(Image source from: Are you drinking too much?})

Ever since your childhood, you have been advised by your parents, physicians, teachers, gym instructors and everyone else to guzzle at least eight glasses of water every day. But of late researchers have started questioning the tried-and-tested rule and fear that we may be actually drinking too much H2O than good for us.

“There’s no scientific method behind those numbers,” says exercise physiologist Stacy Sims, Ph.D., a hydration researcher at Stanford University. “And the recommendation doesn’t take into account gender, environment, altitude, fitness level—factors that could affect fluid intake needs.”

Drinking too much water can cause hyponatremia — a state when sodium in blood becomes too diluted. This state is marked by confusion, headaches, nausea and bloating, symptoms that can be easily confused with dehydration. If severe, hyponatremia can cause seizures, organ failure and even death.

So how do you know how much water you need? For starters, don’t rely solely on thirst, says Sims. “As soon as you put water on your tongue, you kill your thirst mechanism.” Just do the following:

1. Weigh yourself daily for a week, to check hydration. Your body weight shouldn’t fluctuate too much.

2. Notice how much you pee—and its color—in the morning. It should be a copious amount and pale or clear.

3. Aim to wake feeling hydrated. If you’re thirsty when you get out of bed in the morning, you may not be consuming enough fluids.

4. Coffee, tea, and watery fruits and vegetables count toward fluid intake.

5. Drink one thing a day that’s not water. A low-carb electrolyte drink in the afternoon can pop you up, as can hot tea with a pinch of salt and lemon. It will increase your core temperature, and the tiny amount of salt can help you absorb fluid.

AW: Suchorita Choudhury