Why Clean Water Can Kill You

In 2005, a college student died from drinking water. Not dirty water. Just water. He was handed a jug and told to drink. A few hours later he was dead — and the cause wasn't exhaustion, infection or the exercise. It was the water itself. This video explains how the one substance you can't survive three days without can also kill you, why water intoxication and hyponatremia happen, what electrolytes actually do in your body, and, along the way, why water tastes completely different depending on where in the world you drink it. We cover TDS (total dissolved solids), what the number on your bottle label really means, whether distilled water and reverse osmosis water are bad for you, what the World Health Organization has said about demineralized water, and why endurance athletes have to think about sodium and not just fluid. If you've ever wondered how much water is too much, this is the answer. CHAPTERS 0:00 A college student dies from drinking water 0:49 Your body wants balance, not water 1:25 What's actually in your glass 1:57 TDS: total dissolved solids explained 2:09 How minerals get into water 2:55 Why water tastes different everywhere 3:39 The most mineral-rich spring in Europe 4:02 Distilled water and reverse osmosis 4:49 What the WHO says about demineralized water 5:22 How the water actually killed him 6:15 Why the brain swells 6:48 Runners, sweat and electrolytes 7:42 Alcohol: the opposite problem 8:25 The real answer: balance 8:57 How to read a water bottle label SOURCES & FURTHER READING The 2005 hazing death Matthew Carrington died on 2 February 2005 during a Chi Tau fraternity initiation at Chico State University, California. Cause of death was water intoxication. The case led to California's "Matt's Law" (AB 2132, 2006), which strengthened criminal penalties for hazing. Water intoxication & hyponatremia Almond CSD et al. "Hyponatremia among Runners in the Boston Marathon." New England Journal of Medicine, 2005;352:1550-1556. Hew-Butler T et al. "Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference." British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2015. Demineralized water Kozisek F. "Health Risks from Drinking Demineralised Water." In: Nutrients in Drinking Water. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2005. Total dissolved solids World Health Organization. "Total Dissolved Solids in Drinking-water." Background document for development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. Mineral water composition Rogaška Slatina / Donat Mg mineral analysis, Slovenia — published mineral composition data from the producer and Slovenian geological surveys. Kidney water excretion limits Standard renal physiology references on maximum free-water clearance (commonly cited at roughly 0.8-1.0 litres per hour in healthy adults). DISCLAIMER This video is for general education and is not medical advice. If you have concerns about your fluid intake, electrolytes or kidney function, speak to a qualified healthcare professional. #water #hyponatremia #science #whymentary water intoxication, hyponatremia, can you drink too much water, how much water is too much, why water tastes different, TDS water, total dissolved solids, distilled water, reverse osmosis, electrolytes explained, sodium balance, drinking too much water, water poisoning, mineral water explained