If you're not thirsty and really forcing yourself to drink, and heading for the head every hour on the hour, you can probably cut back. Thu Aug 08 11:20:12 -0700 2002 1572415 0 C. Fox 4 1572425 To everyone with an interest in this over-hydration topic: It's not about food. Please move the discussion from this overly burdered General Topics board, to the Not About Food overly burdened board. Thanks! Thu Aug 08 11:39:33 -0700 2002 1572421 2 The Chowhound Team 4 1572427 Drinking 8 glasses of water (that's only a half gallon, as the "glass" in this standard means 8 oz/1 cup) over the course of a day will keep you well hydrated and cause no ill effects. If you regularly drink caffeinated beverages or alcohol, it will ofset their dehydrating/diuratic effects. By the time you feel very thirsty, your body is already dehydrating. Hypernatremia (water intoxication) is caused by overwhelming the body with too much water over a too-short period of time, which flushes out the electrolytes and sodium in the blood. So an athlete overhydrating with plain water over a few hours of heavy exercise in which perspiration is shedding sodium and potassium is at risk; this is why people drink sports drinks like Gatorade when exercising and why aid stations for long-distance races often supply pretzels and bananas, which are high in sodium and porassium respectively. People like Kat's friend who down huge amounts of water all day to beat the heat are also at risk. Interestingly, there is a psychosomatic form of hypernatremia in which people with mental illnesses cumpulsively drink huge amounts of water over a few hours and bring on severe symptoms. Thu Aug 08 11:44:45 -0700 2002 1572421 0 Caitlin McGrath 5 1572451 Indeed, "water-loading" or "fluid-loading," as it is sometimes called, is not at all uncommon to psychiatric units. Cases usually involve people who have severe, chronic mental illnesses, and I have seen an instance or two where access to "free refills" of soda or coffee at the local Burger King lead to ER admissions for medical stabilization followed by transfer to the psych unit in order to resolve the resultant change in mental status--i.e., delirium or intoxication because of upset in electroyte balance. I don't think that staff on the psych unit have ever reached consensus about the reason for fluid loading: deliberate intoxication? extremely poor personal organization because of chronic MI? acting on strange beliefs or perceptions? Thu Aug 08 13:47:10 -0700 2002 1572427 0 Bruce 6 1572462 wow. maybe on some level people who have been on medicines a long time are instinctively driven to flush them out of their system after years of having 'severe, chronic mental ilness.' Thu Aug 08 14:36:42 -0700 2002 1572451 0 epicure-us 6 1572535 A side effect of a number of psychiatric medications is dry mouth. Also, some of the mood stabilizers, such as Depacote and the anti-psychotics like Zyprexa cause increase in appetite. Over-consumption of water is often an effort to alleviate those side effects. Fri Aug 09 12:27:12 -0700 2002 1572451 0 zora 7 1572614 Very good points. Sat Aug 10 20:19:56 -0700 2002 1572535 0 Bruce 5 1572499 Sorry, but "hypernatremia" is not the medical term for water intoxication. It indicates, in fact, too much sodium in a fluid, in this case, blood. One of the risks of water intoxication, as mentioned, is the loss of too much sodium, as well as potassium, in the urine leading to HYPOnatremia as well as hypokalemia. Protracted vomiting can have the same effect. Severe dehydration frquently leads to hypernatremia. Thu Aug 08 19:03:50 -0700 2002 1572427 0 Cliff 6 1572501 Oh geez, of course you're right, hyponatremia is what I meant. See what comes from me doing too many things at once. Thu Aug 08 19:15:11 -0700 2002 1572499 0 Caitlin McGrath 2 1572418 A friend of mine was hospitalized this weekend after drinking far too much water and depleting the sodium level in her system. I don't know how much she had, but she was hooked up to an IV for about three days. Prudence in all matters, I suppose. Thu Aug 08 11:10:10 -0700 2002 1572409 0 Kat Kinsman 1 1572423 Medical fads come and medical fads go. I remember when we were supposed to chew our food an unusually large number of times before swallowing (and count to make sure we got it right). That one seems to have faded out long ago. Thu Aug 08 11:31:38 -0700 2002 1572405 0 Sharuf