Water is life and we often take it for granted. We sometimes forget that water is a powerful health tonic and provides many health benefits. The common belief is that 8 glasses of water per day is ideal. Do you need 8 glasses of water a day really?
New research led by Monash University challenges the notion that we should drink 8 glasses of water per day.
The study showed that the brain triggers a ‘swallowing inhibition’ when too much water or liquid is consumed, helping to maintain proper water levels in the body.
“If we just do what our body demands us to we’ll probably get it right – just drink according to thirst rather than an elaborate schedule,” Associate Professor Farrell said.
The researchers asked participants to rate the level of difficulty of swallowing water — both after exercise when they were thirsty, and later after they were asked to drink excess water.
The results showed that it was three times more difficult to swallow the water when overdrinking.
“Here for the first time we found effort-full swallowing after drinking excess water which meant they were having to overcome some sort of resistance,” Associate Professor Farrell said.
“This was compatible with our notion that the swallowing reflex becomes inhibited once enough water has been drunk.”
“There have been cases when athletes in marathons were told to load up with water and died, in certain circumstances, because they slavishly followed these recommendations and drank far in excess of need,” he said.
Drinking too much water can put you in danger of water intoxication or hyponatremia, where sodium levels in the blood become dangerously low.
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Do You Really Need Eight Glasses a Day?” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
2. “Study Challenges Idea Of Mandatory Water Intake.” Newswise. Monash University, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
3. “Overdrinking, Swallowing Inhibition, and Regional Brain Responses Prior to Swallowing.” Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences of the United States of America. Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences of the United States of America, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
