"You can never have too much water""—& Other H2O Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series—MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April.

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts.  P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the SupermanDuffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

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MYTH: You can never have too much water.

Hard to believe, but this really is a myth—especially for some people with health conditions. Not only that, but if you drink too much water while you’re eating, it can dilute your stomach acids, making digestion…tricky.

So how much is too much? Good question—and there really isn’t a universal answer. Even the standard “8 glasses a day” response is a bit of a myth. That’s mostly a random number someone picked because it sounded good. But I suppose it’s not a bad guide to go by, as long as your body can take it. What do I mean by that?

Well, I kind of think about water the same way my grandpa does—too much water on the fields and he runs the risk of flood or waste; too little and the plants can die of dehydration. It’s about balance.

The truth is, most people don’t think much about this myth because they don’t drink nearly enough H20, even with all of water’s health claims. Oh, about that, I’m not saying water isn’t amazing or that you shouldn’t drink it (you should!) but here is a list of other water-inspired myths you should stop believing:

• Drinking water doesn’t actually keep your skin moist—H20 consumption has no effect on the top layer of your skin.
• Just because you’re thirsty, that doesn’t mean you’re dehydrated. It is a sign you should start drinking water, though.
• In Canada, bottled water is not better than tap water.

So how about those environmental concerns? The ones that suggest—in the headlines—that the Earth is running out of water. In reality, the sun, the sea, and evaporation combine every day to make 45,000 gallons of rainwater for each man, woman and child. Water and fresh water are different...

I’ve gotta jet, but I’m back tomorrow with an interesting “X”—well, at least I HOPE it will be. I haven’t quite figured it out yet. Is anyone else having “X” troubles on the #AtoZChallenge? Gulp!

~ Chase Superman Duffy