Q: Is it possible to drink too much water? I drink 5 8 oz. cups per hour and I want to be sure I'm not doing anything unhealthy.

A: According to Go Ask Alice*, "It's feasible, but rare, to consume too much water. Our kidneys are equipped to efficiently process fifteen liters of water a day. That's equivalent to drinking about sixty glasses of water!" Plus, excess water we take in that is not needed is passed out as urine within a few hours.

Why not spread out your water drinking across the day instead of trying to drink so much each hour? Two to four cups per hour may be easier to take in. By most current dietetic standards, the guideline is that most healthy adults normally require approximately three quarts of fluid each day. Half of the liquid comes from food and the other half from what you drink. Drinking 8 to 12 glasses a day should be sufficient for keeping your system in good working order.

A condition found in athletes has shown that drinking too much water will cause essential electrolytes in the blood stream to become diluted and affect the control of the heart beat. There is the case of a an athelete who died from a condition known as hyponatremia after drinking too much water during a marathon. This condition, also known as water intoxication, occurs when the body's salt and water levels get dangerously out of balance. It leads to swelling of the brain and leakage of fluid into the lungs. It occurs athletes because they sweat so heavily, losing both salt and water.

If you want to drink more than those 8 to 12 glasses a day, it shouldn't be a problem, but be sure to listen to your body. When you feel like you've had enough, you probably have. Don't force yourself to drink when you don't want to or when you feel bloated or "water-logged."

* Qtd. from "Go Ask Alice: Is It Possible To Drink Too Much Water?": http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1469.html, Columbia University's Health Question & Answer Service.

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Not to replace professional medical consultation.