Okyeame Kwame, a well-known musician, recently generated controversy by offering health advice in a viral video.
He made the controversial claim that drinking too much water can cause dehydration in the social media video.
In order to keep the brain hydrated and avoid impulsive anger, he advised drinking water with a little salt instead.
“They say to drink water if you are in a tropical place like Ghana. But too much water will actually make you dehydrated. It depends on the number of hours you are spending in the sun and your exposure. But if you are in my age range, and you are trying to keep your brain young, the best type of water is water that has small salts. It’s not any salt. Maybe Himalayan salt or iodated salt.
“Small. If you drink it, it keeps your brain hydrated. And then once your brain is in the right amount of water, you don’t get angry quickly,” He said.
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On social media, Okyeame Kwame’s remarks have drawn criticism, with many people accusing him of disseminating false information that could be dangerous.
Drinking too much water causes dehydration. – Okyeame Kwame
— Dr Sneaker Nyame (@SneakerNyame_) October 23, 2023
GhanaWeb performed a fact-check to support his assertions.
Explanation:
1. Drinking too much water causes dehydration. (Wrong)
Dehydration happens when the body lacks sufficient water.
While excessive water intake can lead to issues like high blood pressure, low heart rate, and hyponatremia (low blood sodium), it does not cause dehydration. Drinking appropriate amounts of water is essential for good health.
2. Adding salt to water can help with hydration (Correct)
Adding a small amount of salt to water can be beneficial for hydration. Sodium helps balance water levels in the blood. However, caution needs to be excercised as many foods already contain salt. Consuming excess salt through both water and food can lead to health problems.
3. Water helps with anger management (Correct)
Water has been linked to stress reduction and well as to help deal with anxiety. This is because such factors can cause excessive sweating and dehydration. Water reduces its effects.
It’s worth noting that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a daily water intake of around 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women, which includes water from beverages and food. Additionally, a daily sodium intake of less than 2,300 mg is recommended for a healthy diet.
Conclusion and Verdict
In conclusion, Okyeame Kwame’s advice regarding salt in water is sound, but his assertion that drinking too much water causes dehydration is false. Maintaining good health necessitates striking a balance between sodium intake and water intake.
With additional files from webmd.com, cdc.gov, (Agrawal et al., 2008) and (Maughan & Shirreffs, 2008).
