Water Intoxication

Every weight loss "expert" or guide emphasizes drinking water. The more the better they always say. Well, aside from keeping you in a constant sprint to the bathroom, drinking too much water can be harmful to your health.

"Water poisoning results when too much water is ingested in too short a time without replenishing electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium.The human body (as with other animals) maintains an equilibrium of electrolytes in the bloodstream as part of its normal operation. Sweating causes the body to lose salt, but the primary cause of hyponatremia is drinking enormous amounts of water, which dilutes the salt in the body to a dangerous level. As the electrolyte levels get dangerously out of balance, body systems begin to fail and the sufferer exhibits signs of crisis such as diarrhea, over-salivation, stupor, vomiting, muscle tremors, confusion, frequent urination and other general symptoms of illness, and their brain begins to swell. This swelling is called a 'brain edema' or 'cerebral edema' and can lead to brain damage, paralysis, and sometimes death."

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