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What are VOCs? How can VOCs impact health?

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Hello! Welcome to this post about VOCs. You may be wondering, “What are VOCs? And how can I reduce my exposure to them?”

Or, you may be like I was before I got my MPH in environmental health science and be like “All that stuff is whatever; I’m sure it’s fine. People live with chemicals and stuff all the time.” 

Ahh, sweet ignorance. Seriously though – getting my MPH in environmental health science really opened my eyes to a variety of topics I feel like more people should be educated about. It’s easy to be told and to believe that chemicals and pollutant exposure are just a part of life, and that everything is fine, but the truth is, many produce real and serious risks!

Please know that I am not an alarmist, nor do I want to ignite fear into you about any specific food or chemical. My goal is always to provide information about nutrition and environmental health science to equip people to make choices for a healthy life.

Random story…What Inspired this post

VOCs have been on my mind a lot lately, due to some 4-day-turned-4-week contract work that I was told was “low-VOC.”

Obviously, me being me, I had the urge to look up the chemical being used and to do my own risk assessment, and can say, that although it is not a known carcinogen to humans, I wouldn’t consider the work being done to carry zero risk.

I also have hypersomnia and am super sensitive to chemicals, so let’s just say…the last four weeks have been trying me.  Of course, my concerns were washed over, and I was told repeatedly that “VOCs are fine!” 

Sometimes it’s frustrating to have authority but not be respected. Sigh. I have legitimate training in this area, and literally was stared at like I was an alarmist idiot.

So it goes with choosing to study environmental health science and nutrition and looking young and having others make assumptions about my qualifications and level of competence. Just over here dealing with daily headaches and worried about people (and pets!) in this building! Sigh. In an attempt to turn my frustration into something positive, here is an informative post on VOCs to help you live your best life!

Anyways, let’s chat VOCs!

What are VOCs?

Volatile Organic Compounds (also known as VOCs) are compounds that are easily vaporized and turn to gases. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, emitted by a by a wide range of products, and inhaling VOCs can lead to both short and long-term health effects.

VOCs are most often found in higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Many chemicals found in common building materials, home goods, and household cleaning products contain VOCs. 

Sources of VOCs include paints, paint strippers and other solvents, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, pesticides, dry-cleaned clothing, moth repellents, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as printers, copiers, and graphic and craft materials like glues, adhesives, permanent markers and photographic solutions.

VOCs are also found in cigarettes, secondhand smoke, and vehicle exhaust. 

The most common ways people are exposed to VOCs is through inhalation. Skin contact is another route of exposure. 

What are the Health Effects of VOCs?

VOCs can cause a variety of short and longer-term health effects.

Early symptoms of VOC exposure include ear and respiratory irritation, headache, dizziness, and visual disorders or impairments.

More generally, VOCs can cause ear, throat, nose and eye irritation and discomfort, difficulty breathing, as well as allergic skin reaction and rash. Epistaxis, or nosebleeds, may also occur from VOC exposure.

VOCs can also cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and loss of coordination. 

Longer-term VOC exposure can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Some VOCs, including benzene (found in tobacco smoke, paint supplies, and automobile emissions) and methylene chloride (found in paint thinners and adhesive removers) are known carcinogens in human studies. 

Others, like perchlorethylene (emitted during the dry-cleaning process) are known carcinogens in animals, and suspected carcinogens in humans.

Formaldehyde, a well-known VOC, is known to impair lung function at high levels, and sensory irritation and asthma development at lower levels. 

As with all chemical exposures, health effects vary based on exposure level, time period of exposure, and individual susceptibility (some people are more susceptible than others).

VOC exposure in office spaces are sometimes responsible or contributory for a phenomenon known as “sick building syndrome,” or SBS. SBS describes a medical condition where people in a building have symptoms of illness of feel nondescript “unwell” for no obvious reason.

Elderly individuals and those with asthma may be more susceptible to the impacts of VOCs. Young children, who have an increased frequency of respiration compared to adults, are also more vulnerable. 

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Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

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You read that title right! These Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are simply scrumptious! And this recipe is a two-for-one. If you prefer, you can simply prepare the dough as a dip, and skip over the dough ball rolling/chocolate-dipping stage of these beauties, and enjoy a scrumptious cookie-dough-like dip with your favorite dippables (I’d suggest apple splices, pretzels, graham crackers, or whatever your heart desires)!

These Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites are the quintessential fall treat, and naturally gluten-free (if you use gluten-free oats). The savory pumpkin, warm spices, and luscious cookie dough play nicely with dark chocolate chips, which add a nice texture and flavor contrast.

Now, here’s what makes these Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites different from your average cookie dough snack: rather than have a butter or oil base, these bites are built on a foundation of beans, oats, and nut butter, providing your body with a superb combination of protein, fiber, whole grains, and healthy, satiating fats.

Dark chocolate adds some depth and sweetness, as well as some iron, magnesium, and extra fiber, too!

Now back to the beans: I find white beans provide the ideal neutral flavor and buttery texture for these bites. Chickpeas will also work, if that’s what you have on hand!

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Mid-October Vegan Eats, Some Fall Family fun, and WIEIAD 2

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Hey there internet pals! It’s time for another recent vegan eats and another bonus WIEIAD. I decided I may do a couple more even though I find them odd. More than anything, I find video a fun medium to play with, and it gives me content to edit.

Before we dive in, I want to address my post frequency (or infrequency) recently. I’ve slowed down a bit since the summer time, simply because moving/adjusting to a PhD program/getting in the swing of things and juggling research, classes, TA-ing, graduate student orgs, and being a human/dog mom in a new town while being homesick has been…a lot! I’m trying to post at least once a week, and striving to value quality over quantity.

I decided I’d rather post once a week than have 3 crappy posts a week. So for now, that’s what’s going on. If you have post requests, leave a comment below or say hello to me on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. 

Okay, now read on for recent vegan eats featuring some visiting fam!

Apples

Once again, starting off a recent eats post with apples. Holy yum. The apples around here this time of year are incredible! I’ve been snacking on them daily. SnapDragon apples are a delicious new-to-me variety that have been fun to add to my apple rotation.

Other than that, fresh Fuji, Jonagold, golden ginger, pink lady, Cortland and gala have been my favs. What are your favorite apples? Tell me so I can try them!

Creamy Cheesy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta

I keep making this because it’s so cozy! Recipe for this creamy cheesy vegan pasta is here.

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What are Ultra-processed foods? How do they impact health?

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Have you ever eaten something, looked at the label, and realized that, even though it’s apparently in your native language, you can’t read or pronounce or understand a bulk of the ingredients? I have. Things like hyper-flavored, brightly-colored chips, candies, sodas and packaged baked goods often fall into a category of what’s called “ultra-processed foods.” But what are ultra processed foods? And how do ultra-processed foods impact health?

This is currently a hot topic in the world of nutrition science. Ultra-processed foods have been receiving lots of attention from various nutrition and food policy experts for their potentially detrimental impacts on human health, and many believe they should be a target for decreased consumption (however, with industry funding, this issue keeps getting swept under the rug).

So what does this mean for you, the consumer? Well, I’d like to start by saying most of us probably know that fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grain products are generally beneficial for human health, and that things like Diet Coke, Oreos, Takis, Doritos, etc. But just what are ultra-processed foods, and just how much can they impact health? Read on for details!

*Disclaimer: As always, this is general information intended for healthy adults to gather general information. Your needs may vary based on medical status, lifestyle, or life-stage. Please never replace generalized health information you’ve read online with individualized clinical care.

What are ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods are foods that are mostly made of cheap industrial sources of dietary energy plus additives using a series of processes (like multiple milling, extruding, molding processes in a single object – ie ultra-processing’) to yield hyper-palatable foods with extended shelf lives.

Often times, they are low in fiber, protein, micronutrients, and are rich in additives, artificial colors, flavors, refined grains, sugar, salt, and/or unhealthful fatty acids. 

Examples include hyper-palatable chips, snack foods, candies, packaged baked goods and pastries, and microwave foods, and artificially-sweetened beverages.

Basically, ultra-processed foods are the foods you can’t really recognize the original ingredients in in the final product (for example, when I see a Dorito, I don’t think “oh yeah, the first ingredient in that is definitely corn.”)

Processed versus Ultra-Processed Foods:

I think it’s important to distinguish processed versus ultra processed foods. Many foods are processed, including things like table salt, tofu, frozen vegetables, and dried or canned beans. Processing does not automatically make foods detrimental to human health. 

However, ultra-processing often yields foods riddled with artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, sugar, and salt, and fewer micronutrients, fiber, and protein compared to lesser-processed foods. 

Unprocessed or minimally processed foods are things like fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, etc. 

How Do Ultra-Processed Foods Impact Human Health? 

A recently published randomized control trial compared food intake of participants given an ultra-processed diet versus those given an unprocessed diet. The researchers admitted 20 participants into clinical center for two weeks, where they were allowed to eat ‘ad lib’ and monitored for 14 days.

Individuals in the ultra-processed group ate, on average, 508 calories more per day than those in the unprocessed group. 

If you think about it, considering ultra-processed foods are often micronutrient-poor, it’s possible they don’t have the same nourishing effect as lesser-processed foods, leading to increased need for food to obtain the proper balance of macro and micronutrients. 

Another study in JAMA found a correlation between increases in ultra-processed food consumption and increased risk of mortality in adults over 45. At 10-years follow up, those with the highest levels of ultra-processed food consumption had a 62% higher risk for all-cause death than did the people in the lowest ultra-processed food consumption group.

While correlation never explains causation, it could be that adults who consume lots of ultra-processed foods have less stomach space for minimally or unprocessed foods, like healthful fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, etc.

When ultra-processed foods displace micronutrient and fiber-rich foods in the diet, it’s easier to eat large volumes of energy-dense food that are rich in unhealthful fatty acids, artificial colors and flavors, refined sugars, and/or high fructose corn syrup, while still not fulfilling your body’s micronutrient needs.

Do I need to stop eating ultra-processed foods?

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Creamy Cheesy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta

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Holy cow it’s fall! Welcome fall and all things pumpkin! Including this dreamy Creamy Cheesy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta. I couldn’t deicide if I should name this “creamy vegan pumpkin pasta” or “vegan pumpkin mac’n’cheese,” and since the dish falls somewhere in the middle, I just went with Creamy Cheesy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta. I hope you’re okay with the title. I am. According to James ‘It’s not about the pasta’ anyways (…Vanderpump Rules reference anyone?)

Now let’s talk about this pasta. This Creamy Cheesy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta is lucious, healthful, dish bursting with warm flavors and nooshy goodness.

The deep umami flavor of the pumpkin puree is embellished a bit with aromatics like shallots and garlic, and punched up a notch with a bit of mustard, as well as some spices, like cayenne, cinnamon and paprika. If you’re feeling ambitious, feel free to steam or roast pumpkin or butternut squash, then cool it and puree. If using canned pumpkin is easier for you, that will work just fine.

Either way, you’ll be adding some beta-carotene and fiber-rich vegetable goodness to the base of your pasta, building a healthful, nourishing, and satiating plant-based meal.

If you don’t like any of the above mentioned spices, feel free to omit them. This pasta is fairly forgiving; as long as you have a good amount of salt, the pasta will taste delicious.

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Nutrition for Vegans: What to Know About Plant-Based Diets

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Hey friends! Today we are going to be talking about nutrition for vegans. If you’ve been on my page before, you may have noticed I frequently post about nutrition, and I also frequently post vegan recipes and lifestyle stuff. However, it recently dawned upon me, that besides this article about B-12, I rarely post nutrition for vegans.

Specifically, I want help vegans, vegetarians, and/or veg-curious people understand what nutrients they need to watch for on a plant-based diet. 

There are a lot of misconceptions about vegan diets and their nutritional adequacy, so my goal is to provide you with the information you may want to help you make informed choices about your diet and health. 

I hope you enjoy this post about nutrition for vegans! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below, and/or reach out to me on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. 

*Disclaimer: As always, this is general information intended for healthy adults. Your needs may vary based on medical status, lifestyle, or life-stage. Please never replace generalized health information you’ve read online with individualized clinical care.

Video version here.

So, what is a vegan diet?

In case you don’t know, a vegan diet is a diet that avoids all animal products, including meat, eggs, dairy products, fish, gelatin, etc, and sometimes (depending on the vegan) honey.

Are vegan diets healthy?

Vegan diets can be healthy. Vegan diets can also be unhealthy. The same holds true of pretty much every dietary pattern. It really depends on what you eat most of the time. 

There is some data that suggests vegetarian diets are associated with lower blood pressure, lower LDL cholesterol levels, improved blood glucose control for those with type two diabetes, and lower rates of cancer.

It is likely that the increase in plant-foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and seeds – all of which are beneficial for human health and prevention of chronic disease – among vegetarians and vegans is the reason for these findings.

Furthermore, vegans and vegetarians don’t consume processed meats and red meat, both of which have carcinogenic (cancer-causing) properties.

That said, ‘vegan’ does not automatically mean ‘healthy.’ Pre-packed vegan snack foods, baked goods, cookies, crackers and chips may not be better than their non-vegan counterparts. It’s important to eat a balanced vegan diet to ensure you get enough of the correct nutrients to be healthy, feel your best, and to thrive in your life. Hence this nutrition for vegans blog post!

Are vegan diets adequate?

If properly planned, vegan diets can be nutritionally adequate. Vegetarian and/or vegan diets can support all life stages, including childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, and periods of lactation. 

Vegan and vegetarian diets can also support active lifestyles. Yes, vegan diets are even appropriate for athletes. There isn’t too much research looking into dietary patterns and athletic performance, but one recent study I found showed no difference in athletic performance between meat eaters and vegans.

I have heard some people believe (or have been told by health professionals) that it is not possible for growing adolescents, children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or females with amenorrhea to be healthful on a vegan diet. This is not true.

The American Dietetics Association and Dieticans of Canada, have stated it is possible to maintain a healthful vegan diet at any life-stage if done properly. 

And from my prospective, it’s all about what you eat. You can do any diet properly or improperly; it’s all about making sure you get a diverse, balanced diet that contains all the macro and micronutrients you need in optimal amounts.

What nutrients do vegans need to watch?

As I mentioned above, properly planned vegan diets can be nutritionally adequate. Notice the phrase properly planned. There are some specific nutrients vegans should be keeping track of to ensure they are obtaining a healthy diet that meets their physiological needs.

Vitamin B-12

If I could urge vegans to monitor only one micronutrient in their diet, I would tell the watch their vitamin B-12 intake. Vitamin B-12 is an essential micronutrient that plays a role in DNA synthesis, the formation of red blood cells, and helps maintain proper neurological function.

Vitamin B-12 also acts as a cofactor for methionine (an amino acid) synthase, which catalyzes the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. This is important because high levels of homocysteine are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke, and  the formation of methionine is important, as it is required for the formation of S-adenosylmethione (or SAM), which is considered a universal methyl-donor for a multitude of substrates, including DNA, RNA, proteins, hormones, and lipids. 

Signs and symptoms of deficiency include weakness, fatigue, lightheadness, pale skin, pale skin, diarrhea or constipation, tingling or numbness (especially in hands and feet), depression, memory loss, behavioral changes, depression, and vision loss.

If you want to know more about B12, I wrote an entire post about it. But basically, it is very important, and it can also be very hard for vegans to get enough of!

Vitamin B-12 is found mostly in animal products, like fish, meat, eggs, poultry, milk, milk products.

It’s also found in a couple vegan-friendly foods, like algae products, nutritional yeast, vitamin B-12-fortified breakfast cereals, and other fortified foods. Some plant milks and mock-meats are also fortified with B-12. If you’re curious, read labels. 

I advise vegans who do not eat a lot of nutritional yeast and algae products (heck, even meat eaters or vegetarians who don’t eat a lot of eggs/meat/dairy) to seek out plant milks, cereals, and/or mock meats or other foods that are fortified with B-12. If these foods aren’t your thing or you can’t find them, I’d encourage you to take a B-12 supplement. 

It’s very important to consume on a regular basis, even if you feel no symptoms of deficiency. Vitamin B-12 can be stored in the liver and if you have ample stores, you may not experience signs of clinical deficiency for a couple years.

However, you still need to make sure you’re getting enough B-12! Besides increasing the risk of heart disease, inadequate B-12 intake can cause irreversible neurological damage. So, please, vegans, make sure you get enough!

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Early Fall Vegan Eats (And a ‘Vegan What I Eat in a Day’)

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Welcome back to vegan eats! Where every couple of weeks I share some meals and snacks I’ve been noshing on lately. I hope you enjoy these early fall vegan eats! Who else can’t believe it’s practically October ?!

These meals are typically not glamorous and/or super interesting. In fact, reading over this post I’ve realized most of them probably sound weird and look terrible. But hey! This is my real life. I’m a bit fatigued from the food glamor aesthetic of insta and have had zero desire to make my food look cute. Mostly I’m just concerned with refueling and moving on lately. So here we are! I also did a “Vegan What I eat in a day” which I felt really weird about, but feel free to check it out if you’re interested.

As always, these posts are meant to share ideas about simple food and tidbits of my life, and are not meant to be an example of a ‘perfect’ diet. Everyone has different needs, resources, and taste buds. You do you! Now on to the vegan eats.

Apples!

Yum. I can’t get enough lately. Tis the season. For some reason I couldn’t stomach apples for a couple weeks during/after my tummy issues. Now I’m back on the apple train! This was a ginger gold. What’s your favorite kind of apple? I love trying new-to-me varieties.

PB&J

Who is surprised? That’s right, exactly no one. What can I say? It’s a packed lunch that never lets me down!

Spicy Potatoes with Beans and Veggies

This meal is also filed under “meals I make when I have minimal groceries but don’t want to go to the store.” It’s also filed under meals I genuinely enjoy so it’s a win-win. basically, I microwave-steam or roast potatoes (any variety works, I used white potatoes because they were on sale and sometimes I like mixing up the sweet potato game with some plain potatoes) with taco seasoning or a mix of turmeric, cayenne pepper and cumin.

Then I heat some beans and corn and sometimes a frozen veggie mix (like a peas/carrots/corn) mix with the same spices. I enjoy with whatever leftover veggies (on this particular day it was roasted cauliflower) I have plus some salad. I serve this with nutritional yeast, salt, hot sauce, and guacamole if I have it. Yum! Filling, cheap, nutritious, delicious. Meal win.

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What is Chlorpyrifos? Is Chlorpyrifos dangerous? Here’s what you need to know about the most widely-used insecticide in the US

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Hello friends! Today I’m combining my  environmental health science and nutrition backgrounds to chat about pesticides – specifically chlorpyrifos. You may have heard of chlorpyrifos. It’s been the news cycle a lot the past couple of years. Long story short, it was supposed to be banned, and then the ban got delayed, and now we’re still waiting for the ban to go through. But let’s back up – what is chlorpyrifos? Is it dangerous? 

What is chlorpyrifos?

Chlorpyrifos is a broad-spectrum, chlorinated organophosphate pesticide (aka a chemical compound) commonly used for pest control on crops, animals, and in buildings. Chlorpyrifos was first introduced by DowDuPoint Chemical Company in 1965, and has a variety of registered food and non-food applications.

Chlorpyrifos is considered the most widely used insecticide in the United States.

Notably, chlorpyrifos is used as a pesticide on a variety of food crops, including many fruits, vegetables, grains, and nut trees.

 It also has plenty of non-food uses, such as application to golf course turf, industrial sites, greenhouse production, farms, woods, and is often used in residential pest-control (it’s common in roach and ant bait products). It’s also been used as a public health-based application for mosquito-controls (most often in situations where the benefits of broad application outweigh the risks).

Is Chlopyrifos Dangerous?

Yes, chlorpyrifos can be harmful to human health. How exactly? Bare with me through some long scientific lingo and we’ll get to the facts soon, I promise. 

Chlorpyrifos is classified as an organophosphate pesticide. Organophosphates inactivate the enzyme cholinesterase, which is responsible for deactivation of the nerve signaling protein acetylcholine, which leads to a buildup of acetylcholine, which over time  causes overactivation of nerve targets, including those of the heart, brain, and digestive system, among others. 

Overstimulation of these nerve targets is associated with nausea, dizziness, confusion, loss of muscle control, and death. It’s similar in chemical structure as some of the nerve agents used in WWII. It is considered a neurotoxicant.

Within the past decade, concern has risen about adverse health outcomes associated with chlorpyrifos from not only shorter, higher levels of exposure, but also longer-term lower levels of exposure. 

In the early 2000s, scientific evidence began to suggest a link between chlorpyrifos use and a variety of adverse developmental outcomes. Perhaps most famously, researchers from th Child Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health (HUGE shout out to the alma matar!) found prenatal exposure (from residential environments – ie, spraying for bugs and pests) to chlorpyrifos causes structural changes in brain development.

The researchers at Mailman continued to study the chemical at levels of what wound be considered typical to high exposure, and found that prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos is associated with deficits in working memory and lower IQ at age 7. Yes, that’s right. This chemical can have long-term cognitive impacts.

CCEH scientists have also shown that exposure to chlorpyrifos is also linked to lower psychomotor developmental index scores, and lower mental development index scores in children, and their research suggests boys may be more vulnerable than girls.

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Gluten-Free Vegan Buckwheat Waffles

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Holy cow! I haven’t posted a recipe in a minute (well, since this epic vegan chocolate pudding recipe a couple of weeks ago). Honestly, I just haven’t been cooking a lot of new or creative things lately during this crazy move/transition time. My days have been busy and my mind has been preoccupied so lately meals and snacks have been reliable, simple, quick-to-prepare old standbys. But I was going through my computer’s desktop and found a folder of photos of these gluten-free vegan buckwheat waffles I took over a month ago (back in Wisco) and remembered I snapped pics with the intention of posting the recipe, but never got around to it!

So here we are! Gluten-free vegan buckwheat waffles. This is my go-to buckwheat waffle recipe. I use a combination of buckwheat and oat flours for these waffles. I have found using only buckwheat flour yields dense, bitter waffles. Oat flour helps make the waffles lighter, fluffier, and my neutral in flavor, while keeping them gluten-free (if that’s important to you).

Applesauce adds moisture and a hint of sweetness. If you don’t have apple sauce, canned pumpkin puree should also work, although the flavor will be a bit less sweet, and a bit more umami. But maybe that’s what you’re into. Savory gluten-free vegan buckwheat waffles with a bowl of veggie chili perhaps? Sign me the frick up!

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Can You Drink Too Much Water?

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“Stay hydrated, fam.” is a phrase I hear and see a lot. I don’t know when advocating for hydration became trendy, but at some point it did. I’m a fan of staying hydrated, and I think the reminders are helpful. Being dehydrated is very uncomfortable – not to mention potentially dangerous. However, sometimes people ask me about the other extreme: can you drink too much water?

Well, like I always say, the dose makes the poison. You can have too much of anything (stay tuned for a ‘can you consume too much protein post, coming soon), including water. In this post, I explain how and why you can drink too much water, and why it can be dangerous.

Water 101:

Water is essential for life. Our bodies are made up of about 55-70% water. It’s a vital component of cells, helps to regulate internal body protein, lubricates joints, acts as a shock absorber for the brain and spinal cord, aids digestion, and helps us flush away waste in the form of urination.

While the whole “Drink 8 8-ounce glasses of water per day,” things isn’t based on much evidence in particular, you should indeed drink enough water to quench your thirst and avoid dehydration.

The exact amount varies from person to person, and there are actually very few recommendations made by health organization that specifically state the amount needed per day, but according to the Institute of Medicine, it’s generally thought that males need 16 cups of water a day, and adult females need about 11 cups per day.

This can include water intake from foods (such as fruits and vegetables), as well as beverages (and yes, you can include coffee and tea in your intake tallies).

Again, the exact amount of water needed varies person to person, day by day, but ample water consumption is important to avoid dehydration.

Dehydration can occur if you lose more water than you take in, and can lead to confusion, fainting, electrolyte imbalance, rapid heartbeat, improper kidney function, and death.

Why Too Much Water is Dangerous: Hyponatremia

In the same way that too little water can lead to electrolyte imbalance, too much water can also lead to electrolyte imbalance.

The most common electrolyte disorder is low blood sodium – a condition known as hyponatremia.

Sodium is an electrolyte found mostly outside the cells, and its balance is important for maintaining blood pressure, and normal nerve, muscle, and tissue function.

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