Water Functions in Body
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Mr. Shantinath Assuming a person were to constantly consume small amounts of water throughout the day while making sure to get enough sodium and potassium, they could probably safely (though quite uncomfortably) consume at least 6 Liters in an entire day. It appears the healthy kidneys can clear .8 liters of water an hour AT MOST, so consuming less than that per hour for 12 hours (a day) would mean you never put in water faster than your kidneys can take it out and represents a "certainly safe" limit. Yes too much Water is consumed in one go (Never have competion of Drinking Water), will cause Water Intoxication. That is when imbalance takes place in Blood of the Electroytes like Sodium- Potassium. This can cause serious complications. Regards. more
Aug 06
How much water per day is considered to be optimum? Does water intoxication occur only if too much water is consumed in one go? What is the safe limit? more
Aug 06
Lakshmi, You are right. Water intoxication can take place to 'stay ahead of thirst' by drinking excessive quantities of fluids. To do so is entirely un-physiological. Drinking more water than you need increases your total blood volume and also pressures you kidneys into working overtime so as to filter excess water out of your circulatory system. In simple terms, it means that you have drank too much water and the excess has diluted your body fluids so much that the sodium levels have become life-threateningly low, causing cells to swell. That includes brain cells leading to loss of consciousness, seizures and even coma and death. For long-distance runners, this can be a particular hazard. With half-marathons and marathons being all the rage, runners while practicing must resist the temptation to tank themselves up with too much water. Excessive water in your system can dilute your body fluids so much that the sodium levels become life-threateningly low. Regards more
Aug 06
Drinking too much water too fast, can lead to a condition known as water intoxication. It is akin to drowning in fresh water! more
Aug 05
