What happens when you drink 2 liters (or more) of water a day –

That drinking water is important for the functioning of the body, you probably already know. After all, 70% of our body is composed of liquid. On the other hand, that saying “the difference between medicine and poison is the dose” is true: exaggerating water intake is also not recommended.

“If the volume of fluid in the body is too large, there may be a dilution of available sodium. When this happens, and the amount of the mineral is below 135 mEq per liter of blood, the person ends up developing a condition called hyponatremia”, explains nutritionist Caroline Ligi, from São Paulo. Thus, the risks of brain damage, heart problems and kidney failure increase.

After all, how much water should we drink a day?

But the truth is that most people don’t even come close to developing this problem: many don’t drink the recommended amount of water per day. And what number would that be? 35ml for every kilogram of body weightsays nutritionist Kerlin Schmitz, co-founder of Divina Terra.

That is, if you weigh 70 kilos, you should drink 2.45L of water per day (after all, 35 x 70 = 2,450 ml). The ideal is not to drink all of this at once, but to distribute it in several glasses throughout the routine.

However, it is clear that this number may vary according to sex, age, existing illnesses and practice of physical exercises (athletes, including, should send in 45ml for each kilo, while the elderly, from 20 to 30ml). “In the case of those who sweat a lot or have frequent loss of fluids (diarrhoea), it is also necessary to increase the amount of water consumed in the day”, adds Caroline Ligi.

And want to understand why you should strive to reach that number? See below:

What Happens to Your Body When You Drink the Proper Amount of Water?

1 – Your metabolism “accelerates”

Lipase, a very important enzyme for burning body fat, needs water to be activated and working at full speed.

2 – Your workouts are more effective

Dehydration negatively affects performance in physical activities, especially endurance activities (such as running).

Therefore, the best thing is to use the bottle before, during and after the sessions. This not only prevents cramps, but also improves the muscles’ response to the stimulus.

It’s no use spending lots of money on the most powerful moisturizing creams and serums on the market if you don’t hydrate your body from the inside out.

It may seem contradictory, but drinking water prevents fluid retention. This is because when in a state of dehydration, the body understands that it needs to save any and all water present in tissues and organs. Thus, there is the appearance of swelling in regions such as legs, feet and even eyes (hello, dark circles!).

A lot of people confuse thirst with hunger, you know? This is a defense mechanism of the brain, which gives hunger signals to try to get water from food.

So, when the urge to eat something hits, drink a glass of water. If the problem is dehydration, the appetite will be quenched in a few minutes.