Read this article in 4 levels: Basic A1 (英検3級), Intermediate B1(英検2級), Advanced C1(英検1級), original version. Multiple choice content questions for each level. Free English reading practice. The more you read in English, the more your English will improve. What happens if you drink too much water?
A1 Beginner 英検3級
B1 Intermediate 英検2級
C1 Advanced 英検1級
Original article
Basic A1 (英検3級) Version:
Article: If you drink too much water, it is dangerous. Your brain can get bigger, and you can have bad problems like seizures or even die. Drinking too much water is called overhydration. This is the opposite of dehydration, which means not drinking enough water. It’s easy to be dehydrated, but hard to be overhydrated. To get overhydrated, you have to drink a lot of water quickly, which is hard to do.
When you drink too much water, two things happen. First, your body loses salt. Salt is very important for your body. It helps move water around, helps your muscles, and helps your nerves work. Without enough salt, your body will have trouble doing these things.
Second, your kidneys, which clean your blood, get confused. If you have too much water, your kidneys try to hold water and salt. This can make water stay in your body. This is bad because it can make your cells swell, especially in the brain. If your brain cells swell, your skull cannot get bigger, and your brain will get squashed. This can cause seizures and even death.
It’s very rare to drink too much water, but some people try to do challenges like drinking 4 liters of water a day. This is more than you need, but not too dangerous unless you drink it all at once. Your body can get rid of about one liter of water every hour. So, if you drink water slowly, your body can handle it.
There are videos online that say you need to drink a lot of water, but that is not true. Your body only needs 2 to 3 liters of water a day, including water from food and drinks like coffee. Drinking too much water will just go out of your body. Drinking water does not help you lose weight, either. Water leaves your stomach in 20 minutes, so it does not stop you from eating. But eating foods with water, like soup, can help you eat less.
Questions:
- What happens if you drink too much water?
- A) Your hair grows longer
- B) Your brain can swell
- C) You will feel sleepy
- D) Your muscles will get stronger
- What is overhydration?
- A) Drinking too little water
- B) Drinking the right amount of water
- C) Drinking too much water
- D) Not drinking any water
- Why is salt important for the body?
- A) It helps you sleep
- B) It helps your body move water around
- C) It makes you taller
- D) It helps you see better
- What do the kidneys do when there is too much water?
- A) They make you thirsty
- B) They hold onto more water
- C) They make you sleepy
- D) They send water to your stomach
- What happens when brain cells swell up?
- A) The brain becomes stronger
- B) The brain gets squashed
- C) The brain grows bigger
- D) The brain gets lighter
- Why is it hard to get overhydrated?
- A) Because water is heavy
- B) Because drinking too much water is difficult
- C) Because people don’t like water
- D) Because water is expensive
- How much water can the body get rid of in one hour?
- A) 2 liters
- B) 3 liters
- C) 0.5 liter
- D) 1 liter
- How much water do you need each day?
- A) 1 liter
- B) 5 liters
- C) 2 to 3 liters
- D) 10 liters
- Does drinking water help you lose weight?
- A) Yes, always
- B) No, it doesn’t help
- C) Yes, if you drink a lot
- D) Only if you drink cold water
- What is a better way to eat fewer calories?
- A) Drink water before eating
- B) Eat soup
- C) Drink soda
- D) Eat ice cream
Answers:
- B) Your brain can swell
- C) Drinking too much water
- B) It helps your body move water around
- B) They hold onto more water
- B) The brain gets squashed
- B) Because drinking too much water is difficult
- D) 1 liter
- C) 2 to 3 liters
- B) No, it doesn’t help
- B) Eat soup
Intermediate B1 (英検2級) Version:
Article: Drinking too much water can be very dangerous. It can cause your brain to swell, leading to seizures or even death. Overhydration happens when you drink more water than your body can handle, which is the opposite of dehydration. While dehydration is common and occurs when you don’t drink enough water, overhydration is rare because you would have to consume a large amount of water in a short time.
There are two main problems with overhydration. First, the sodium levels in your blood drop because your body becomes diluted. Sodium, also known as salt, is essential for many body functions, like maintaining fluid balance, sending nerve signals, and muscle contractions. If your sodium level drops too low, a condition called hyponatremia occurs, leading to severe problems.
The second issue involves your kidneys, which control the salt levels in your blood. When there’s too much water and not enough salt, your kidneys stop removing salt and instead retain water. This causes the cells in your body to swell, which is dangerous if it happens in the brain. Unlike other parts of the body, the skull cannot expand, so the swelling can cause pressure on the brain, leading to seizures and possibly death.
This condition is rare because it’s hard to drink enough water to cause such effects. Even challenges like drinking 4 liters a day won’t lead to overhydration unless you consume all the water in one hour. The body can manage about one liter of water per hour, so as long as you pace yourself, you’re usually safe.
Social media often promotes the idea that you need to drink a lot of water, but your body only needs about 2 to 3 liters per day, including what you get from food. Drinking excessive amounts will just be excreted. Drinking water doesn’t help with weight loss either because it leaves the stomach quickly. Studies show that drinking water before meals does not reduce the amount of food you eat, but eating watery foods like soups can help lower calorie intake.
Questions:
- What can happen if you drink too much water?
- A) You get stronger
- B) Your brain may swell
- C) You feel less hungry
- D) Your vision improves
- What is overhydration?
- A) Having too little water in your body
- B) Having the right amount of water
- C) Having too much water in your body
- D) Drinking water slowly
- What happens to sodium levels when you drink too much water?
- A) They increase
- B) They stay the same
- C) They decrease
- D) They turn into sugar
- What role do kidneys play in overhydration?
- A) They release more salt
- B) They retain water
- C) They make you thirsty
- D) They shrink
- What happens when brain cells swell?
- A) They become stronger
- B) The skull expands
- C) The brain gets pressured
- D) The brain cells multiply
- Why is it hard to become overhydrated?
- A) It’s difficult to drink that much water
- B) Water is expensive
- C) People don’t like water
- D) It requires special equipment
- How much water can the body handle per hour?
- A) 1 liter
- B) 2 liters
- C) 0.5 liter
- D) 3 liters
- How much water does a person need per day?
- A) 5 liters
- B) 2 to 3 liters
- C) 10 liters
- D) 1 liter
- Does drinking water help you lose weight?
- A) Yes, it always does
- B) No, it doesn’t help
- C) Only when combined with diet pills
- D) Only if drunk cold
- What can help you eat fewer calories?
- A) Drinking water before meals
- B) Eating soup
- C) Skipping meals
- D) Drinking juice
Answers:
- B) Your brain may swell
- C) Having too much water in your body
- C) They decrease
- B) They retain water
- C) The brain gets pressured
- A) It’s difficult to drink that much water
- A) 1 liter
- B) 2 to 3 liters
- B) No, it doesn’t help
- B) Eating soup
Advanced C1 (英検1級) Version:
Article: Excessive water consumption can lead to severe health issues, including brain swelling, seizures, and potentially death. Overhydration, the polar opposite of dehydration, occurs when you ingest more water than your body can eliminate. While dehydration can occur simply by not drinking enough fluids, overhydration is less common because it requires the consumption of a substantial volume of water within a short period.
There are two primary complications associated with overhydration. The first is that sodium in the bloodstream becomes significantly diluted, leading to a condition known as hyponatremia. Sodium plays a crucial role in maintaining fluid balance, transmitting nerve signals, and enabling muscle contractions. Insufficient sodium levels impair these functions, resulting in various physiological disruptions.
The second complication is related to the kidneys, which regulate the body’s salt levels. Under normal circumstances, the kidneys maintain a delicate balance of water and sodium. However, when excess water intake reduces sodium levels, the kidneys respond by retaining water instead of excreting it. This retention causes cells throughout the body to swell, which is particularly dangerous in the brain due to the rigid skull. Swelling brain cells can increase intracranial pressure, potentially causing seizures and even death if not promptly addressed.
Although the dangers of overhydration are serious, they are relatively rare since consuming the necessary amount of water to trigger such effects is challenging. For instance, drinking 4 liters in one day, as seen in popular hydration challenges, does not usually pose a significant risk unless consumed in a very short period. The human body can efficiently process approximately one liter of water per hour, allowing it to maintain balance if hydration is paced.
Misinformation about hydration is widespread, especially on social media platforms advocating excessive water intake. The body typically requires about 2 to 3 liters of water daily, accounting for fluids from food and other beverages. Consuming more than this does not provide additional benefits and is promptly excreted. Furthermore, drinking water does not inherently aid in weight loss, as it passes through the stomach rapidly without significantly affecting appetite. However, incorporating water-rich foods, such as soups, into meals can help reduce overall calorie consumption.
Questions:
- What serious health risk can result from drinking too much water?
- A) Muscle cramps
- B) Brain swelling
- C) Increased appetite
- D) Improved eyesight
- What is hyponatremia?
- A) A condition of having too much salt
- B) A condition of having too little salt
- C) A condition of having no salt
- D) A condition related to low potassium
- What role does sodium play in the body?
- A) It helps you sleep better
- B) It maintains fluid balance and muscle contractions
- C) It improves digestion
- D) It increases appetite
- How do the kidneys respond to excessive water intake?
- A) By excreting more water
- B) By retaining water and reducing salt excretion
- C) By increasing sodium production
- D) By stopping all urine production
- Why is brain swelling particularly dangerous?
- A) Because it causes hair loss
- B) Because the skull cannot expand
- C) Because it affects vision
- D) Because it makes the brain heavier
- Why is overhydration rare?
- A) It is difficult to consume the required amount of water
- B) Most people dislike drinking water
- C) Water is not easily available
- D) The kidneys automatically prevent it
- What is the body’s maximum ability to process water per hour?
- A) 2 liters
- B) 3 liters
- C) 1 liter
- D) 0.5 liter
- What is the recommended daily water intake, including water from food?
- A) 1 liter
- B) 5 liters
- C) 2 to 3 liters
- D) 4 liters
- Does drinking water directly help with weight loss?
- A) Yes, it burns calories
- B) No, it passes through the stomach too quickly
- C) Only when paired with exercise
- D) Only in the morning
- What type of food helps reduce calorie intake?
- A) High-protein foods
- B) Water-rich foods like soups
- C) Sugary snacks
- D) Spicy foods
Answers:
- B) Brain swelling
- B) A condition of having too little salt
- B) It maintains fluid balance and muscle contractions
- B) By retaining water and reducing salt excretion
- B) Because the skull cannot expand
- A) It is difficult to consume the required amount of water
- C) 1 liter
- C) 2 to 3 liters
- B) No, it passes through the stomach too quickly
- B) Water-rich foods like soups
Original Version:
Article: What happens if you drink too much water? Your brain can swell up, and you can have seizures and possibly even die. Overhydration is the opposite of dehydration, and just like dehydration can be fatal, overhydration can be as well. However, it is much harder to be overhydrated than it is to be dehydrated. To be dehydrated, all you have to do is not drink anything. To be overhydrated, you have to force yourself to drink an enormous amount of water in a very short time, which, if you have tried to chug a liter of water, you will know is not an easy thing to do. So, what happens?
If you drink too much water, there are two problems. The first is that the level of sodium in the blood will drop because it becomes heavily diluted. Very low levels of salt in the body are called hyponatremia. Our body relies on salt for many processes. We use it to keep the right levels of fluids in the right places, we use it to conduct electrical impulses across the nerves, and we use it to contract and relax our muscles. When salt is dissolved in water, it conducts electricity very well and is known as an electrolyte. If we don’t have enough salt, we will have trouble with all of these processes, which will obviously cause a lot of problems.
The second problem is directly connected to the first and is why overhydration can be fatal. Our kidneys constantly monitor the amount of salt in the blood. If it is too high, the kidneys are stimulated to excrete as much sodium as they can, as quickly as they can. More water is moved out of the blood and cells to create urine to flush out the salt. When salt levels are too low, the opposite happens. The kidneys are stimulated to stop flushing salt out, and they start to retain water and urine. The extra fluid is stored in the blood or in the cells. This works if the body really is low on sodium, but if the reason for the low levels is excess water, retaining the water is the worst thing possible. When the cells retain water, they swell up. This is fine over most of the body, but in the brain, it is very dangerous. If the cells in your arm swell up, your skin will stretch to accommodate them. If the cells in your brain swell up, your skull will not expand, and the brain will be squashed against the inside of the skull. If the swelling continues, the brain stem will be forced out of the bottom of the skull. This will cause seizures, and, if it continues, death.
This all sounds terrible, but it is very rare because for this to happen, you need to consume an enormous amount of water in a very short time. Right now, the gallon challenge is a big thing. People drink 4 liters of water every day over a week. That is far more water than the body needs, but it is not enough water to cause overhydration. To overhydrate, you would need to drink over 4 liters of water in one hour, or over 1 liter of water every hour throughout the whole day, so 24 liters. These kinds of quantities are not easy to do. If you don’t drink more than 1 liter an hour, then there will be no problem because your body is very efficient at keeping the status quo. If your kidneys are working properly, they will sense the low sodium levels and will be able to rid your body of approximately one liter of water every hour. That will keep your sodium levels even, and it will prevent your cells from swelling up.
There are a lot of videos on Instagram and TikTok that say you need to drink more and more water, but it won’t have any effect because your body will try just as hard to get rid of it. You only need a certain amount, and that depends on your size, how much you move, and how hot it is. A lot of the water we get comes from our food, so we don’t need to be drinking liters a day, and our body will just get rid of it. 2 to 3 liters a day, including the water you get from food and other liquids such as coffee, is plenty. It has also been shown that drinking water has no effect on weight loss. Some people drink before a meal to fill themselves up, but water is out of the stomach in less than twenty minutes, and experiments have shown that people who drink water before eating eat the same amount as people who don’t drink. One interesting study has shown that if you mix the water with your food, such as a soup, you will consume fewer calories.
Questions:
- What is the main danger of drinking too much water?
- A) Dehydration
- B) Brain swelling
- C) Muscle cramps
- D) Weight gain
- What is the opposite of dehydration?
- A) Overhydration
- B) Hyperactivity
- C) Hyponatremia
- D) Electrolyte balance
- What happens to sodium levels when overhydrated?
- A) They increase
- B) They become diluted
- C) They turn into potassium
- D) They remain constant
- Why is salt important in the body?
- A) It helps with digestion
- B) It maintains fluid levels, nerve signals, and muscle function
- C) It boosts metabolism
- D) It improves blood circulation
- How do kidneys respond to low salt levels?
- A) They release more sodium
- B) They retain water
- C) They stop functioning
- D) They release more water
- Why is brain swelling more dangerous than swelling in other body parts?
- A) The skull cannot stretch
- B) It makes you feel dizzy
- C) It causes dehydration
- D) It reduces brain size
- How much water can the kidneys handle per hour?
- A) 0.5 liters
- B) 1 liter
- C) 2 liters
- D) 4 liters
- How much water is typically safe to consume per day?
- A) 5 liters
- B) 1 liter
- C) 10 liters
- D) 2 to 3 liters
- Does drinking water before a meal help with weight loss?
- A) Yes, it makes you eat less
- B) No, it doesn’t affect food intake
- C) Only if you drink ice water
- D) Yes, if combined with exercise
- What eating habit can help reduce calorie consumption?
- A) Drinking water before eating
- B) Eating soup
- C) Avoiding water-rich foods
- D) Skipping breakfast
Answers:
B) Eating soup
B) Brain swelling
A) Overhydration
B) They become diluted
B) It maintains fluid levels, nerve signals, and muscle function
B) They retain water
A) The skull cannot stretch
B) 1 liter
D) 2 to 3 liters
B) No, it doesn’t affect food intake
Article from here: https://ilearnedthistoday.com/index.php/2024/09/14/what-happens-if-you-drink-too-much-water/
