Eight Glasses a Day, It’s Not for Everyone

Everyone has heard the “recommendation” to drink eight glasses of water every day. For some, it is a challenge due to habits and busy lifestyles but now they’re a reason not to worry.

According to Science Daily, an American news website for topical science, a recent study has found over-drinking water can make it difficult for the throat to swallow which can potentially lead to fatal water intoxication.

Michael Farrell, Associate Professor from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, reviewed the study he and his team conducted and determined not everyone can consume eight glasses of water every day. "If we just do what our body demands us to we'll probably get it right, just drink according to thirst rather than an elaborate schedule," said Farrell.

To investigate further with this study, Farrell and his team asked 20 people to rate the amount of effort it took to swallow water under two conditions, after exercise when they were thirsty and then later on when they were asked to drink an excess amount of water.

Farrell and his team found that the increase in effort after people had consumed too much water had tripled, signifying that the body was regulating how much water it consumed by making it physically harder to drink. "Here for the first time we found effort-full swallowing after drinking excess water which meant they were having to overcome some sort of resistance," said Farrell, according to Science Daily. "This was compatible with our notion that the swallowing reflex becomes inhibited once enough water has been drunk."

According to Science Alert, a site that features science news and entertainment, consuming excessive amounts of water can put the human body in danger of water intoxication also known as hyponatremia. When vital levels of sodium in the blood become abnormally low, there’s a greater potential of causing symptoms ranging from lethargy and nausea to convulsions and coma.

In a conducted survey answered by USF students, the questions they were asked how many glasses of water were consumed per day and what is their preferred alternative to water. Of the ten that took the survey, the average amount was 3 "glasses" per student but most said they drink from water bottles that come in packs at grocery stores so the measure of "glasses" is not consistent.

Over-drinking is real.