The common advice to drink plenty of water when ill is based on scant evidence and can actively harm chances of recovery, doctors have warned. In the case highlighted, a 59-year-old woman consumed several litres of water based on medical advice she recalled from previous similar episodes to “flush out her system”. “To counteract that risk, doctors have said ‘Make sure you drink lots of water.’ That has perpetrated the myth that you must drink gallons of water. In a previous case a woman with gastroenteritis developed hyponatremia and died from drinking excessive amounts of water. “This case report highlights that excessive water intake can have important consequences for patients, and this is something that healthcare professionals, and patients, should be mindful of.”What is the advice?

Source: The Guardian December 01, 2016 23:30 UTC