Is drinking 8 glasses of water a day really good for your kidneys? Drinking the wrong water can actually harm your kidneys!

At a time when everyone is pursuing a healthy life, the slogan "8 glasses of water a day" is almost known to everyone. Whether it is the earnest advice of health experts or the overwhelming health propaganda, we feel that as long as we strictly follow this standard, we can easily embrace health, especially for the maintenance of kidneys. However, drinking water, a seemingly ordinary daily trifle, hides many unknown details. If you drink it wrong, not only will it fail to nourish the kidneys, but it may cause considerable harm to them.

The saying of "8 glasses of water a day" has been around for a long time. Here, a glass of water is roughly calculated as 200 ml, which means that we have to consume about 1,600 ml of water every day. The starting point of this suggestion is based on the normal physiological operation needs of the human body. Water can be called the universal "lubricant" in the "precision factory" of the human body. It participates in various metabolic activities, helps to accurately deliver nutrients to various parts of the body, and at the same time efficiently removes metabolic waste from the body. For the kidneys, adequate water intake is the key to ensuring the normal production and excretion of urine. Sufficient urine can continuously flush the urethra like a hard-working "pipe cleaner", greatly reducing the risk of urinary tract infection and stone formation. Under normal circumstances, the kidneys are like a sophisticated "filter", filtering out excess water, metabolic waste and toxins in the blood to form urine for excretion. Once the water intake is insufficient, the urine will become thick, and the concentration of various harmful substances will increase significantly, which is very easy to deposit in the kidneys and urinary tract. Over time, kidney disease may come.

However, it is far from enough to just focus on the amount of 8 glasses of water a day. What kind of water you drink is equally important. Nowadays, there are a dazzling array of beverages on the market. Many people drink beverages directly as water for convenience or to satisfy their appetite. This is actually a serious misunderstanding. Take carbonated beverages such as Coke and Sprite. They are rich in sugar and phosphoric acid. Excessive intake of sugar will cause blood sugar levels to rise sharply like a roller coaster, greatly increasing the risk of diabetes, and diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Phosphoric acid interferes with the body's absorption and metabolism of calcium. Long-term drinking may not only lead to osteoporosis, but also increase the burden on the kidneys to excrete phosphorus. Let's take a look at the milk tea that is popular among young people. Most milk teas not only have a high sugar content, but also contain a large amount of additives and trans fatty acids. These substances continue to accumulate in the body, which will seriously affect blood lipid and blood pressure levels, and indirectly damage kidney health.

Some people hold the idea that "more supplements are beneficial" and believe that water rich in minerals is beneficial to the body, so they drink water with too high a mineral content for a long time. But they overlook the fact that for people with weak kidney function, excessive mineral intake may become a heavy burden on the kidneys. For example, if the body cannot fully absorb and utilize calcium, magnesium and other minerals commonly found in water, they can only rely on the kidneys to excrete them. Once the kidney's excretion capacity reaches its limit, these minerals may be deposited in the kidneys, slowly forming stones, causing great harm to the kidneys.

In addition to the type of water, the way and time of drinking water should not be underestimated. Some people are used to drinking a large amount of water at one time, rather than drinking small amounts multiple times. This will put the kidneys under tremendous pressure in a short period of time. The kidneys have to turn on the "high-speed operation mode" to quickly process the sudden influx of a large amount of water, which is very likely to affect their normal physiological functions. In addition, drinking a lot of water before going to bed is also a bad habit. Not only will it cause frequent waking up at night, seriously affecting the quality of sleep, but it will also further increase the burden on the kidneys. In the long run, the kidneys will be overwhelmed.

So, how to drink water is really good for the kidneys? First of all, boiled water is undoubtedly the healthiest choice. It is pure and additive-free, does not contain any sugar or additives, and can meet the body's need for water in the most direct and pure way. Secondly, we must master the scientific way of drinking water and follow the principle of drinking small amounts and multiple times. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Generally speaking, after getting up in the morning, drinking a glass of warm water can wake up the body that has been sleeping all night and promote metabolism; drinking water half an hour before meals can help the secretion of digestive juices and improve digestion efficiency; drinking water one hour after meals can not only replenish the body's water needs, but also will not affect digestion. In addition, the amount of water you drink should be adjusted appropriately according to your physical condition and activity level. If you exercise a lot that day, sweat a lot, or are in a hot environment, your body loses water quickly, you need to increase your water intake in time to maintain your body's water balance.

The suggestion of "8 glasses of water a day" is not wrong in itself. It provides us with a basic standard for water intake. However, we cannot only focus on the amount of water, but ignore key factors such as the quality of water, drinking method and time. Only by drinking water scientifically and rationally can we truly build a solid healthy defense line for the kidneys. Otherwise, incorrect drinking habits will not only fail to achieve the purpose of health preservation, but may also cause unexpected harm to the kidneys. From now on, let us calm down, re-examine our drinking habits, and use the right way to carefully care for our kidney health and keep our bodies in the best condition at all times.