New Delhi. Drinking water is always beneficial for health. Water is a very important factor for the functioning of our body. Water not only helps our body parts to function properly, but also protects us from diseases. This is the reason why whether it is summer or winter, people are advised to drink as much water as possible.
You know that drinking water is beneficial for the body, but drinking too much water can also prove to be harmful for our body. The process that happens in the body due to drinking too much water is called intoxication or over hydration. This condition arises when we drink more water than required. Due to this, many diseases can also occur in our body.
Dr. Amit Kumar, who runs Shatayu Ayurveda and Panchkarma Center in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, says, “Water is very important for our body. Most of our body is made up of water. Our body can survive for weeks or sometimes months without food or energy, but without water we cannot survive even for a few days. If we do not get water for some time in the summer season, our body becomes dehydrated, which causes dizziness and many other types of problems. This reduces the working capacity of our body. We fall ill.”
Dr. Amit says, “We are told that water is very important for our body. We should drink as much water as possible. We do this too. Sometimes in this rush we drink more water, which is very harmful for our body in many ways. Due to drinking too much water, the functioning of our brain gets affected. Due to this, the brain cells can get swollen. Due to this, it is very common to have problems like confusion, drowsiness or headache. Drinking too much water also increases the blood pressure in our body. Due to this, we may have to face problems like high blood pressure, bradycardia or slow heart rate.”
He said, “Water contains the most hydrogen. Hydrogen is an electrolyte, which causes a condition called hyponatremia in our body. Sodium is an essential element found in our body, whose job is to maintain the balance of liquid inside and outside our cells. Due to drinking excess water, the sodium present inside our body becomes diluted or sometimes starts coming out of the body through urine. Due to this, the fluid found around the cells starts entering our cells. In such a situation, important cells of our body start swelling. This can pose a serious threat.”
He told, “We can very easily identify excess water in the body. Its biggest sign is our urine. When we drink excess water, we have to go to the toilet again and again. Sometimes, drinking excess water makes our urine white in colour and also starts foaming, which is the biggest sign of over hydration. Due to intoxication or over hydration, we either feel nauseous or vomit. Our lips and hands also get swollen or there is pain in the body. We get headache. There is pain in hands and legs.”
According to Dr. Amit, “There are many disadvantages of drinking too much water, so we should drink a certain amount of water to keep the body hydrated, neither less nor more. Our body needs a maximum of 7 to 10 liters of water daily to function properly. Sometimes working more in the sun or doing more hard work increases the need for water, which we can fulfill by drinking more water. But, while drinking water, one should keep in mind that it should be kept in a certain quantity and not over drinking.”
Image Credit: Khas-Khabar.