What’s the best way to encourage people to keep up with healthy habits? Turning it into a trend, of course!
As of recently, posts advocating for drinking a sufficient amount of water daily have been surfacing all over social media. From lifestyle vloggers on YouTube to a Twitter account dedicated solely to tweeting “Drink your water!” reminders, everyone is preaching to stay hydrated. The latest encouragement stems from the 30 day water challenge Tiktok trend, with users challenging themselves and others to drink a gallon of water per day for 30 days straight.
While it’s great that people are trying to implement this healthy habit into their lives and also inspiring others to follow suit, there can be some risks along with the benefits. Does this trend do more harm than good?
What Are The Benefits?
Let’s start off with the pros, the biggest being that water is an essential to everyday life. Drinking the right amount of water per day flushes out bacteria, aids in digestion, protects your organs and joints, and so much more. Those participating in the trend also note that they felt more energized, bloating was reduced, and their skin was glowing.
While this appears to be one of the healthiest trends to come across the Internet, it does pose some dangerous risks if executed incorrectly.
The key is to drink the right amount of water, and fans of this challenge can cause harm to their bodies if they don’t research the right amount of water intake for their body type. There are approximately 3.7 liters in one gallon of water, and the average daily intake is approximately 2 liters of water.
However, experts have found that water intake should be more custom to the individual. Healthline suggests that “the general recommendation from the U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine is about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women, and 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men”. Factors such as your environment, health, and temperature can also determine how much water should be consumed.
What Are The Risks?
Drinking too much water can have some dangerous outcomes. Mayo Clinic shares that those who drink too much water can develop hyponatremia, a life-threatening condition where the kidneys are unable to flush out the excess water and the sodium content of your blood becomes diluted.
Users who participate in the 30 day water challenge also tend to chug down their water too quickly in these large quantities, putting themselves at risk for water intoxication. One fitness content creator named Simon Denver even offered to up his frequent water intake from 3 liters to 4 until he reaches 500k followers. He shows a side-by-side of his skin from day one to day 30, and encourages viewers to “click follow to see what 4 liters everyday could do.”
The main takeaway from this challenge is to take it and make it custom to you. If you want to participate, there’s nothing wrong with that; figure out what works best for your body, and stick to it. It’s all about finding that healthy balance. Remember to stay hydrated, but in moderation!
