Drinking too much water can also cause poisoning

The pros and cons of drinking more water

1. Benefits: May prevent cancer and heart disease

Some people claim that you must drink more water because most of the human body is made up of water, accounting for 50% to 70% of body weight. For example, muscles are 80% water and the brain is 75% water. Therefore, we need water to live normally. But Valtin believes that it is illogical to infer that you should drink 8 glasses of water a day.

A study in the United States tracked the drinking habits of 48,000 men and found that drinking more water can significantly reduce the risk of bladder cancer. Among them, those who drank 1440 ml of water (about 6 cups) a day had a significantly reduced risk of bladder cancer, and they did not need to drink as much as 8 cups. Similar findings have been found in studies of colorectal cancer, adenomatous polyps, etc.

Another study found that people who drank more than five glasses of water a day had a significantly lower risk of death from coronary heart disease than those who drank less than two glasses of water, with a 41% drop in women and a 54% drop in men. This phenomenon is limited to drinking water, while drinking coffee, tea, juice, etc. seems to increase the risk of death from coronary heart disease. The researchers said that drinking water and reduced risk are not necessarily causal, and further research is needed. Valtin pointed out that according to this study, the normal amount of water consumed by normal people is sufficient.

Drinking water can help you lose weight - water makes you feel full, which reduces your food intake. Studies have found that drinking water before eating is more effective than drinking with food, but it is still unclear how much water to drink, how much food can be reduced, and how long the effect will last. It is also said that drinking water can promote intestinal peristalsis and help prevent constipation. Valtin said that the intestines have a strong ability to absorb water, and whether drinking plenty of water can prevent constipation remains to be studied.

In addition, other benefits of drinking water that people can think of include preventing urinary tract infections and stones. Valtin reminds people to pay attention to the amount they need to drink to prevent these diseases, rather than drinking 8 glasses in general, because based on the findings of human genome research, drinking 8 glasses of water may not be appropriate.

2. Disadvantages: Increased risk of water poisoning

Reminder: Patients with diabetes insipidus may suffer from severe water intoxication or even death if they drink more water during medication treatment. If drinking water is contaminated and contains too many chemicals (such as carcinogens), germs, etc., drinking a lot of water means increased danger. People who drink bottled water also increase their living expenses, and the increased frequency of urination also causes inconvenience in life. People also feel unnecessary guilt when they don't drink enough eight cups.