Michelle Obama has started a campaign to get Americans to drink more water.
Story at: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-water-campaign-raises-environmental-issue-205904748--politics.html
Problem is, drinking a lot more water has no known health benefits and some potentially severe consequences.
Drinking too much water was a major contributor to my Mom's death.
Mom was on a quack idea that she should drink a quart of water a day over and above her normal fluid intake. She drank so much water and limited her salt intake (she had high blood pressure) that she went into a coma and was permanently brain damaged. She never got her mind back and it eventually killed her. Having your Mom be unable to recognize you for a period of time due to a quack diet is a very hard thing.
But one of the hardest things I ever did in my life was to spend a long weekend after coma #1 pointed telling her that continuing on this quack fad would kill her or make her lose her mind. I was unable to persuade her (she was already somewhat brain damaged), she continued to drink all of the extra water, she went into coma #2 and was never able to speak again. Soon she did not know who I was. My brothers and father could not muster the courage to chew Mom out and try to save her mind, and life. They supported me confronting Mom - but could not do it themselves.
Drinking too many fluids and lowering your sodium levels too low is a cause of death, coma, and brain damage - especially among the elderly. Purposefully drinking large quantities of water can kill you.
There is a real simple rule about fluid intake. If you are thirsty - drink something. If you are sweating a whole lot and are thirsty, be sure to drink enough. But forcing a lot more water is simply stupid and can be dangerous.
You can find many stories today in the US press that warn about the lack of positive health results of purposefully drinking a lot more fluids. You can also find data on how this practice is a quack idea that can cause brain damage and death.
It killed my Mom. Don't listen to the idiot First Lady.
back in the day, and it still happens now, there were lots of people going down drinking to much water at the rave/club/festival/whatever. thats why you should just drink beer.
whats the mantra? 6-7 glasses of water a day?
My mother had kidney disease and she had to limit her any liquid consumption to about 4-5 cups total...
I'm sorry to hear about your mom, Airboy.
Moderation is the key.
Snopes has a good article on the 'source' of the 8-glasses-of-water-a-day standard
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
In the infantry we were told if your urine looks clear your probably drinking enough water,but if it's cloudy and dark yellow your not drinking enough.
Quote from: Dolan50 on September 13, 2013, 07:18:12 PM
In the infantry we were told if your urine looks clear your probably drinking enough water,but if it's cloudy and dark yellow your not drinking enough.
Yeah. I had a nutritionist who jumped the gun early and was afraid I was diabetic. (I'm not)
She indicated you should drink enough water that it looks like a manila envelope. (for those of you drinking this evening she meant color, not shape)
Like anything, too much of one think can be bad for you.
Quote from: LongBlade on September 13, 2013, 10:22:15 PM
Quote from: Dolan50 on September 13, 2013, 07:18:12 PM
In the infantry we were told if your urine looks clear your probably drinking enough water,but if it's cloudy and dark yellow your not drinking enough.
Yeah. I had a nutritionist who jumped the gun early and was afraid I was diabetic. (I'm not)
She indicated you should drink enough water that it looks like a manila envelope. (for those of you drinking this evening she meant color, not shape)
Like anything, too much of one think can be bad for you.
+1 to both LB and Dolan.
I'm sorry to hear about LB's mum too. That must have been hard seeing her carry on after the warnings. :(
Color doesnt mean anything. Take a vitamin, pee bright yellow. A better estimate is smell. If it smells concentrated, drink.