YP Letters: Listen to your body, stay healthy and hydrated

BACK in the 1960s, my father, who was a chiropodist, told me that you could get drunk by drinking too much water. That information appears to be verified by the woman going to A&E at King’s College Hospital.

Some of the blame for the current obsession with drinking water resides with Sports Science. Athletes perform to the top of their ability when their bodies are fully hydrated, so before a competition they may drink large amounts of water to ensure this.

However, the human body has a sophisticated system to regulate its water content. Thirst is a starting point, if you feel thirsty, drink until you feel satisfied.

If you are drinking enough, your urine will be pale yellow, too much and it becomes copious and almost colourless. Too little makes the urine darker, that is a good sign that you need some liquid input.

The amount that one needs to drink depends on a range of factors, including air temperature and activity level.

If you are very active in hot weather, your water loss through sweating and panting will be high. Inactivity in colder weather will lead to a consequent low water loss. The important thing is to listen to your body, rather than the health gurus.