While rare, drinking too much water can actually kill you
We all know that staying hydrated is key to staying healthy, but did you know that you can actually drink too much water?
It turns out that while water is essential for life, overdoing it can be dangerous—so dangerous that, in extreme cases, it has even caused death.
A simulation shared on YouTube by Zack D. Films shows what could happen to your body if you drank a lethal amount of water.
The video has left many people feeling seriously spooked. It explains, “If you drink too much water, the excess will fill up your stomach and get absorbed into your bloodstream.
“This can eventually cause your brain cells to swell up, which pushes your brain into your skull and increases the pressure.”
The video continues to explain that depending on your size, drinking about six liters of water in a few hours could cause your brain to swell so much that you could slip into a coma or even die.
That’s a pretty terrifying thought, right? Thankfully, it takes quite a lot to reach such a dangerous level.
For comparison, the recommended daily water intake is usually between two and two-and-a-half liters.
Still, this alarming fact has left people a bit rattled.
When the clip was shared in Reddit’s r/Damnthatsinteresting thread, users were quick to express their shock.
One user commented, “Zack’s animation should be in horror movies,” while another joked, “New fear unlocked: drinking too much water.”
One Reddit user even shared their own frightening experience, “While breastfeeding, I drank nearly two gallons of water to boost production and suffered a seizure,” they wrote. “Had no idea.”
The science behind this process is explained in more detail by Scientific American.
Drinking too much water can lead to a condition called hyponatremia, which occurs when the salt levels in your blood drop too low.
When there’s too much water in your system, your blood becomes diluted and the water starts moving toward areas where the concentration of salt is highest.
This causes cells to swell as they try to make room for the extra water.
Most cells in the body can handle a bit of swelling.
But when it comes to your brain, the skull prevents the cells from expanding.
This is what makes swelling in the brain so dangerous.
Dr. M. Amin Arnaout, chief of nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, explained:
“Rapid and severe hyponatremia causes entry of water into brain cells leading to brain swelling, which manifests as seizures, coma, respiratory arrest, brain stem herniation, and death.”
So, while it’s super important to stay hydrated—keep sipping from that Stanley cup—it’s also crucial to remember that, like everything else, water should be consumed in moderation.
