<p>“There is something called water intoxication, which happens if you really, really overdo it. It has happened to people drinking gallons of water trying to flush out anything that would show up in a drug test.”</p>
<p>No, it does not always take gallons and gallons. It is not about how much water you drink - it all about disrupting one’s electrolyte balance. There is a reason “water intoxication” is officially called “hyponatremia” (low sodium).</p>
<p>"Sodium plays a key role in your body. It helps maintain normal blood pressure, supports the work of your nerves and muscles, and regulates your body’s fluid balance.</p>
<p>A normal sodium level is between 135 and 145 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L) of sodium. Hyponatremia occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below 135 mEq/L.</p>
<p>Many possible conditions and lifestyle factors can lead to hyponatremia"</p>
<p>One can drink less than a gallon and still get it.</p>
<p>No, no one has to drink only water, but as this thread is about causes and prevention of obesity, it is a good idea to avoid all unnecessary intake of non-nutritional calories, including milk, which has recently been found not to be healthy for humans. (Search for the Harvard study by Willet). </p>
<p>I have to say that I weaned myself from drinking milk and nowadays I like my milk in the form of farmer’s cheese blintzes filling, Greek yogurt, a splash of half-and-half in my coffee, a slice of Beechers’. ;)</p>
<p>Milk, juice, water… No matter what you drink, there is a problem! I like St Pellegrino, it is addictive, I swear! I feel bad about drinking that stuff, though, since it has to be hailed form afar to be sold to me here. I should stick to drinking domestically produced beverages, such as California wines and champagne… but can’t have more than a glass a day to stay within the CDC guidelines. ;)</p>
<p>In all seriousness, milk is not the worst thing one can drink. The artificially flavored and colored, sweetened swill labeled as “juice” is much worse. I think I will stick with my St Pellegrino for now…</p>
<p>I’m unsure what Willett says, but from what I have read cow’s milk is best for a baby calf, not a human. Milk consumption increases calcium loss in your bones and does not contribute to bone strengthening, as previously believed. </p>
<p>
I agree with this. Milk is not the worst you can drink and consuming milk is not the worst thing you can do for your body. Each person has their “body destroying” habit. Pick your poison. </p>
<p>I don’t personally drink milk. I just don’t like it. I do drink about 6 ounces of dairy a day, in the form of half and half in my coffee. It would be healthier, I think, to switch to cream, but it’s about four times as expensive as half and half.</p>
<p>I eat a ton of cheese. Always whole fat. Blue cheese. Parmigianno Reggiano. Aged Cheddar. Brie.</p>
<p>“In conclusion, we found no association between the intakes of calcium and vitamin D and prostate cancer risk, but
low-/nonfat milk consumption was moderately associated with higher risk and whole milk consumption was associated with slightly decreased risk of prostate cancer.”</p>
<p>That’s a pretty misleading Huffpo article that lumps a lot of things together, jumping from sugar to saturated fat and then going to too much calcium (wait, the study was about calcium supplements, not milk) and so on… There is also promotion of veganism…</p>
<p>Quick googling reveals that Mark Hyman is a nutritionist (!) and a very vocal proponent of gluten-free and dairy free lifestyle. Make your own conclusions. I made mine. ;)</p>
<p>Yes, it raises a host of problems associated with more than one property of milk: sugar, fat, hormones, calcium, carcinogens… They are all in there, apparently. </p>