Hydrate, but Not Too Much

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/opinion/water-intake.html

Version 0 of 1.

To the Editor:

Re “How to Keep Your Body Properly Hydrated” (Personal Health, Science Times, July 10):

I enjoyed reading Jane E. Brody’s column about the importance of adequate hydration. She shared several important points for good fluid balance. A word of caution, however: There can be too much of a good thing.

Excessive water or fluid intake, especially if this occurs rapidly, may cause hyponatremia (low sodium levels) that leads to brain edema and death. The column stated that the paler the urine the better. I recommend a proportional approach: Urine that is clear as water usually indicates too much fluid intake.

This is especially so for those with heart or kidney conditions.

GREGORY D. CHAPMANBIRMINGHAM, ALA.

The writer is a professor of medicine and cardiovascular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.