Doctor Gives Weight Loss Advice After Netizen Suggests Drinking 7 Litres Of Water A Day
She warned that drinking too much water does not result in weight loss, and it may instead lead to seizures.
A doctor took to Twitter to give medical advice after another user suggested that drinking seven litres of water a day could help people lose weight
Last Friday, 8 November, a Twitter user shared how he drinks seven litres of water every day, which has lead to his successful weight loss.
Image via Twitter
In a separate tweet, he also suggests that the more water you drink, the more kilogrammes you will lose.
A specialist from a hospital in Pahang, Dr Rafidah Abdullah, took it upon herself to address the issue on Twitter
The nephrology consultant and medical department head of Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Kuantan warned that drinking too much water does not result in weight loss, and it may instead even lead to seizures.
"The way to lose weight is to exercise and reduce your calorie intake," she wrote, "Don't spread nonsensical information. Drink eight glasses of water as normal and when thirsty."
Her tweet has garnered over 21,000 retweets at the time of writing.
With that, Dr Rafidah also received a thousand more questions
This Twitter user asked if she could explain how drinking too much water can cause seizures.
"Dr, is it right that we drink according to our weight? Such as one litre for every 25kg? Please enlighten," asked this user.
Therefore, Dr Rafidah decided to continue with a guide on drinking water
"Do things in moderation," she counselled simply, "Don't overdo it and don't drink too little either. I personally do not measure my water intake. I don't get thirsty and my urine is not too concentrated."
"All the water we need is according to our daily activity. For example, if we stand in the heat, exercise, or have a fever, there is a need for more water. Remember, our food also has water content, especially fruits."
"Drinking lots of water will not lead to weight loss," she reiterated, "To be thin, you would have to count your calorie intake and output correctly."
She added that drinking too much water can be detrimental.
If the body has too much water, it will cause our cells to swell.
"This can happen in our brain; thus causing risks such as confusion, coma, and seizures," she explained, "This condition is called dilutional hypervolaemic hyponatraemia, which happens when our blood sodium level is too low."
"This condition can also occur in the event of kidney failure, liver failure, or heart failure. That's why a doctor would ask you to restrict your intake of water," she added.
Finally, she emphasised that we should stop asking others how much water we need because it is different for everyone.
"But for sure, you definitely do not need 10 litres. Drink in moderation."
As with every good doctor, she then ended her Twitter thread with reading recommendations and her evidence-based references
She listed her references from Mayo Clinic, the National Health Service, and even a case report from a medical journal.
Just because some facts are widely believed to be true, does not mean they are:
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