Why is it important to drink plenty of water?
It is important to drink the NORMAL amount of water. This is for a normal average adult, living in normal conditions of temperature and humidity, taking no particular exercise and wearing average clothes, 2 to 2 1/2 litres a day. I litre is needed as urine to allow sufficient renal filtering and removal of waste, and 1 to 1 1/2 litres to cover loss from sweating and as water vapour from the lungs. Small excesses are just peed out. larger excess intake can cause water intoxication, over-hydration, haemodilution, brain swelling, fits and death. yesterdays papers covered the second death from excess water drinking in the past 2 months. Inadequate fluid intake cause dehydration, kidney failure and is also potentially fatal in extreme cases.
