Alain Guillot

Life, Leadership, and Money Matters

Drinking lots of water

The myth of drinking lots of water

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The supposed benefits of drinking lots of water

I hear it all the time: You should drink lots of water in order to…

  • Improve your memory
  • Improve your mental health
  • Have better spiritual life
  • Have better sex
  • Increase you memory (did I say that already?)
  • Have better skin, etc…

The list of benefits of drinking more water seems infinite, and we don’t stop seeing all kinds of influencers asking us to drink even more water.

But, is it true? Will drinking lots of water improve my life in so many ways? I am not convinced. I think it’s only the trend of the moment.

How much water should we drink

I must confess. I don’t drink water. I drink coffee and tea as beverages, but I find drinking water to be too boring for me.

Yes, we should be hydrated, but I don’t think people will be healthier by drinking many liters of water.

I am 54 years old, I consider myself to be in good health, and the lack of water hasn’t been detrimental to my health.

One of the most popular rules of thumb I hear people repeat is that we have to drink eight ounces per day.

If drinking water is your thing. I think you should drink water if you are thirsty and not drink if you are not thirsty. You could throw away the eight ounces per day rule of thumb.

What not to drink

I think water has a great reputation because the alternatives are so bad.

When not drinking water, people turn to drink

  • Soft drinks like Coca-cola, Pepsi, and other poisonous beverages
  • Coffee or tea with lots of sugar
  • Fruit juices full of frutose
  • Beer or other alcoholic beverages, etc.

You can also get water from what you eat. Fluid-rich foods and meals like fruits, vegetables, soups, and sauces all contribute to water intake, but if your food is your source of water, you run the risk of getting fat just to stay hydrated.

When you compare it with those liquids, water is the best thing for your health.

You could die from drinking too much water

In 2007, a 28-year old woman died of hyponatremia after reportedly drinking nearly two gallons of water over three hours while taking part in a radio station’s “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest, which challenged participants to drink water and then go as long as possible without urinating.

In 2014, a 17-year-old high school football player in Georgia died from the condition after reportedly drinking two gallons of water and two gallons of Gatorade.

How do you know if you are hydrated enough?

Your body will tell you. If you are thirsty, your body will tell you. If you are not thirsty, your body will also tell you. Don’t force water into your body if your body doesn’t need it.

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