5 ms·

How does drinking water "flush [your body] out"? I often hear this by proponents of extra water drinking, and I'm intrigued as to what physiological benefit dr

How does drinking water "flush [your body] out"? I often hear this by proponents of extra water drinking, and I'm intrigued as to what physiological benefit drinking too much water is supposed to allow.

tmountain 16y ago
Without sufficient hydration, metabolic wastes stay around longer than they should. Most toxin removal is performed by the kidneys. Keeping your body hydrated assists the kidneys in their normal functioning and ensures that toxins acquired through food consumption are rapidly eliminated. At an optimal level of hydration, this occurs naturally; however, most people are at least somewhat dehydrated a large majority of the time. Drinking lots of water prevents this issue.
- timcederman 16y ago
  What toxins? By the way, I mentioned specifically too much water. You only need to drink when you're thirsty. I'm asking what benefit you get from drinking water when you're not thirsty. By the way, "people are dehydrated a large majority of the time" -- citation needed.
  - nzmsv 16y ago
    This is an interesting question. The guideline I have heard over and over is 2L/day. I wondered what this is based on. Wikipedia says the 2L/day guideline comes from the EPA, and the corresponding British guideline is 1.8L/day. Following the links on Wikipedia I got to this article: http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2269.html http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2269.html It lists low fluid intake (as well as restricted access to a bathroom) as a risk factor in kidney stone formation. However, another article (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12576800 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12576800) reports some conflicting results. Apparently, as people drink more water, they consume more sodium to compensate, negating some of the benefits. I wonder what someone who actually knows about this would say. Also, 2L isn't that much, but I wonder if I drink 8 glasses of water a day. An experiment is in order.
    - timcederman 16y ago
      It doesn't need to be pure water to get benefits out of it. There was a study published on whether diuretic drinks (coffee, caffeinated sodas) provided equal hydration benefit. Pretty much, they do. Coke now uses it as part of their advertising campaign. http://www.dietcoke.com/wellness-balance/hydration.jsp http://www.dietcoke.com/wellness-balance/hydration.jsp
  - tmountain 16y ago
    Pesticides, steroids, residual contaminants from environmental deposition, and many other sources. Drinking water when you're not thirsty is controversial and may actually overwork your kidneys if done too often; however, with the large amount of caffeine, soda, and alcohol (all diuretics) consumed by the general population, that's rarely an issue. Obviously, I can't speak for any large body of humans without some kind of rigorous scientific evidence, but passive observation of coworkers, friends, and family leads me to believe that most people don't drink nearly enough water. It could be different where you live though.
  - Quiark 16y ago
    From what I know, the statement "You only need to drink when you're thirsty" is incorrect. Also, you are unlikely to "drink too much" when you just have water at your desk. Toxins? Again, no specific answer, but the food is not necessarily "clean", so that's what our kidneys and liver are for.
- nixme 16y ago
  > ...however, most people are at least somewhat dehydrated a large majority of the time. No. From sources described at http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp: Kidney specialists do agree on one thing, however: that the 8-by-8 rule is a gross overestimate of any required minimum. "The notion that there is widespread dehydration has no basis in medical fact," says Dr. Robert Alpern, dean of the medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Doctors from a wide range of specialties agree: By all evidence, we are a well-hydrated nation. Furthermore, they say, the current infatuation with water as an all-purpose health potion — tonic for the skin, key to weight loss — is a blend of fashion and fiction and very little science. From an LA Times reader: The advice fully meets three important criteria for being an American health urban legend: excess, public virtue, and the search for a cheap "magic bullet." Additional research and articles: http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study.pdf http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study... http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/283/5/R993 http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/283/5/R993 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0236679720080402 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0236679720080402
  - shashmundar 16y ago
    It's unfair to use supporting material out of context. The first article mentions "widespread dehydration" ..that's an exaggeration at best of what's being discussed here. People do get dehydrated. We, as a nation, have the means of staying hydrated and therefore we don't have a major epidemic. But, dehydration is definitely an issue--and always will be.
    - nixme 16y ago
      I was responding specifically to the parent's assertion that "most people are at least somewhat dehydrated a large majority of the time." I consider that statement equivalent to asserting "widespread dehydration" of the nation's populace. So I stand by the material I quoted. > People do get dehydrated. Of course they do, just like they get hungry when they don't eat. But we're discussing drinking water in excess of thirst. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by your last paragraph. The discussion here is about health primarily in the first world, not about the hydration problems in many developing countries.
- kiba 16y ago
  I am concerned about overzealous water drinking leading to water intoxication. I also got taken in by the nice scientific sounding words before I realize that I should shout "CITATION NEEDED".
adrianwaj 16y ago
Here's but one: Cholesterol: When dehydration causes too much liquid to be removed from inside the cells, the body tries to stop this loss by producing more cholesterol. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-symptoms-of-chronic-dehydration.html http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-symptoms-of-chronic-dehy...
- timcederman 16y ago
  Again, not talking about dehydration. What benefit does excess water consumption give, versus just having a drink when I'm thirsty?
  - adrianwaj 16y ago
    You might be dehydrated even when your thirst is quenched. Dehydration is not just like being in a desert about to die. You'll need to engage in 'excess water consumption' to reset to a new non-dehydrated equilibrium for your body.

tmountain 16y ago

Without sufficient hydration, metabolic wastes stay around longer than they should. Most toxin removal is performed by the kidneys. Keeping your body hydrated assists the kidneys in their normal functioning and ensures that toxins acquired through food consumption are rapidly eliminated. At an optimal level of hydration, this occurs naturally; however, most people are at least somewhat dehydrated a large majority of the time. Drinking lots of water prevents this issue.

timcederman 16y ago
What toxins? By the way, I mentioned specifically too much water. You only need to drink when you're thirsty. I'm asking what benefit you get from drinking water when you're not thirsty. By the way, "people are dehydrated a large majority of the time" -- citation needed.
- nzmsv 16y ago
  This is an interesting question. The guideline I have heard over and over is 2L/day. I wondered what this is based on. Wikipedia says the 2L/day guideline comes from the EPA, and the corresponding British guideline is 1.8L/day. Following the links on Wikipedia I got to this article: http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2269.html http://www.aafp.org/afp/991115ap/2269.html It lists low fluid intake (as well as restricted access to a bathroom) as a risk factor in kidney stone formation. However, another article (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12576800 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12576800) reports some conflicting results. Apparently, as people drink more water, they consume more sodium to compensate, negating some of the benefits. I wonder what someone who actually knows about this would say. Also, 2L isn't that much, but I wonder if I drink 8 glasses of water a day. An experiment is in order.
  - timcederman 16y ago
    It doesn't need to be pure water to get benefits out of it. There was a study published on whether diuretic drinks (coffee, caffeinated sodas) provided equal hydration benefit. Pretty much, they do. Coke now uses it as part of their advertising campaign. http://www.dietcoke.com/wellness-balance/hydration.jsp http://www.dietcoke.com/wellness-balance/hydration.jsp
- tmountain 16y ago
  Pesticides, steroids, residual contaminants from environmental deposition, and many other sources. Drinking water when you're not thirsty is controversial and may actually overwork your kidneys if done too often; however, with the large amount of caffeine, soda, and alcohol (all diuretics) consumed by the general population, that's rarely an issue. Obviously, I can't speak for any large body of humans without some kind of rigorous scientific evidence, but passive observation of coworkers, friends, and family leads me to believe that most people don't drink nearly enough water. It could be different where you live though.
- Quiark 16y ago
  From what I know, the statement "You only need to drink when you're thirsty" is incorrect. Also, you are unlikely to "drink too much" when you just have water at your desk. Toxins? Again, no specific answer, but the food is not necessarily "clean", so that's what our kidneys and liver are for.
nixme 16y ago
> ...however, most people are at least somewhat dehydrated a large majority of the time. No. From sources described at http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp: Kidney specialists do agree on one thing, however: that the 8-by-8 rule is a gross overestimate of any required minimum. "The notion that there is widespread dehydration has no basis in medical fact," says Dr. Robert Alpern, dean of the medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Doctors from a wide range of specialties agree: By all evidence, we are a well-hydrated nation. Furthermore, they say, the current infatuation with water as an all-purpose health potion — tonic for the skin, key to weight loss — is a blend of fashion and fiction and very little science. From an LA Times reader: The advice fully meets three important criteria for being an American health urban legend: excess, public virtue, and the search for a cheap "magic bullet." Additional research and articles: http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study.pdf http://www.asn-online.org/press/pdf/2008-Media/Water%20Study... http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/283/5/R993 http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/283/5/R993 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0236679720080402 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0236679720080402
- shashmundar 16y ago
  It's unfair to use supporting material out of context. The first article mentions "widespread dehydration" ..that's an exaggeration at best of what's being discussed here. People do get dehydrated. We, as a nation, have the means of staying hydrated and therefore we don't have a major epidemic. But, dehydration is definitely an issue--and always will be.
  - nixme 16y ago
    I was responding specifically to the parent's assertion that "most people are at least somewhat dehydrated a large majority of the time." I consider that statement equivalent to asserting "widespread dehydration" of the nation's populace. So I stand by the material I quoted. > People do get dehydrated. Of course they do, just like they get hungry when they don't eat. But we're discussing drinking water in excess of thirst. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by your last paragraph. The discussion here is about health primarily in the first world, not about the hydration problems in many developing countries.
kiba 16y ago
I am concerned about overzealous water drinking leading to water intoxication. I also got taken in by the nice scientific sounding words before I realize that I should shout "CITATION NEEDED".

adrianwaj 16y ago

Here's but one: Cholesterol: When dehydration causes too much liquid to be removed from inside the cells, the body tries to stop this loss by producing more cholesterol. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-symptoms-of-chronic-dehydration.html http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-symptoms-of-chronic-dehy...

timcederman 16y ago
Again, not talking about dehydration. What benefit does excess water consumption give, versus just having a drink when I'm thirsty?
- adrianwaj 16y ago
  You might be dehydrated even when your thirst is quenched. Dehydration is not just like being in a desert about to die. You'll need to engage in 'excess water consumption' to reset to a new non-dehydrated equilibrium for your body.