“The Strong Drink This” Goes Viral on Social Media... What China's Millennials and Gen Z Are Hooked on After Ditching Coffee and Milk Tea

Drinking Bottled Water Goes Viral on Social Media
Drinking Large Amounts and Sharing on Social Media
Specialist: "Drink an Appropriate Amount Based on Your Physical Condition"

Memes such as “Drinking lots of water and getting a good night's sleep can build toned muscles” and “The weak drink beverages; the strong drink water” are spreading on Chinese social media, fueling a trend of drinking large amounts of water.

On October 19, China National Radio focused on the trend, reporting that “Millennials and Generation Z are putting down coffee and milk tea and gulping down 1.5-liter and 2-liter bottles of water.”

Drinking large amounts of water is trending in China. Xiaohongshu, China.

Drinking bottled water spreads on social media like a challenge

Many people believe that “the more water you drink, the better,” and that it can improve skin, flush toxins from the body, reduce body fat, and boost immunity. As related posts gain popularity on local social media, more people are habitually drinking excessive amounts of water from large tumblers, even when they are not thirsty. As if taking part in a challenge, people are increasingly sharing posts showing how much water they drank during the day or photos proving they finished a large water bottle.

Wu Ting, an endocrinologist at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, said, “Replacing sugary drinks with bottled water is one of the healthiest dietary habits young people can adopt.” However, she added, “Drinking as much water as possible is not necessarily a good thing.”

Specialist: “Drink an appropriate amount for your body”

Drinking large amounts of water is trending in China. Source: Xiaohongshu, China.

Dr. Wu said, “There is a limit to how much fluid the kidneys can process at one time. If you exceed that limit, the excess cannot be excreted and dilutes the sodium concentration in your blood.” A drop in blood sodium levels can cause hyponatremia, or water intoxication, leading to fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Many people mistake these symptoms for “simple tiredness,” but if sodium levels fall further, they may experience headaches, nausea, and unsteady walking. In severe cases, seizures, loss of consciousness, and respiratory depression can occur, and cerebral edema can even become life-threatening.

Women with lower body weights are particularly susceptible: because they have less water in their bodies, drinking the same amount of water can cause their blood sodium levels to fall more easily. Hyponatremia is also more likely to occur if people drink only plain water without replenishing electrolytes after sweating heavily during strenuous exercise such as a marathon.

Dr. Wu said, “The recommended daily amount of bottled water varies from person to person depending on factors such as body weight, exercise level, temperature, fever, and whether they are pregnant or breastfeeding.” She emphasized, “‘Drinking water’ is easy to take up because it has a low barrier to entry and costs little, but people should drink an appropriate amount for their own physical condition.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.