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There's this cult of drinking water - with people insisting you should drink more and more water - until people are drinking ludicrous quantities trying to get

There's this cult of drinking water - with people insisting you should drink more and more water - until people are drinking ludicrous quantities trying to get literally clear urine. They also tend to chug it all at once, repeatedly. As the article says it just flows straight through and does nothing useful. On a very hot day after a lot of arduous exercise I've seen someone collapse from hyponatremia from drinking too much water - washed everything out of their system because they thought they had to drink sixteen litres a day or something. Calm down and just drink a reasonable quantity of water slowly over time, and combine that with eating full meals which people tend to put off if it's hot, making everything worse.

mdp2021 5y ago
> does nothing useful I am pretty sure it contributes in removing salts - which in weather conditions that makes one sweat profusely, worsens the problem. > sixteen litres a day or something Best to remind then that drinking 6 liters of water can be sufficient to kill a human. ( https://scienceswitch.com/2014/12/09/takes-6-liters-water-kill-person/ https://scienceswitch.com/2014/12/09/takes-6-liters-water-ki... )
- jjtheblunt 5y ago
  the parent comment says hyponatremia in the next sentence, which is removing salts too far, so you're agreeing!
  - mdp2021 5y ago
    I intended to expand, not to disagree :) (but the texts do not flow properly because I in fact read something different - I must have been very tired, if unedited). Nonetheless, different statements on the same point can be very useful, as different voices have different efficacies in passing similar information (one skips this, misreads that but gets an other). Yes, hyponatremia is one possible consequence of overdrinking. I understand that the concentration of salts can be more important of their presence, so over-diluting or under-diluting have consequences.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  > Best to remind then that drinking 6 liters of water can be sufficient to kill a human How many people does this actually kill? I can't imagine anyone I know doing anything like it.
  - mdp2021 5y ago
    The point that people do die of it may be less important that the point that people do not know that one can die of it. I have seen very many people in the running cultures that first, have lost contact with the bodily feedback, and/or second, let pieces of information float and influence without getting vetted and grounded. One of such dictums warns "to drink at least three litres of water per day!" with many exclamation marks: I have seen people suffer the consequence (and one brought one to the hospital, where she was told "lady, break that habit") because, simply, it was not the adequate amount /for them/. It is not a difficult error to make if some hydrate and do not eat (intake nutrients), and do not know or feel that, as emerged in these posts, the concentration of salts is key. Anecdotes about people dying for that 6-litres are around and you can find some in the article I linked.
    - alisonkisk 5y ago
      Someone got sick drinking 3L water per day? I find that hard to believe.
      - mdp2021 5y ago
        I don't know Alison, I could put you in contact - I, by chance, brought her to the hospital the day she got sick. Then again, I was not the assessing doctor and there is always a doubt in putting causes together in a correct frame. This given, have you considered that some people weigh 120, some 80 and some 40? Already because of this, a "3l (or 1, or 9) [for everyone]" should intuitively make little sense. Another point: if the concentration of salts have a meaning, as a few are indicating around the thread, drinking Xl while eating 2Y and drinking Xl while eating ½Y makes quite a difference. These two humble points stress what already written: very generic stubs of rules make little sense. Match that with the missed notion that some things are harmful, match it again with the lazy inclination that makes the body a not-listened-to servant (I know people that do not know they should sleep), and one day or the other some get hurt.
- alisonkisk 5y ago
  6L in one hour can kill you, not in one day.
chiefalchemist 5y ago
You can actually cause kidney failure from drinking too much water.
- aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago
  Citation needed.
  - jerrysievert 5y ago
    pretty much every response on this article has talked about the health problems from drinking too much water, but if you don't want to read up on any of that, maybe the Mayo Clinic will help. hopefully that's enough "citation" other than what The whole article and all of the responses are about. I googled it for you: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-h...
    - aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago
      No Jerry, I was asking for citations about kidney failure caused by excess water consumption. Hyponatremia is not kidney failure.
      - chiefalchemist 5y ago
        Frankly, I live under the understanding that it's semi common knowledge / sense. The body is finite. It has limits. Exceeding those limits and undesirable things happen. https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/thrive-central/hypervolemia https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/thrive-central/hypervole... https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/news/too-much-water-could-be-harmful/ https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/news/too-much-water...
        aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago
        No mention of kidney failure in the linked articles.
pengaru 5y ago
You're ignoring extremely hot and dry environments like deserts. I struggle to drink enough water to urinate at all when working on my desert cabin in the summer months. It's completely redefined my perception of how much water the human body can lose to perspiration alone.
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  > You're ignoring extremely hot and dry environments like deserts. I'm not - I've got professional experience managing healthcare in Helmand in the summer. You still don't need as much water as some people think. I don't know anything about your work or conditions, but my first recommendation would still be to make sure you're eating as much as you need, and then to drink less but more slowly.
  - pengaru 5y ago
    I'd love for you to come build a roof with me in the Mojave in July and demonstrate this drink less water more slowly approach.
    - mcphage 5y ago
      > I’d love for you to come build a roof with me in the Mojave in July and demonstrate this drink less water more slowly approach. I’m not building a roof in any desert during the summer, and am also interested in this drink water more slowly approach.
  - hinoki 5y ago
    I don’t have much experience with living in the desert, but when I hiked down the Grand Canyon I drank 8L and didn’t go to the bathroom. I also ate trail mix and protein bars, had lunch, etc. I was drinking as much as was comfortable to me, since I was worried about getting dehydrated, and still never needed to use the toilet until after the hike was over. I don’t think drinking less would have helped the situation.
    - 5y ago
IkmoIkmo 5y ago
Yeah it's a bit sad the BBC article starts with saying you need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily, which is a myth, which the BBC has written about multiple times before e.g.: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190403-how-much-water-should-you-drink-a-day https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190403-how-much-water-s.... Drinking too much is rare, but still it happens and it's rooted in misinformation about minimum drinking requirements that's unfortunately not rare, but rather a very common piece of misinformation. Surprising to see it on the NHS website too (of course, without any source, but still the claim is made).
wolverine876 5y ago
> There's this cult of drinking water - with people insisting you should drink more and more water - until people are drinking ludicrous quantities > I've seen someone collapse from hyponatremia from drinking too much water I've never heard of this or seen it. Have other people?
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  > I've never heard of this or seen it. Hyponatremia? Yeah it's documented https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373711 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/.... When you hear about people dying from ecstasy it's usually actually hyponatremia I believe.
  - wolverine876 5y ago
    I've heard of hyponatremia, but not this cult of drinking so much water.
    - d0gbread 5y ago
      Hydrohomies, at least.
- watwut 5y ago
  No. But, I have heard of people acting weird from drinking too much water - after playing game designed to make you drink ridiculous amounts. No collaps tho. Just acting weird (sort of like after alcohol) and discomfort when drinking next cup. The game was stupid, but no collapse or health issue beyond discomfort after drinking a lot. Which makes me thing it is not easy at all to drink to issue.
  - wolverine876 5y ago
    Ironically, many people think it is perfectly normal to play the same game with alcohol and collapse.

mdp2021 5y ago

> does nothing useful I am pretty sure it contributes in removing salts - which in weather conditions that makes one sweat profusely, worsens the problem. > sixteen litres a day or something Best to remind then that drinking 6 liters of water can be sufficient to kill a human. ( https://scienceswitch.com/2014/12/09/takes-6-liters-water-kill-person/ https://scienceswitch.com/2014/12/09/takes-6-liters-water-ki... )

jjtheblunt 5y ago
the parent comment says hyponatremia in the next sentence, which is removing salts too far, so you're agreeing!
- mdp2021 5y ago
  I intended to expand, not to disagree :) (but the texts do not flow properly because I in fact read something different - I must have been very tired, if unedited). Nonetheless, different statements on the same point can be very useful, as different voices have different efficacies in passing similar information (one skips this, misreads that but gets an other). Yes, hyponatremia is one possible consequence of overdrinking. I understand that the concentration of salts can be more important of their presence, so over-diluting or under-diluting have consequences.
wolverine876 5y ago
> Best to remind then that drinking 6 liters of water can be sufficient to kill a human How many people does this actually kill? I can't imagine anyone I know doing anything like it.
- mdp2021 5y ago
  The point that people do die of it may be less important that the point that people do not know that one can die of it. I have seen very many people in the running cultures that first, have lost contact with the bodily feedback, and/or second, let pieces of information float and influence without getting vetted and grounded. One of such dictums warns "to drink at least three litres of water per day!" with many exclamation marks: I have seen people suffer the consequence (and one brought one to the hospital, where she was told "lady, break that habit") because, simply, it was not the adequate amount /for them/. It is not a difficult error to make if some hydrate and do not eat (intake nutrients), and do not know or feel that, as emerged in these posts, the concentration of salts is key. Anecdotes about people dying for that 6-litres are around and you can find some in the article I linked.
  - alisonkisk 5y ago
    Someone got sick drinking 3L water per day? I find that hard to believe.
    - mdp2021 5y ago
      I don't know Alison, I could put you in contact - I, by chance, brought her to the hospital the day she got sick. Then again, I was not the assessing doctor and there is always a doubt in putting causes together in a correct frame. This given, have you considered that some people weigh 120, some 80 and some 40? Already because of this, a "3l (or 1, or 9) [for everyone]" should intuitively make little sense. Another point: if the concentration of salts have a meaning, as a few are indicating around the thread, drinking Xl while eating 2Y and drinking Xl while eating ½Y makes quite a difference. These two humble points stress what already written: very generic stubs of rules make little sense. Match that with the missed notion that some things are harmful, match it again with the lazy inclination that makes the body a not-listened-to servant (I know people that do not know they should sleep), and one day or the other some get hurt.
alisonkisk 5y ago
6L in one hour can kill you, not in one day.

chiefalchemist 5y ago

You can actually cause kidney failure from drinking too much water.

aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago
Citation needed.
- jerrysievert 5y ago
  pretty much every response on this article has talked about the health problems from drinking too much water, but if you don't want to read up on any of that, maybe the Mayo Clinic will help. hopefully that's enough "citation" other than what The whole article and all of the responses are about. I googled it for you: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-h...
  - aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago
    No Jerry, I was asking for citations about kidney failure caused by excess water consumption. Hyponatremia is not kidney failure.
    - chiefalchemist 5y ago
      Frankly, I live under the understanding that it's semi common knowledge / sense. The body is finite. It has limits. Exceeding those limits and undesirable things happen. https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/thrive-central/hypervolemia https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/thrive-central/hypervole... https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/news/too-much-water-could-be-harmful/ https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/news/too-much-water...
      - aaaaaaaaaaab 5y ago
        No mention of kidney failure in the linked articles.

pengaru 5y ago

You're ignoring extremely hot and dry environments like deserts. I struggle to drink enough water to urinate at all when working on my desert cabin in the summer months. It's completely redefined my perception of how much water the human body can lose to perspiration alone.

chrisseaton 5y ago
> You're ignoring extremely hot and dry environments like deserts. I'm not - I've got professional experience managing healthcare in Helmand in the summer. You still don't need as much water as some people think. I don't know anything about your work or conditions, but my first recommendation would still be to make sure you're eating as much as you need, and then to drink less but more slowly.
- pengaru 5y ago
  I'd love for you to come build a roof with me in the Mojave in July and demonstrate this drink less water more slowly approach.
  - mcphage 5y ago
    > I’d love for you to come build a roof with me in the Mojave in July and demonstrate this drink less water more slowly approach. I’m not building a roof in any desert during the summer, and am also interested in this drink water more slowly approach.
- hinoki 5y ago
  I don’t have much experience with living in the desert, but when I hiked down the Grand Canyon I drank 8L and didn’t go to the bathroom. I also ate trail mix and protein bars, had lunch, etc. I was drinking as much as was comfortable to me, since I was worried about getting dehydrated, and still never needed to use the toilet until after the hike was over. I don’t think drinking less would have helped the situation.
  - 5y ago

IkmoIkmo 5y ago

Yeah it's a bit sad the BBC article starts with saying you need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily, which is a myth, which the BBC has written about multiple times before e.g.: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190403-how-much-water-should-you-drink-a-day https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190403-how-much-water-s.... Drinking too much is rare, but still it happens and it's rooted in misinformation about minimum drinking requirements that's unfortunately not rare, but rather a very common piece of misinformation. Surprising to see it on the NHS website too (of course, without any source, but still the claim is made).

wolverine876 5y ago

> There's this cult of drinking water - with people insisting you should drink more and more water - until people are drinking ludicrous quantities > I've seen someone collapse from hyponatremia from drinking too much water I've never heard of this or seen it. Have other people?

chrisseaton 5y ago
> I've never heard of this or seen it. Hyponatremia? Yeah it's documented https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373711 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyponatremia/.... When you hear about people dying from ecstasy it's usually actually hyponatremia I believe.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  I've heard of hyponatremia, but not this cult of drinking so much water.
  - d0gbread 5y ago
    Hydrohomies, at least.
watwut 5y ago
No. But, I have heard of people acting weird from drinking too much water - after playing game designed to make you drink ridiculous amounts. No collaps tho. Just acting weird (sort of like after alcohol) and discomfort when drinking next cup. The game was stupid, but no collapse or health issue beyond discomfort after drinking a lot. Which makes me thing it is not easy at all to drink to issue.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  Ironically, many people think it is perfectly normal to play the same game with alcohol and collapse.