How much water is too much water?

As this seemingly endless summer drones on, Jamaicans far and wide are ensuring they stay hydrated with the ‘OG’ life elixir – water. But while this admirable practice becomes a habit for some and an aspiration for others, the question once again arises: how much water is too much water?

In recent weeks, the world noted record-breaking highs in temperatures, even forcing the World Athletics Championships taking place in Budapest, Hungary, to adjust it’s schedule for the heat. Noting these extreme events, every sane-minded person pulled for their trusty water bottle to combat the sweltering heat. While it is far more rare than the alternative, overhydration can be just as dangerous as dehydration.

According to Mayo Clinic, a medical centre in Minnesota, United States, drinking too much water can cause hyponatraemia. This is when your kidneys are unable to filter out the excess water in your body, diluting your sodium levels.

Naulette Reddie, a nutritionist at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, says the potentially life-threatening condition does have a number of symptoms that the public can be on the lookout for.

“If we do overdrink, or drink too much water, it can disturb the balance of the minerals that are found in the body,” she explained. “And as I have mentioned before, the kidney is responsible for the removal of waste from the body. Too much water will put extra stress on the kidney to filter the water out. With the overhydration, in some cases it can result in muscle cramps, irritability, confusion and weakness or headaches. It can also cause persons to vomit, have poor appetite or experience fatigue.”

She explained that while the condition is serious, the best course of action is to stick to recommended amounts of liquid.

“According to the US Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine, they had set some guidelines for the amount of water that we should be drinking per day. For men, it is recommended that they have at least 3.7 litres, or approximately 16 cups of fluid per day; while for females, it is 2.7 litres, or 11 cups per day,” she shared.

While noting that each person can be assessed individually, the general daily water intake of a person is determined by a range of factors.

Reddie said, “It is recommended that we look at certain factors, such as genetics, [and] job type. A person who is doing more of a manual job versus someone who is sitting in an office and is mostly sedentary for the day, will be required to have more water.”

“Also, if they are physically active for more than one hour, they will have to drink as much water as possible. If it is that you are sick, for example, a person with kidney disease, whether acute or kidney failure, they would have to be mindful of their fluid intake, because that would put additional stress on the kidneys. So you have to look at other factors to determine how much you should be drinking.”

Since too much of any good thing is sure to be bad, Jamaicans can rest easy in the knowledge that our bodies are made up of about 60 per cent water, and there is a constant need to replenish that element.

“Our body is made up of roughly 60 per cent water and we lose it every minute of the day [through] our skin, our urine, when we sweat, and even when we breathe we are losing water,” Reddie explained.

So as we bow to the status quo that is climate change, drink up and stay safe.

shanel.lemmie@gleanerjm.com