Is drinking 2Lt's per day of water really the solution?

Question

doctors always say drink water, and I've been told to drink 2Lt's per day. is it possible that would wash out the water soluble nutrients I need?

Answer 1

no youre not drinking 2 litres of water in one go

its fine

Answer 2

You would not wipe out any of the nutrients you need

Answer 3

No - as long as your mineral intake is at an acceptable level currently, you would have to increase this by at least 4x (and probably more).  This really depends on your weight and body composition as your body fat percentage and normal hydration levels will determine how much water your body will typically retain.  

EDIT:

One note about the World Health Organization, if you look to see the guidelines that they are setting, they are not dealing with ideal, or at times even good, situations.  Because of this, there guidelines are more based on general health and survival, not optimal health practices.

I will agree on the note about the color of the urine with the exception that if it is clear you are drinking too much.  Looking for a clear stream means that you are ensuring that your body has the means to do it's job.  Remember that every component is made up of water and must have water to function:

-- Brain: ~75%

-- Heart: ~75%

-- Blood: ~80%

-- Lungs: ~85%

-- Muscle: ~75%

-- Bone: ~25%

-- Kidney: ~85%

It's not just related to thirst...

Good luck!!

Answer 4

2 litres a day keeps the bottled water companies in profit.

Your body needs 2 litres a day, but this doesn't need to be drunk as water.  Much of your daily requirement comes in your food.  The rest can come in soft drinks, tea and standard strength coffee.  (Espresso and booze take out more water than they put in).

If the weather's hot or if you undertake a lot of physical exertion you may need more.  But you don't need to walk around with a bottle of Evian in your hand.

A good measure is to check the colour of your pee.  It should be a pale straw colour.  If it's darker, you're dehydrated.  If it's clear, you're drinking too much.  (If it's bright orange, you're taking Vitamin B)

Answer 5

The 2L thing is a myth, the World Health Organisation recommends that 2l of all liquids is consumed, Including the water contained in food. These people walking about with massive bottles sipping away every five minutes have been mislead.

Answer 6

You specifically may not need a full 2 L of water. This really depends on a number of factors, how old you are, how tall you are, what your weight is, what your body fat percentage is, and how much you exercise per day. Also, how much you sweat in general matters too.

Men usually sweat more than women, and a person living in Arizona might sweat more than a person living in Wisconsin.

So, all that aside, don't worry about measuring water so much. You should be drinking enough fluid (water, milk, juice, basically anything that isn't sugared and/or caffeinated) to keep your urine a light yellow or clear color and non cloudy consistency.

Your body will usually excrete about 2 liters a day, between sweat, digestion, urine, organ processes, and breathing. That is where that idea comes from.

Learn your own body, and how much you need as an individual, and go by that rule.

A dry mouth is the first sign of dehydration, and remember that when you start to feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.

As long as you are drinking water throughout the day (and not all in one shot) it is extremely unlikely that you will flush out nutrients and/or electrolytes.

Good luck, hope that helped!

Answer 7

If by nutrient you mean vitamins then yes as Vitamin B and C are water soluble everytime you pee you will lose some of the vitamins. That's why if you are taking a supplement you need to take it every day.

If you are eating a healthy diet then you have nothing to worry about as you will top up all your vitamins when you eat the correct food.