Water, just like any other substance, can be considered a
poison when over-consumed in a specific period of time. Water poisoning is a
potentially deadly disturbance in brain functions ,that results, when the
normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside safe limits by over
hydration. Water intoxication mostly occurs when water is being consumed in a
high quantity without giving the body the proper nutrients it needs to be healthy,
but even healthy people can get water intoxication.
How much
water does it take to kill a person? It takes about 6 liters of water in an hour to kill a
70 Kg person. Although water is essential to life, when a person drinks,
too much their blood becomes seriously diluted of salts. This causes a
condition called hyponatremia, and severe cases of hyponatremia lead to water
intoxication. Some of the main symptoms of water intoxication are headache,
fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, and mental disorientation. When
a person drinks too much water, the kidneys cannot flush it out as well and this
causes the excess water to enter the cells and cause them to swell. When the
brain cells begin to swell the situation can, turn lethal very fast.
In humans the kidneys control the amount of water, salts
and other solutes leaving the body by sieving blood through their millions of
twisted tubules. When a person drinks too much water in a short period of time,
the kidneys cannot flush it out fast enough and the blood becomes waterlogged.
Drawn to regions where the concentration of salt and other dissolved substances
is higher, excess water leaves the blood and ultimately enters the cells, which
swell like balloons to accommodate it.Healthy kidneys are able to excrete approximately 0.8 to 1 litre of fluid water.
How can a person determine how much water to consume? As
long as you are healthy and equipped with a thirst barometer unaffected by old
age or mind-altering drugs, follow “drink to your thirst”, It's the
best indicator. if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty
and your urine is colorless or light yellow; and measures about 1.5 liters to 3
liters a day ,your fluid intake is probably adequate.
You do
not need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat
also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food
provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and
vegetables, such as watermelon and spinach, are 90 percent or more water by
weight. In
addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even
beer, wine and caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, or soda can contribute,
but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake.
Some people drink water in excessive quantities in an
effort to feel full and to speed weight loss. However, this is not a healthy
approach to weight reduction and could potentially be harmful.
“Let your thirst guide you and you should be fine”
(collected data from various sources)
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