Terrifying simulation shows fatal reality of what would happen if you drank too much water

Although it seems like we're constantly being told to drink more of the stuff, it turns out too much water isn't good for you either.

A good glug of H2o will certainly quench your thirst and keep you hydrated, however, like a lot of things in life, it's best consumed in moderation.

According to the NHS, we should all be aiming to drink up to six to eight glasses of water a day to avoid dehydration and to ensure our bodies have enough to function properly.

Hopefully, your urine will be a clear, pale yellow colour if this is the case - and you can keep tabs on how hydrated you are by using this as a benchmark.

The NHS might describe water as a 'healthy and cheap' choice of beverage, but people can easily take this mantra too far by sipping too much of the stuff. You see, overflowing our bodies with water can have some pretty scary, and even fatal, consequences.

YouTuber Zack D. Films shared a simulation of what can happen if you drink a lethal amount of water and it's safe to say, the majority of viewers are now wary about overindulging in water.

In the short clip, the content creator explained to his 21million subscribers that in severe cases, you can even die from it.

Narrating one of his trademark terrifying visuals, Zack said: "If you drink too much water, the excess will fill up your stomach and get absorbed into your blood stream.

"This can eventually cause your brain cells to swell up, which pushes your brain into your skull and increases the pressure.

"And depending on your size, if you drink around six litres of water in a few hours, your brain would swell up so much that you could go into a coma and die."

After social media users watched the simulation, which showed a person's brain nearly bursting out of their skull, people were left pretty spooked. Nice one, Zack.

One commented: "New fear unlocked: drinking water."

Another said: "Zack giving everybody Aquaphobia."

A third wrote: "This will live rent free in my mind every time I drink water."

And a fourth chimed in: "Crazy how something we need to survive can kill us in so many ways."

So, while we're on the topic - just how can drinking too much water be deadly?

Well, just like a football pitch after a rainy day, our bodies can become waterlogged if there is too much water in our bodies that we don't need.

Health experts at Cleveland Clinic explain this can lead to a condition called water intoxication. This occurs because is a chemical imbalance in the body which can't be cleared by naturally sweating or urinating.

Drinking too much water dilutes our blood, electrolytes and sodium (salt) levels, the latter of which is known as hyponatremia. As a result of there being excess water in the body, the liquid is drawn into regions where the concentration of salt is highest and then enters the cells, causing them to swell as they try and make room for it.

While most cells are able to stretch, the skull prevents this from happening in the brain - which can be extremely dangerous, as it increases pressure on the organ as well as affecting how it operates.

M. Amin Arnaout, chief of nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, previously told the Scientific American: "Rapid and severe hyponatremia causes entry of water into brain cells leading to brain swelling, which manifests as seizures, coma, respiratory arrest, brain stem herniation and death."

Experts say that we should measure our liquid intake in comparison to our thirst, as medics such as Joseph Verbalis, chairman of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center reckon it's 'the best indicator'.

But if you are worried you might have sipped slightly too much water, there are some symptoms you can keep an eye out for which might suggest you are suffering from water intoxication.

These include nausea, vomiting, excessive bloating, a headache, drowsiness, muscle weakness, pain or cramps, and also changes to your mental state, such as confusion, irritability, and dizziness.

The Cleveland Clinic also points out that swelling in your hands, feet, and stomach might occur.

If you don't seek treatment in time, severe cases of water intoxication can lead to seizures, delirium, a coma, and even death - although this is rare.