Six to eight glasses of water can improve your concentration, boost your energy, prevent headache and detox your body.

Could you possibly get addicted to water?
However, some experts largely discuss over the benefits water has on our body. Some believe that anything more than 2 liters of water a day is more than necessary. Others believe that this obsession for drinking water may cause serious health problems.

Professor Mark Whiteley, a vascular surgeon, says that drinking too much water is never good. He believes that if you drink more water than you should, your brain will expect from you to drink the same amount every day.

How much water is actually too much?

Professor Whiteley, who is also a hyperhidrosis expert, believes that excessive consumption of water is associated with certain sweating problems.

“First, I always ask my patients how much water do they drink. Those who sweat a lot say that they drink a lot of water to replace the loss in their organism.

And yes, they are always surprised when I explain them that increased water intake makes the situation even worse. If you drink water more than your body needs, it tries to eliminate the excess through sweating,” explains Dr. Whiteley.

He also explains that drinking too much water before going to bed can also affect your sleep.

“When you sleep, your brain releases ADH, an antidiuretic hormone, to slow down your kidneys and keep you away from the toilet during the night. If you drink 2 glasses of water before bedtime, this additional amount will decrease the function of the antidiuretic hormone, so you will eventually wake up to go to the toilet.”

He suggests that you avoid drinking liquids at least two or three glasses before going to bed.

Is water intoxication possible?

In 2008, Jacqueline Hanson died of water intoxication, after she drank four liters of water in just a few hours, following the instructions of her rigorous diet regimen. Experts explain that something like this is actually possible, because if you drink a lot of water in a short period of time, your kidneys will not be able to eliminate that amount.

How much of liquids should you drink?

Two liters of water a day are just enough. Water is necessary to keep your kidneys functioning properly and prevent dehydration. However, that is not the only liquid you should drink. Avoid consuming alcohol and juices loaded with sugar, because they can dehydrate your organism. According to a research conducted in Sweden, we need about 2,5 liters of liquid, and 500ml should be obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables.

How can you know if you have consumed enough liquids?

The amount of water you need depends on your body, the environment you live in, your lifestyle choices, physical activity, and climate. The more active you are the more water you should drink. The amount of liquids you should drink also depends on your weight. And of course, warmer weather requires more liquids.