Water is the main chemical compound of our body, as it represents approx. 60% of our weight. It is as important for our metabolic system as blood is, for example, because water flushes toxins out of our vital organs, carries nutrients to the cells, maintains body temperature, lubricates the joints, serves as a medium for thousands of chemical reactions in our bodies and helps digestion.

Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry on normal functions. Even mild dehydration can sap your energy and make you tired. Dehydration poses a particular health risk for the very young and the very old. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include: excessive thirst, fatigue, headache, dry mouth, little or no urination, muscle weakness, dizziness etc.

The recommendation to drink at least 2 liters of water every day and during summertime even 3-5 liters is appropriate for the individuals that feel the urge to drink so much water.

But the new medical studies have shown that everyone's body has its own limits and physiological mechanisms, therefore they do not recommend a certain amount of liquids as a general rule, for all of us.

If it is not thirst that makes us drink a certain quantity of water, but the idea that this is what we should do according to the doctors, we must stop it. Giving our body an excessive amount of water can be dangerous, as water filtering at the level of our kidneys brings about sodium losses through the urine, depleting the blood of this very important element.

Consequently, body cells, including the neurons, will get baggy with water through a mechanism of osmotic equilibrium. Hiponatriemia (less sodium in the blood than in normal conditions) can be the cause of nausea, fatigue, headaches, drowsiness and, in severe cases, of coma.

Recent studies claim that the daily necessary quantity of liquid is 2,7 liters, but this also includes coffee, teas and the water in the food eaten that day. Therefore, if we eat many salads and fruits, the number of glasses of water to drink obviously decreases.

If we sweat a lot, we can replace the water needed for re-hydrating with soups and brewage, because the salt in these helps the electrolytic re-balance of the organic system.

Too much water can lead to a medical disorder called "water intoxication." It is usually associated with long distance events like running and cycling and it is rather a usual problem even if most of us haven't heard of it yet. For example, water intoxication was reported in 18% of marathon runners and in 29% of the finishers in a Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon.

The medical term for this condition is hiponatremia. The symptoms generally mirror those of dehydration (apathy, confusion, nausea and fatigue), although some individuals show no symptoms at all.

What happens is that as the athlete consumes large amounts of water over the course of the event, blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) increases. As this takes place, the salt content of the blood is diluted. At the same time, the athlete is losing salt by sweating. Consequently, the amount of salt available to the body tissues decreases over time to a point where the loss interferes with brain, heart, and muscle function.

In conclusion, it is best for us to drink as much water as our body needs and requires - not more, nor less.