Four Common Myths About Drinking Water
You may not be able to live for long without drinking water, but you can do just fine without all the myths about drinking water. Here are four, well and truly busted.
Water is life, and perhaps as a result, we suffer from lots of myths about drinking water. That's especially true today, when drinking the proper water is often implicitly associated with beauty, health, and sheer coolness. So, are these associations accurate in any way, shape, or form? Um, do chickens have lips?
Myth 1: Bottled water is better for you than tap water.
Certain companies would love for you to believe this myth, but that's all it is: a myth. Anyone who claims that their special water -- whether it's purely natural, sparkling, ionized, magnetized, vitamin-fortified, homeopathic, or blessed by a shaman -- is better for you than tap water is almost certainly all wet.
Here's something you might not realize: most bottled water (including some of the biggest brands) is taken directly from a municipal tap somewhere. Maybe it's filtered or treated later, or maybe it's not -- usually not. Just goes to show you how far off-base this particular myth about drinking water really is, doesn't it?
Myth 2: There's no such thing as drinking too much water.
Au contraire, mon frère, to quote Bart Simpson. This myth is understandable, since water seems to be more or less harmless; but the truth is that drinking too much water can be very bad for you. We're not just talking about water retention or bedwetting here, though those are bad enough.
Two ailments put the lie to this myth about drinking water. First of all, too much water can lead to water intoxication, in which body cells swell massively, sometimes to the point of bursting. Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium concentration in cells is diluted, causing a sudden electrolyte imbalance.
Both electrolyte imbalances and tissue swelling can lead to a horde of nasty side effects, including irregular heartbeat, seizures, coma, brain damage -- and death. Hyponatremia and water intoxication are closely associated, and most often seen in athletes and young infants who drink too much water in too short a time.
Myth 3: You should drink eight glasses of water a day if you want to stay healthy.
Modern doctors aren't certain where, exactly, this myth about drinking water originated -- surviving medieval notions of medicine or misguided medics are the leading candidates -- but few actually subscribe to it. Eight glasses of water a day is a heckuva lot, and all it's likely to do is make you go to the bathroom more.
Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, of course, but imagine how scurrying back and forth could cut into your work day. A good rule of thumb: if you're not thirsty, you're fine. If you are, drink something. Easy.
Myth 4: Drinking a lot of water will give you healthier skin.
A 2007 study found that half a liter of water can increase blood flow a little, but the jury's out on whether that really helps anything. You're already 60% water by weight; what's a little more going to do? Sure, a little extra can't hurt, but there's no real evidence you should take this myth about drinking water to heart.
