Drinking 2 Liters of Water for Health? Analytical Chemistry Expert Says "That's Not Right"

There has been a recent expert warning that certain habits believed to be beneficial for health may actually be harmful to the body. Gyeho Lee, a renowned authority in analytical chemistry and professor emeritus of the Department of Chemistry at Chungnam National University, pointed out that the number of hyponatremia patients is increasing in Korea due to three common misconceptions: "Drinking 2 liters of water a day is good," "The more vegetables and fruits you eat, the better," and "A low-sodium diet is always healthy."

Analytical chemist Gyeho Lee, professor emeritus of the Department of Chemistry at Chungnam National University, pointed out that the number of hyponatremia patients is increasing due to three common misconceptions about health among Koreans. Photo by Pixabay

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He identified the first misconception as the belief that "drinking a lot of water is good for you." Professor Lee emphasized, "Drinking 2 liters of water every day can actually be very harmful to your health." He stated, "Drinking excessive amounts of water can be fatal," and pointed out that "at marathons, there are many cases where runners drink too much water and die of cardiac arrest." The cause of death in these cases is reported as "cardiac arrest due to hyponatremia."

Professor Lee explained, "There are minerals called sodium and potassium in the blood, which generate electricity in our bodies. When the amount of water in the body increases, sodium levels decrease, and the amount of electricity generated drops." He added, "People who drink a lot of water may feel weak and dizzy even though they have no health problems. If this situation continues for a long time, people with weak hearts may die because their hearts do not receive enough electrical stimulation."

He further advised, "Water enters our bodies not only as water but also through food. If you eat a fruit punch made with watermelon and then force yourself to drink 2 liters of water, you are drinking too much. The total amount of watermelon and water consumed in a day should be 1.5 to 2 liters."

Analytical chemist Gyeho Lee, professor emeritus of the Department of Chemistry at Chungnam National University, pointed out that the number of hyponatremia patients is increasing due to three common misconceptions about health among Koreans. Pixabay

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The second misconception he addressed is the excessive consumption of vegetables and fruits. Professor Lee warned, "The main component of vegetables and fruits is potassium, which has a diuretic effect and lowers sodium concentration in the body. Eating large amounts just because they are considered healthy can actually disrupt the body's balance." He added, "The fluids in our bodies are a 0.9% saline solution, and if this balance is disrupted, problems can occur." He explained that this is why even herbivorous animals such as goats and sheep must be supplemented with salt.

Analytical chemist Gyeho Lee, emeritus professor of the Department of Chemistry at Chungnam National University, pointed out that the number of hyponatremia patients is increasing due to three common misconceptions about health among Koreans. Photo by Pixabay

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Professor Lee also pointed out that the idea that "a low-sodium diet is always healthy" is a misconception. He said, "Among people who die suddenly in their sleep despite having no health issues, there are cases of cardiac arrest due to hyponatremia." He continued, "Because traditional Korean fermented foods like jang (soybean paste) and kimchi are very salty, the government has promoted low-sodium diets for the past decade. As a result, people have come to mistakenly believe that low-sodium diets are always healthy." He emphasized, "A low-sodium diet is only healthy for people who consume too much salt; for everyone else, it is important to maintain the body's saline concentration at 0.9%."

However, caution is needed regarding the claims made by analytical chemistry expert Professor Gyeho Lee. The balance of fluids and electrolytes in the body, as well as dietary recommendations, are determined based on medical and nutritional research, and may differ from the interpretations of individual experts. The "2 liters of water per day" guideline is generally for healthy adults and varies depending on activity level, body weight, and climate conditions. Deaths during marathons are due to a combination of extreme exercise, excessive fluid intake, and insufficient electrolyte supplementation?these are special circumstances and do not provide grounds for broadly rejecting general hydration guidelines. Leading organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) continue to recommend appropriate levels of fluid intake.

Regarding the potential exaggeration of the risks of excessive vegetable and fruit intake, most healthy kidneys can adequately regulate potassium and sodium concentrations. While it is physiologically correct that potassium lowers sodium concentration, dietary potassium excess rarely causes hyponatremia in healthy individuals. In fact, potassium intake is recommended for the prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. As for low-sodium diets, organizations such as the WHO and the Korean Society of Hypertension still recommend limiting daily sodium intake to 2 grams (equivalent to 5 grams of salt) or less. In most cases, hyponatremia is caused by chronic diseases, medications, or acute illnesses, and simple sodium deficiency from diet is a rare cause.

Therefore, even expert statements should be compared and verified against official medical and nutritional guidelines, rather than being accepted without question. Individuals should seek personalized advice based on their own health status, including kidney function, cardiovascular conditions, and medications they are taking.

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