WATER INTOXICATION
Your body depends on water for healthy and efficient function. For your body to effectively filter impurities from you system water is crucial. It carries urine and fecal wastes out of our body, and keeps the intestinal tract functioning normal. But did you know that to much of a good thing can cause death?
Case 1: 28-year old Californian wife and mother of three children died from drinking too much water. Her body was found in her home shortly after she took part in a water-drinking contest that was sponsored by a local radio show. Entitled "Hold Your Wee for a Wii," the contest promoters promised a free Wii video game machine to the contestant who drank the most water without urinating.
Case 2: David Rogers, a 22-year-old London marathon runner and a fitness instructor who completed the race in less than four hours, collapsed after he crossed the finish line. He was rushed to the hospital where he died due to a lack of sodium in his body that was caused by drinking too much water. (And just a footnote: Rogers was the ninth athlete in the 27-year history of the London marathon to die. Almost 60 of this year's more than 36,000 runners ended up needing hospital treatment)
Water intoxication (also known as hyper-hydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water. Normal, healthy (physically, nutritionally and mentally) individuals have little reason to worry about accidentally consuming too much water. Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume high amounts of water, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet excessive amounts of fluid are still consumed.
Water can be considered a poison when super-concentrated just like any other substance. The recommendation from the medical field is to drink about 1.5-3 liters per day depending upon body mass. Water intoxication would only occur at levels far higher than that. Doctors who have analyzed recommendations based upon water intoxication have noted that water is so important to health that if people reduce their intake of water due to fear of water intoxication it could result indirectly in far more deaths than water intoxication itself.
Don't Stop Drinking Water!
Water is not the life source without good reason. Without it our body's fine tuned engine runs less efficiently, & parts of it may even pack up working properly.
WATER INTOXICATION
Your body depends on water for healthy and efficient function. For your body to effectively filter impurities from you system water is crucial. It carries urine and fecal wastes out of our body, and keeps the intestinal tract functioning normal. But did you know that to much of a good thing can cause death?
Case 1: 28-year old Californian wife and mother of three children died from drinking too much water. Her body was found in her home shortly after she took part in a water-drinking contest that was sponsored by a local radio show. Entitled "Hold Your Wee for a Wii," the contest promoters promised a free Wii video game machine to the contestant who drank the most water without urinating.
Case 2: David Rogers, a 22-year-old London marathon runner and a fitness instructor who completed the race in less than four hours, collapsed after he crossed the finish line. He was rushed to the hospital where he died due to a lack of sodium in his body that was caused by drinking too much water. (And just a footnote: Rogers was the ninth athlete in the 27-year history of the London marathon to die. Almost 60 of this year's more than 36,000 runners ended up needing hospital treatment)
Water intoxication (also known as hyper-hydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water. Normal, healthy (physically, nutritionally and mentally) individuals have little reason to worry about accidentally consuming too much water. Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume high amounts of water, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet excessive amounts of fluid are still consumed.
Water can be considered a poison when super-concentrated just like any other substance. The recommendation from the medical field is to drink about 1.5-3 liters per day depending upon body mass. Water intoxication would only occur at levels far higher than that. Doctors who have analyzed recommendations based upon water intoxication have noted that water is so important to health that if people reduce their intake of water due to fear of water intoxication it could result indirectly in far more deaths than water intoxication itself.
Don't Stop Drinking Water!
Water is not the life source without good reason. Without it our body's fine tuned engine runs less efficiently, & parts of it may even pack up working properly.