Lots of water “is little benefit”

Drinking several litres of water each day has, contrary to what we’ve been led to believe in recent years, been found to play no significant part in improving health.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you should reduce your consumption however.

A scientific review by the University of Pennsylvania said some people, such as athletes, may need to drink a lot. But they found little evidence that flushing out toxins through drinking copious amounts improved health. However, the Food Standards Agency is sticking to its recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day. The body’s natural systems normally keep us topped up with water by making us feel thirsty, but various arguments are used to justify drinking extra.

“Water finds its own level” so to speak. In fact drinking too much water can be worse than useless, and give rise to a condition called water intoxication.

Water intoxication, which can lead to hyponatremia, is a serious medical condition which results when someone drinks too much water too quickly. Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium levels in the body are heavily diluted, resulting in an overall loss of electrolyte balance.